Transducer cartridge for an ultrasound therapy head

• US 8,425,435 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solta Medical, Inc. (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LipoSonix, Inc. (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Wing, Gregory T., Bockenstedt, Craig R., Crunkilton, Jeffrey R., Bennett, Frederick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Tse
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HIEN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US12/794,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20110077555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 601/2
• US Class Current: 601/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00482 with a code
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/101 Computer-aided simulation of surgical operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4405 Device being mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/546 involving monitoring or regulation of device temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0008 Destruction of fat cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0082 Scanning 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: B01D 19/0042 modifying the liquid flow B01D19/0021 takes precedence

Abstract

A medical ultrasound system. A base unit is included having system electronics, a user interface and ultrasound control electronics. An ultrasound therapy head is in electronic communication with the base unit. The therapy head includes a replaceable, sealed transducer cartridge with a coupling fluid therein. A cooling system is provided for cooling the coupling fluid. A plurality of guide indicators are positioned around the therapy head to align with crossed lines on a patient so as to properly align the therapy head prior to use. The therapy head can provide variable treatments to an area while the therapy head is in contact with a patient.

Claims

1. A cartridge connectable to a body to form a therapy head, the body including a driver, said cartridge comprising:

an acoustic coupling liquid;

a sealed enclosure comprising a wall, an interior filled with the acoustic coupling fluid, and an exterior surface, the wall including an acoustic window and an opening sealed to prevent loss of the acoustic coupling liquid from the interior;

a high intensity ultrasound transducer within the sealed enclosure and having an output surface generally aligned with the acoustic window;

a bearing member passing through the opening in the wall and coupled to the high intensity ultrasonic transducer, said bearing member being attachable to the driver in the body to orient the direction of acoustic energy delivered through the acoustic window by the high intensity ultrasonic transducer; and

a heat exchanger thermally coupled to draw heat from the acoustic coupling liquid without removing said acoustic coupling liquid from the sealed enclosure, the heat exchanger including a conduit disposed within the interior of the sealed enclosure and connected to inlet and outlet ports formed through the wall, the conduit of the heat exchanger coiled to surround a central space defined inside the interior of the sealed enclosure, and the conduit configured to receive a cooling liquid for circulation through the conduit to cool the acoustic coupling liquid while the acoustic coupling liquid remains isolated from the cooling liquid wherein the high intensity ultrasound transducer is disposed in the central space.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the conduit has serpentine segments to increase the heat transfer area.

3. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the transducer is a short stack transducer assembly.

4. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the acoustic coupling liquid comprises water.

5. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the cooling liquid comprises water.

6. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

a metallization layer coating the wall of the sealed enclosure, the metallization layer configured to reduce a gas permeability of the wall.

7. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein the metallization layer has a thickness approximately 500 to 1500 Å

ngstroms.

8. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein the metallization layer has a thickness that is less than X, where X=[((α

−

0.09)*1000)/0.03]+500, with X being the metallization layer thickness in Angstroms, and a being a maximum acceptable acoustic attention in dB in a transmission window.

9. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the acoustic coupling liquid is not circulated through the wall of the enclosed space during the operation of the high intensity ultrasound transducer.

10. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the acoustic coupling liquid is not circulated through the opening in the wall of the enclosed space during the operation of the high intensity ultrasound transducer.

11. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the acoustic coupling liquid comprises a volume of about 100 to 200 milliliters.

12. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the sealed enclosure is self-contained.

13. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the acoustic coupling liquid surrounds the high intensity ultrasound transducer and is configured to couple the acoustic energy from the high intensity ultrasound transducer for delivery through the acoustic window.

14. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the cartridge is removably connected to the body and is disposable upon removal from the body.

15. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the cartridge is removable from the body and replaceable as a single unit.

16. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the acoustic coupling liquid is not removed from the sealed enclosure for degassing during the operation of the high intensity ultrasound transducer.