Transmissive imaging and related apparatus and methods

• US 9,198,637 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• 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:
  US14/191,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20140180092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 642 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. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of radiation sensors forming a two- or three-dimensional sensor arrangement in which the plurality of radiation sensors are regularly spaced and are configured to receive radiation of wavelength λ

emitted by one or more radiation sources,

wherein the arrangement is characterized by a non-uniform pitch between radiation sensors, and wherein a minimum pitch of the arrangement is greater than 2λ

.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one radiation sensor of the plurality of radiation sensors is an ultrasound sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of radiation sensors are ultrasound sensors.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of radiation sensors are arranged in a three-dimensional array.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wavelength λ

corresponds to a center frequency of the radiation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of radiation sources including the one or more radiation sources, wherein the plurality of radiation sources form a two-dimensional or three-dimensional arrangement of radiation sources and are configured to emit the radiation.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein a spacing between a first radiation source of the plurality of radiation sources and its nearest neighboring radiation source of the plurality of radiation sources is greater than λ

/2.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein a minimum spacing between any radiation source of the plurality of radiation sources and its nearest neighbor is greater than λ

/2.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of radiation sensors are coupled to a first support and wherein the plurality of radiation sources are coupled to a second support distinct from the first support.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first and second supports are independently movable relative to each other.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of radiation sources are arranged in a substantially planar configuration in a first plane and wherein the plurality of radiation sensors are arranged in a substantially planar configuration in a second plane.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of radiation sources and the plurality of radiation sensors are configured in combination to characterize a volume at least in part based on the radiation emitted by the one or more radiation sources.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising processing circuitry coupled to the plurality of radiation sensors, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to construct a three-dimensional (3D) image of the volume based at least partially on the radiation emitted by the one or more radiation sources.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising processing circuitry coupled to the plurality of radiation sensors, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to construct a three-dimensional (3D) temperature profile of the volume based at least partially on the radiation emitted by the one or more radiation sources.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of radiation sensors and the one or more radiation sources are collectively configured to operate in a transmissive modality.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the plurality of radiation sensors are ultrasound sensors and wherein the one or more radiation sources are ultrasound sources, and wherein the plurality of radiations sensors and the one or more radiation sources are collectively configured to operate in a transmissive ultrasound modality.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more radiation sources comprises a plurality of radiation sources, the apparatus further comprising processing circuitry coupled to the plurality of radiation sensors and configured to receive and discriminate between, for at least one radiation sensor of the plurality of radiation sensors, the radiation of wavelength λ

emitted by the plurality of radiation sources.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a spacing between a first radiation sensor of the plurality of radiation sensors and its nearest neighboring radiation sensor of the plurality of radiation sensors is greater than 3λ

.