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

• US 9,268,015 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• 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:
  US14/191,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20140180176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 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:

performing a first high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and imaging sequence by;

identifying a target location in a subject using a non-imaging sensor;

applying high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) energy to the subject after identifying the target location;

subsequent to applying the HIFU energy to the subject, identifying, based at least in part on an image of the subject, a first location in the subject to which the HIFU energy was applied;

automatically determining whether to continue applying the HIFU energy to the first location at least in part by comparing the first location to the target location; and

continuing to apply the HIFU energy to the first location based at least in part on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying the HIFU energy to the target location, based at least in part on determining a difference between the first location and the target location as a result of the comparison.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is a volumetric image obtained by an imaging device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the imaging device is an ultrasound imaging device operating in a transmissive modality.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the ultrasound imaging device is further configured to perform said applying HIFU energy to the subject.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying a first location is performed, automatically, by using a statistical inference technique.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically determining comprises determining whether a difference between a position of the first location and a position of the target location is below a threshold.

8. A method, comprising:

performing a first high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and imaging sequence by;

identifying a target location in a subject using a non-imaging sensor;

applying high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) energy to the subject after identifying the target location;

subsequent to applying the HIFU energy to the subject, identifying, based at least in part on an image of the subject, a first location in the subject to which the HIFU energy was applied;

autonomously determining whether to continue applying the HIFU energy to the first location at least in part by comparing the first location to the target location; and

continuing to apply the HIFU energy to the first location based at least in part on the comparison.