System for treatment of diseased tissue using controlled ultrasonic heating
First Claim
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1. A system for delivering thermal treatment to diseased tissue in a treatment volume, comprising:
- an ultrasonic thermal applicator including at least one transducer element that is driven by a transducer driving signal having a driving frequency and a driving amplitude, said at least one transducer element providing a nominally directional ultrasonic beam into the treatment volume;
a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging apparatus adapted for acquiring MR thermometry data from the treatment volume and providing an output comprising real-time quantitative thermal imaging information for the treatment volume including information representing a plurality of input control temperatures at a corresponding plurality of control point locations of said treatment volume;
a treatment control system including treatment planning software to locate or define a volume corresponding to said treatment volume, based on said MR thermometry data, and further including a treatment controller receiving said real-time quantitative thermal imaging information including said input control temperatures from said MR imaging apparatus and providing an output to control said transducer driving signal, said transducer driving signal depending at least in part on said input control temperatures; and
a thermal applicator motion controller including a motor assembly receiving a motor control signal from said treatment controller and being designed and configured in a closed-loop control system to rotate said ultrasonic thermal applicator, and consequently said nominally directional ultrasonic beam, in an angular motion about an axial dimension of the ultrasonic thermal applicator, said angular motion depending at least in part on said input control temperatures.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for delivering and controlling thermal therapy to a volume of diseased tissue. Specifically, the invention includes using thermal imaging and other inputs to determine an acoustic (ultrasonic) treatment regime employing interstitial ultrasound applicators to deliver a required therapeutic temperature or thermal dose to the affected region in a body or organ. Various aspects of the treatment that can be controlled include individual transducer element operating power and frequency, as well as the rate of cooling and rotation of the entire applicator.
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10 Claims
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1. A system for delivering thermal treatment to diseased tissue in a treatment volume, comprising:
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an ultrasonic thermal applicator including at least one transducer element that is driven by a transducer driving signal having a driving frequency and a driving amplitude, said at least one transducer element providing a nominally directional ultrasonic beam into the treatment volume; a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging apparatus adapted for acquiring MR thermometry data from the treatment volume and providing an output comprising real-time quantitative thermal imaging information for the treatment volume including information representing a plurality of input control temperatures at a corresponding plurality of control point locations of said treatment volume; a treatment control system including treatment planning software to locate or define a volume corresponding to said treatment volume, based on said MR thermometry data, and further including a treatment controller receiving said real-time quantitative thermal imaging information including said input control temperatures from said MR imaging apparatus and providing an output to control said transducer driving signal, said transducer driving signal depending at least in part on said input control temperatures; and a thermal applicator motion controller including a motor assembly receiving a motor control signal from said treatment controller and being designed and configured in a closed-loop control system to rotate said ultrasonic thermal applicator, and consequently said nominally directional ultrasonic beam, in an angular motion about an axial dimension of the ultrasonic thermal applicator, said angular motion depending at least in part on said input control temperatures. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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