Energetic modulation of nerves

• US 9,119,951 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2011
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otsuka Medical Devices Co., Ltd. (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kona Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Gertner, Michael, Perozek, David, Zhang, Jimin, Sabet, Arash
• Primary Examiner(s): REMALY, MARK DONALD
• Application Number:
  US13/091,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20120109018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 600407-475, 601 2- 4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00106 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00404 Blood vessels other than those in or around the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00434 Neural system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00511 Kidney
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/506 for diagnosis of nerves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4245 involving determining the position of the probe, e.g. with respect to an external reference frame or to the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/44 Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/485 involving measuring strain or elastic properties
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/003 Destruction of nerve tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0095 by modifying an excitation signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

A system for applying high intensity ultrasound energy to a nerve surrounding an artery of a patient includes a piezoelectric array comprising a plurality of ultrasound elements, a controller configured to individually control a phasing of each of the ultrasound elements, a platform on which the ultrasound elements are coupled, wherein the platform is configured to support at least a part of the patient, a programmable generator configured to generate an output power for at least one of the ultrasound elements, and a programmable processor configured to process a signal transmitted from one of the ultrasound elements and reflected back from tissue, and determine a tissue characteristic based on the reflected signal.

Claims

1. A method to treat nerves next to a blood vessel, comprising:

determining a position of a blood vessel; and

controlling a transducer to deliver ultrasound energy from outside a patient to multiple regions next to the blood vessel inside the patient in accordance with the position of the blood vessel;

wherein the delivered ultrasound energy creates a heat zone having a cloud configuration, the cloud configuration having a plurality of lobes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the lobes of the cloud configuration form a random arrangement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the lobes of the cloud configuration form an asymmetric arrangement.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the lobes of the cloud configuration form an asymmetric arrangement that is asymmetric with respect to three axes that are perpendicular to each other.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a quality factor representing an amount of time a focal point of the transducer is within a target zone during a duration of energy delivery by the transducer, the amount of time being less than the duration of energy delivery.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the quality factor is determined as a function of time the focal point is within the target zone.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining a dosing plan for the transducer.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising modifying the dosing plan in dependency on the quality factor.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the quality factor is about 90%.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the quality factor is about 50%.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the quality factor is anywhere from 50% to 90%.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the quality factor is determined as a ratio of the amount of time the focal point is within the target zone to the duration of energy delivery by the transducer.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the quality factor is determined before a delivery of energy by the transducer.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a diffuseness of an energy cloud to be provided by the transducer in dependence on the determined quality factor.

15. The method of claim 5, wherein the quality factor is determined after a first delivery of energy by the transducer.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising adjusting a second delivery of energy in dependence on the determined quality factor.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a movement of the blood vessel by detecting a Doppler flow signal.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a part of the cloud configuration is formed by two overlapping lopes of the plurality of lobes.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the cloud configuration is resulted from a prescribed treatment pattern.

20. A method to treat nerves next to a blood vessel, comprising:

receiving a signal from inside a patient;

processing the signal to determine a position of a blood vessel;

determining positions of multiple respective regions next to the blood vessel; and

controlling a transducer to deliver ultrasound energy from outside the patient to inside the patient in accordance with the determined positions of the multiple respective regions;

wherein the delivered ultrasound energy creates a heat zone having a cloud configuration, the cloud configuration having a plurality of lobes.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the lobes of the cloud configuration form a random arrangement.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the lobes of the cloud configuration form an asymmetric arrangement.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the lobes of the cloud configuration form an asymmetric arrangement that is asymmetric with respect to three axes that are perpendicular to each other.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein at least a part of the cloud configuration is formed by two overlapping lopes of the plurality of lobes.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the cloud configuration is resulted from a prescribed treatment pattern.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining a quality factor; and

determining a degree of diffuseness of an energy cloud to be delivered by the transducer in dependence on the determined quality factor.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the quality factor is related to an amount of time the transducer is aimed to a target zone with respect to a duration of energy delivery by the transducer.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the amount of time is less than the duration of energy delivery.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the quality factor is determined before a delivery of energy by the transducer.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the quality factor is determined after a first delivery of energy by the transducer.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising adjusting a second delivery of energy in dependence on the determined quality factor.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the quality factor is determined as a function of time the transducer is aimed towards the target zone.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the quality factor is about 90%.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein the quality factor is about 50%.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein the quality factor is anywhere from 50% to 90%.