Ultrasonic diagnostic and therapeutic transducer assembly and method for using
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An ultrasonic transducer assembly, useful for non-invasive applications, comprising:
- a housing;
a transducer means mounted within said housing for radiating a converging beam of acoustic energy in response to supplied electrical signals, said beam of acoustic energy converging to a focal point, said transducer having a central bore; and
an alignment light source aligned with said transducer and mounted within said housing and through said transducer central bore for providing a spot of illumination at said focal point.
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Abstract
An ultrasonic transducer assembly is provided with transducers for both therapeutic and diagnostic ultrasonic radiation. A moveable seal permits adjustment and alignment of the two transducer units in a fluid medium. In addition, there is provided a light beam directed along the axis of the ultrasonic radiation. The transducer assembly is particularly useful for ophthalmic therapy.
351 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An ultrasonic transducer assembly, useful for non-invasive applications, comprising:
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a housing; a transducer means mounted within said housing for radiating a converging beam of acoustic energy in response to supplied electrical signals, said beam of acoustic energy converging to a focal point, said transducer having a central bore; and an alignment light source aligned with said transducer and mounted within said housing and through said transducer central bore for providing a spot of illumination at said focal point. - View Dependent Claims (3)
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2. An ultrasonic therapeutic transducer assembly, useful for non-invasive treatment, comprising:
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a housing; a transducer mounted within said housing and comprising a spherical shell portion, said shell portion having an inner radius originating at a focal point, said transducer being responsive to electrical signals to emit a converging beam of acoustic energy toward said focal point, and said spherical shell portion having a central bore; and an alignment light source aligned with said transducer and located in said central bore for providing a light beam along a radius of said shell portion and a spot of illumination at said focal point.
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4. An ultrasonic transducer assembly, useful for non-invasive diagnostics and therapy, comprising:
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a housing; a first transducer, mounted to said housing for radiating a first converging beam of acoustic energy in response to first supplied electrical signals, said first beam converging to a first focal point, and said first transducer having a first central bore; a second transducer, passing through said first central bore, for radiating and receiving a second converging beam of acoustic energy in response to second supplied electrical signals, said second beam converging to a second focal point, and said second transducer having a second central bore; and an alignment light source mounted in said second central bore and aligned with at least one of said transducers for providing a spot of illumination at the focal point of the transducer with which it is aligned.
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5. An ultrasonic transducer assembly, useful for non-invasive diagnostics and therapy, comprising:
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a first housing portion having a central bore; a first transducer, mounted to said first housing portion and having a central bore aligned with said bore in said first housing, said first transducer for radiating a first converging beam of acoustic energy in response to supplied first electrical signals, said beam converging to a first focal point; a second housing portion having a central bore and pivotably connected to said first housing portion adjacent said bore in said first housing portion at an end thereof opposite the direction of said first beam; a second transducer, mounted to said second housing portion in said bore, and having a cylindrical transducer case extending through said bore in said first housing portion and said bore in said first transducer, said second transducer being responsive to second electrical signals for radiating and receiving a second beam of acoustic energy along an axis corresponding to the axis of said bore in said second housing portion; and means for adjusting the pivotable connection between said first and second housing portions to cause said axis to be directed toward said focal point. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A transducer assembly useful for applying ultrasonic radiation to an eye, comprising:
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a housing; an ultrasonic transducer mounted to said housing and responsive to applied electrical signals for radiating a beam of acoustic energy along an axis toward a focal point; a conical shell mounted to said housing and having a cone axis aligned with the beam axis and a geometrical cone apex and enclosing said transducer, said shell having an aperture at the apex end of said conical shell on said axis; a flexible membrane over said aperture, said membrane maintaining fluid within said shell and having an outer contacting surface; and means for increasing fluid pressure in said shell to cause said membrane to extend and protrude from said aperture and for adjusting the position of said contacting surface with respect to the focal point.
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14. A transducer assembly, comprising:
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a first hollow cylindrical housing member having first and second axial ends; a transverse support member mounted within said cylindrical housing member and having a central bore extending in the axial direction of said cylinder; a first piezoelectric transducer member comprising a circular spherical portion having inner and outer spherical surfaces with conductive films thereon, said transducer being sealingly mounted to said cylindrical housing at the outer periphery, and said transducer having a central bore aligned with said axial direction and being sealingly mounted to said support member at the periphery of said axial bore, said transducer being responsive to first electrical signals applied to said conductive films for radiating a converging first beam of acoustic energy to a focal point in said axial direction at the center of radius of said inner spherical surface; a second housing member, pivotably mounted to said cylindrical housing member at an axial end thereof opposite said focal point, said second housing member having a central cylindrical bore axially adjacent said bore in said support member; a second transducer, comprising a cylindrical transducer case mounted in said bore of said second housing member and extending through said bores in said support member and said first transducer, said second transducer having a central bore and having a radiating aperture at the axial end adjacent said focal point and being responsive to second electrical signals supplied thereto for radiating and receiving an acoustic beam of energy along the axis of said cylindrical case toward and from said focal point; a moveable seal between said cylindrical transducer case and said transverse support member; means for adjusting the pivot position of said second housing member with respect to said first housing member; an alignment light source, mounted in said central bore in said second transducer and aligned with at least one of said transducers, for projecting a beam of light toward said focal point and for providing a spot of illumination at said focal point; a shell forming a cavity enclosing said inner surface of said first transducer and said radiating aperture of said second transducer, said shell having an aperture at the end thereof adjacent said focal point and said shell being sealingly mounted to said cylindrical housing member; and a membrane covering said aperture for maintaining fluid in said cavity. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. An ultrasonic transducer assembly, useful for non-invasive applications, comprising:
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a housing; a transducer means mounted within said housing for radiating a beam of acoustic energy toward a focal point in response to supplied electrical signals; and an alignment light source for emitting a light beam, said source being mounted within said housing and aligned with said transducer for providing a spot of illumination at said focal point to provide a visual indication of the acoustic energy beam.
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18. A system for performing ultrasonic therapeutic surgery, comprising:
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a transducer assembly, moveable by a surgeon for radiating a therapeutic ultrasonic beam and a diagnostic ultrasonic beam into a patient; optical means coupled to said transducer assembly, for providing an optical channel in the direction of said ultrasonic beams; an alignment light source aligned with at least one of said ultrasonic beams for providing a visual indication specifying the path of said one beam; means coupled to said transducer assembly for transmitting and receiving diagnostic ultrasonic signals and for displaying said received signals on a visual display; and means coupled to said transducer for providing a timed burst of relatively high energy therapeutic ultrasonic signals to said transducer assembly; whereby tissue characteristics can be observed on said display and by use of said optical channel, while said therapeutic ultrasonic beam performs tissue modification.
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19. A method for performing ultrasonic surgery comprising the steps of:
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transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals from tissue upon which surgery is to be performed along a beam axis with at least one transducer; processing said received ultrasonic signals to generate a visual display representation of tissue characteristics; illuminating said tissue with an alignment light source aligned with said transducer and positioned to project light along the beam axis for providing a visual indication of the acoustic beam axis; modifying the tissue by irradiating said tissue with relatively high energy ultrasonic radiation; and visually observing said illuminated tissue, during said irradiation.
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20. An ultrasonic transducer assembly, useful for non-invasive applications, comprising:
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a housing; a transducer mounted within said housing for radiating a beam of acoustic energy in response to supplied electrical signals; and an alignment light source for emitting a light beam, said source being mounted within said housing and aligned with said transducer for providing a visual indication of the acoustic energy beam.
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Specification