Direct contact shockwave transducer

• US 9,555,267 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2014
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Moshe Ein-Gal
• Original Assignee: Moshe Ein-Gal
• Inventors: Ein-Gal, Moshe
• Primary Examiner(s): Lamprecht, Joel
• Application Number:
  US14/181,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20150231414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/225 for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy [ESWL], e.g. by using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2251 characterised by coupling elements between the apparatus, e.g. shock wave apparatus or locating means, and the patient, e.g. details of bags, pressure control of bag on patient
• 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: B06B 1/0215 for generating pulses, e.g. bursts of oscillations, envelopes
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/04 operating with electromagnetism dynamo-electric motors with vibrating magnet, armature or coil system H02K33/00
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 2201/76 Medical, dental
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/02 Mechanical acoustic impedances; Impedance matching, e.g. by horns; Acoustic resonators
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 9/125 with a plurality of active elements
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 9/13 using electromagnetic driving means

Abstract

A system is attachable to a surface of a tissue of a patient for applying pressure pulses to the tissue. The system includes a shockwave transducer that has a shockwave generating portion and a solid transducer interface arranged to directly contact a tissue of a patient. The shockwave generating portion includes an electrical-to-shockwave energy converter operable to generate shockwaves. The transducer interface includes an electrically safe and bio-compatible material arranged to transmit the shockwaves from the shockwave generating portion to the tissue.

Claims

1. A system attachable to a surface of a tissue of a patient for applying pressure pulses to the tissue, the system comprising:

a shockwave transducer comprising a shockwave generating portion and a solid transducer interface arranged to directly contact a tissue of a patient, said shockwave generating portion comprising an electrical-to-shockwave energy converter operable to generate pulses of pressure waves, and said transducer interface comprising an electrically safe and bio-compatible material arranged to transmit said shockwaves from said shockwave generating portion to the tissue;

a magnet operable to induce a magnetic field in said shockwave generating portion; and

a pulser operable to deliver electrical current pulses to said shockwave generating portion, wherein said shockwave generating portion generates shockwaves in response to said magnetic field and said electric current pulses, and wherein the acoustic impedance of said transducer interface is within 20% of a geometric mean of acoustic impedances of the tissue and said shockwave generating portion.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said transducer interface has acoustic impedance not lower than that of the tissue and not higher than that of said shockwave generating portion.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic impedance of said transducer interface is greater than 3.5 and said solid transducer interface comprises aluminum or copper.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said shockwave generating portion comprises a membrane made of an electrically conducting material.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said shockwave generating portion comprises a membrane comprising an electrically conducting coil.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of said transducer interface does not exceed 10 mm.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said electrical current pulses are oriented parallel to an outer surface of said shockwave generating portion and not parallel to said magnetic field.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said shockwave generating portion is at least partially concave, planar or convex.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said pulser is operable to deliver said electrical current pulses by induction.

11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one additional energy transducer operable to deliver additional energy which is at least one of optical, ultrasound, RF, magnetic, microwave and mechanical energy, and wherein delivery of the additional energy is synchronized with said electric current pulses delivered by said pulser.

12. The system according to claim 1, comprising an array of shockwave transducers of claim 1, wherein said pulser is operable to deliver the electric current pulses to said shockwave transducers in controlled trigger times so that the pressure waves simultaneously arrive at a common focal region, wherein:

T_z=the simultaneous arrival time of the respective waves at the focal region,

T_i=the time of the energizing pulse associated with the i^th transducer,

D_i=the distance between the i^th transducer and the focal region, and

C_i=the average propagation speed of the wave associated with the i^th transducer, and

T_i is given by;

T_i=T_z−

D_i/C_i.

7. A system attachable to a surface of a tissue of a patient for applying pressure pulses to the tissue, the system comprising:

a shockwave transducer comprising a shockwave generating portion and a solid transducer interface arranged to directly contact a tissue of a patient, said shockwave generating portion comprising an electrical-to-shockwave energy converter operable to generate pulses of pressure waves, and said transducer interface comprising an electrically safe and bio-compatible material arranged to transmit said shockwaves from said shockwave generating portion to the tissue;

a magnet operable to induce a magnetic field in said shockwave generating portion; and

a pulser operable to deliver electrical current pulses to said shockwave generating portion, wherein said shockwave generating portion generates shockwaves in response to said magnetic field and said electric current pulses, and wherein said magnet is operable to induce said magnetic field parallel to an outer surface of said shockwave generating portion.

13. A method for applying pressure pulses to the tissue, the method comprising:

attaching a shockwave transducer as in 1 to the tissue of a patient; and

using said shockwave generating portion to generate shockwaves through said transducer interface to the tissue.