DEVICE FOR ULTRASOUND TREATMENT AND MONITORING TISSUE TREATMENT

• US 20110251524A1
• Filed: 09/13/2009
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Slender Medical Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Slender Medical Ltd.
• Inventors: Gross, Yossi, Benarie, Jacob, Tsoref, Liat, Azhari, Haim
• Application Number:
  US13/063,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20110251524A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00994 combining two or more different kinds of non-mechanical energy or combining one or more non-mechanical energies with ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/029 Fat cell removal or destruction by non-ablative heat treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0008 Destruction of fat cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0065 Concave transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

Apparatus is provided, including first and second support structures for placement on skin of a subject. At least one of the first and second structures is moveable with respect to the other so as to draw a portion of the skin and underlying tissue of the subject between respective lateral surfaces of the support structures. At least one ultrasound transducer is moveably coupled to the first support structure along an axis of the structure that is not parallel to the lateral surface of the structure. The ultrasound transducer is configured to transmit toward the portion of skin and underlying tissue one or more forms of acoustic radiation energy, including treatment energy. At least one acoustic element is coupled to the second support structure. Other applications are also described.

Claims

1. Apparatus, comprising:

a first support structure having a lower surface and a lateral surface, the first support structure being configured for placement on a first location on skin of a subject;

a second support structure having a lower surface and a lateral surface, the second support structure being configured for placement on a second location on the skin of the subject, at least one of the first and second support structures being moveable with respect to the other so as to draw a portion of the skin and underlying tissue of the subject between the respective lateral surfaces of the first and second support structures;

at least one ultrasound transducer moveably coupled to the first support structure, the ultrasound transducer being moveable along an axis of the first support structure that is not parallel to the lateral surface of the first support structure, and configured to transmit toward the portion of skin and underlying tissue one or more forms of acoustic radiation energy, at least one of the one or more forms of energy including treatment energy; and

at least one acoustic element coupled to the second support structure.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the axis is perpendicular to the lateral surface of the first support structure, and wherein the ultrasound transducer is moveable along the axis that is perpendicular to the lateral surface of the first support structure.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound transducer and the acoustic element are arranged such that transmission of energy from the ultrasound transducer generates a focal zone which moves within the portion of skin and underlying tissue in accordance with movement of the at least one ultrasound transducer.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to configure the treatment energy to generate a standing wave in the portion of skin and underlying tissue.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

at least a portion of the lateral surface of the first support structure is configured to be disposed at a first interface between the portion of skin and the housing,

at least a portion of the lateral surface of the second support structure is configured to be disposed at a second interface between the portion of skin and the housing, the second interface being opposite the first interface, and

the ultrasound transducer and the acoustic element are configured to facilitate confocal transmission of the one or more forms of energy in the portion of skin and underlying tissue, from the opposing interfaces.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a processing unit, wherein the processing unit is configured to detect a position change of the at least one of the support structures in response to movement of the at least one of the support structures, and responsively thereto, to facilitate monitoring of the parameter of the tissue underlying the skin.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first ultrasound transducer is configured to transmit the energy in a manner in which the first focal zone is generated in the portion of skin and the underlying tissue substantially midway between the first ultrasound transducer and the acoustic element.

21. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic element comprises an acoustic reflector configured to reflect the energy transmitted from the first ultrasound transducer toward at least the first focal zone.

25. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the apparatus further comprises a first acoustic lens configured to be disposed between the ultrasound transducer and the portion of skin and the underlying tissue within the at least a part of the housing, and

the first lens is moveable with respect to the first support structure along the axis of the first support structure that is not parallel to the lateral surface of the first support structure.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the first lens is configured to alter a position of the first focal zone by being moved along the axis of the first support structure.

32. The apparatus according to claim 25,

wherein the acoustic lens is shaped to provide a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface having two or more concave surfaces, and wherein the acoustic lens is configured to be disposed between the ultrasound transducer and a first surface of the portion of skin and underlying tissue in a manner in which:

the first lateral surface of the acoustic lens is in acoustic communication with the ultrasound transducer, and

the second lateral surface of the acoustic lens is in acoustic communication with the lateral surface of the first support structure and with the first surface of the portion of skin and underlying tissue, and

wherein each one of the two or more concave surfaces of the second lateral surface of the acoustic lens is configured to focus the energy toward a respective focal zone in the first surface of the portion of skin and underlying tissue.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein each one of the two or more concave surfaces of the second lateral surface of the acoustic lens is configured to facilitate generating of a respective hole at each focal zone in the first surface of the portion of skin and underlying tissue.

34. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein:

the apparatus further comprises a second acoustic lens configured to be disposed between the second acoustic element and the portion of skin and the underlying tissue within the at least a part of the housing,

the second lens is moveable with respect to the second support structure along an axis of the second support structure that is not parallel to the lateral surface of the second support structure, and

the second lens is configured to focus the transmitted energy to at least one second focal zone.

39. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second support structure is configured to be disposed with respect to the ultrasound transducer such that the one or more forms of energy are through-transmitted toward the acoustic element, and wherein at least a portion of the through-transmitted energy is received at least one component selected from the group consisting of:

the at least one ultrasound transducer and the at least one acoustic element.

41. The apparatus according to claim 39, further comprising a processing unit configured to monitor a change in a parameter of the tissue underlying the skin, responsively to the received energy.

43. The apparatus according to claim 41, wherein:

the acoustic element comprises an ultrasound reflector configured to reflect the through-transmitted energy transmitted from the ultrasound transducer,

the ultrasound transducer is configured to receive at least a portion of the reflected energy, and

the processing unit is configured to monitor a change in the parameter of the tissue responsively to the reflected energy.

4. (canceled)

6-7. -7. (canceled)

9-11. -11. (canceled)

13-19. -19. (canceled)

22-24. -24. (canceled)

27-31. -31. (canceled)

35-38. -38. (canceled)

40. (canceled)

42. (canceled)

44-49. -49. (canceled)

50. A method, comprising:

placing at a first location on skin of a subject at least one ultrasound transducer moveably coupled to a first support structure, the ultrasound transducer being configured to transmit through the skin one or more forms of acoustic radiation, at least one of the one or more forms of energy including treatment energy,

placing at a second location on the skin of the subject at least one acoustic element moveably coupled to a second support structure;

drawing at least a portion of the skin and underlying tissue between the at least one ultrasound transducer and the at least one acoustic element;

moving the at least one ultrasound transducer with respect to the first support structure along an axis that is not parallel to a lateral surface of the first support structure;

transmitting from the at least one ultrasound transducer one or more forms of energy through the portion of skin and the underlying tissue; and

generating confocal transmission responsively to the transmitting.

55. The method according to claim 50, wherein transmitting the energy comprises generating constructive interference in the portion of skin and underlying tissue.

62. The method according to claim 50, wherein placing the acoustic element comprises placing the acoustic element with respect to the ultrasound transducer such that the one or more forms of energy are through-transmitted toward the acoustic element.

51-54. -54. (canceled)

56-61. -61. (canceled)

63. (canceled)

64. A method, comprising:

placing in communication with a surface of a portion of skin of a subject;

at least one acoustic element, and

at least one acoustic lens between the acoustic element and the surface of the portion of the skin of the subject, the acoustic lens having a first lateral surface that is disposed in acoustic communication with the acoustic element, and a second lateral surface having two or more concave interfaces in acoustic communication with the surface of the portion of the skin of the subject;

transmitting from the at least one acoustic element one or more forms of acoustic radiation energy, at least one of the one or more forms of energy including treatment energy, toward the surface of the portion of the skin of the subject;

focusing the energy through each of the two or more concave interfaces to a respective focal zone at the surface of the portion of the skin of the subject; and

responsively to the focusing, generating two or more treatment areas in the surface of the portion of the skin of the subject.

68. The method according to claim 64, further comprising, in conjunction with the generating the two or more holes in the surface of the portion of the skin of the subject, facilitating uptake by the surface of the portion of the skin of the patient one or more substances selected from the group consisting of:

a medication, a solution, or a cream, by applying the one or more selected substances to the surface of the portion of the skin of the subject.

65-67. -67. (canceled)

69-89. -89. (canceled)