Image-guided high intensity focused ultrasound and related apparatus and methods

• US 9,149,255 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BFLY Operations, Inc. (Butterfly Network, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Butterfly Network, Inc.
• Inventors: Rothberg, Jonathan M., Sanchez, Nevada J., Charvat, Gregory L., Ralston, Tyler S.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROZANSKI, MICHAEL T
• Application Number:
  US14/191,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20140180177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407, 600/438, 600/439, 600/443, 600/459, 601/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320069 for ablating tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4209 by using holders, e.g. positioning frames
• 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 8/4254 using sensors mounted on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4263 using sensors not mounted on the probe, e.g. mounted on an external reference frame
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4477 using several separate ultrasound transducers or probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4488 the transducer being a phased array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4494 characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements devices for short-range imaging using particular transducer elements arrangements under G01S15/8909; arrangements of transducers in generation of mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency B06B1/0607
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5207 involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image reconstruction G06T11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 involving data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/00 : Code division multiplex systems for frequency hopping H04B1/713

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are described that include ultrasound imaging devices, which may operate in a transmissive ultrasound imaging modality, and which may be used to detect properties of interest of a subject such as index of refraction, density and/or speed of sound. Devices suitable for performing high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), as well as HIFU and ultrasound imaging, are also described.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

displaying a volumetric image of a subject three dimensionally via a three-dimensional (3D) display;

in response to receiving a selection, extracting and displaying via the 3D display a 3D subvolume of the volumetric image and maintaining registration between the 3D subvolume and the volumetric image;

receiving input identifying at least one target point in the 3D subvolume corresponding to at least one location in the subject; and

subsequent to receiving the input identifying the at least one target point, initiating a process of applying high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) energy to the at least one location in the subject.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving input comprises receiving the input from a user at least in part by detecting motion of the user and/or or motion of a pointing device of the user through the 3D subvolume.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one target point comprises a plurality of target points in the 3D subvolume corresponding to a plurality of locations along a path through the subject.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating at least one HIFU control parameter controlling application of the HIFU energy to the at least one location in the subject.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein calculating the at least one HIFU control parameter is performed based at least in part on a specified amount of energy and/or power to apply to the at least one location in the subject.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving input from a user specifying the specified amount of energy and/or power to apply to the at least one location in the subject.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one HIFU control parameter specifies how to focus the HIFU energy to obtain a focused HIFU beam.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein performing said calculating comprises using a beamforming technique.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein performing said calculating comprises using a time-reversal technique.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the 3D display is a lenticular display.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the volumetric image comprises applying stereoscopic conversion to the volumetric image to obtain a first stereoscopic image and a second stereoscopic image and displaying three-dimensionally, via the 3D display, the first stereoscopic image and the second stereoscopic image.