Ultrasonic treatment and imaging of adipose tissue

• US 7,258,674 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2003
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medicis Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: LipoSonix, Inc. (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Cribbs, Robert, Hillstead, Rick, Hennige, Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler; Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KISH, JAMES M
• Application Number:
  US10/371,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20040039312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 5600-601, 600437-439, 600/443, 600/446, 600/472
• US Class Current: 601/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00106 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22008 used or promoted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0858 involving measuring tissue layers, e.g. skin, interfaces
• 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: A61N 2007/0008 Destruction of fat cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0056 Beam shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0065 Concave transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0073 using multiple frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0095 by modifying an excitation signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/027 with multiple foci created simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

A system for the destruction of adipose tissue utilizing high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) within a patient'"'"'s body. The system comprises a controller for data storage and the operation and control of a plurality of elements. One elements is a means for mapping a human body to establish three dimensional coordinate position data for existing adipose tissue. The controller is able to identify the plurality of adipose tissue locations on said human body and establish a protocol for the destruction of the adipose tissue. A HIFU transducer assembly having one or more piezoelectric element(s) is used along with at least one sensor wherein the sensor provides feed back information to the controller for the safe operation of the piezoelectric element(s). The sensor is electronically coupled to the controller, and the controller provides essential treatment command information to one or more piezoelectric element(s) based on positioning information obtained from the three dimensional coordinate position data.

Claims

1. A medical high intensity focused ultrasound system fro providing in vivo therapy to a volume of living tissue, the system comprising:

a high intensity focused ultrasound transducer having a plurality of transducer elements for treatment of a volume of living tissue;

a controller for driving said transducer with power, said controller having a receive path for detecting acoustic information from said volume of living tissue, the receive path comprising;

a first receive channel for detecting boiling, detection determined by analyzing incommensurate sub harmonic frequencies (xf/n) within said volume of tissue; and

a second receive channel for detecting cavitation, detection determined by analyzing sub harmonic frequencies (f/n) within said volume of living tissue;

wherein the power of the transducer is set in response to detecting boiling and/or cavitation.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a third channel for detecting ultrasound reflection from one or more ultrasound pulses in which said third receive channel is calibrated to detect ensonification frequencies within said volume of living tissue.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the power of the transducer is reduced after the onset of cavitation or boiling to a level to maintain a desired level of cavitation or boiling to maximize the useful lifespan of said transducer.