Method and system for combined energy therapy profile

• US 9,011,336 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2008
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guided Therapy Systems Llc
• Original Assignee: Guided Therapy Systems Llc
• Inventors: Slayton, Michael H., Barthe, Peter G., Makin, Inder Raj S.
• Primary Examiner(s): EVOY, NICHOLAS LANE
• Application Number:
  US12/116,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20080221491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,540 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 600/439
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22024 with a part reflecting mechanical vibrations, e.g. for focusing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22028 arrays, e.g. phased arrays
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4281 characterised by sound-transmitting media or devices for coupling the transducer to the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0008 Destruction of fat cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0052 using the same transducer for therapy and imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment 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: A61N 7/022 intracavitary

Abstract

A method and system for treating tissue with a combined therapy profile is disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, ultrasound energy is used to treat numerous depths of tissue within a region of interest and the spatial and temporal properties of the ultrasound energy are varied for more effective treatment. The method and system of the present invention are configured to treat all of the tissue from the surface on down and not spare intervening tissue.

Claims

1. A method of treating tissue at multiple depths within a region of interest comprising:

coupling a device comprising an ultrasound transducer configured to emit and focus a first beam of energy and a second beam of energy into a region of interest comprising a skin surface and subcutaneous tissue;

focusing the first beam of energy to the skin surface of the region of interest;

focusing the second beam of energy to a location within the subcutaneous tissue in the region of interest;

stimulating a first therapeutic effect to tissue in the skin surface with the first beam of energy; and

stimulating a second therapeutic effect in the subcutaneous tissue with the second beam of energy;

wherein the first beam of energy and the second beam of energy each have unique spatial and temporal properties and

wherein the first therapeutic effect and the second therapeutic effect are different.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the energy is ultrasound energy.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the first beam of ultrasound energy and the second beam of ultrasound energy are applied simultaneously.

4. A method of treating tissue with ultrasound energy comprising:

applying a coupling agent to a patient'"'"'s body;

coupling an ultrasound probe configured to emit ultrasound enemy to a region of interest comprising tissue;

applying a first application of ultrasound energy at one location within the region of interest with defined spatial and temporal characteristics;

applying, a second, application of ultrasound energy at a second location within the region of interest with different defined spatial and temporal characteristics than the first application of ultrasound energy; and

providing a combined therapeutic energy profile in the region of interest, which is different than either a, first time-temperature profile created by the first application of ultrasound energy or a second time-temperature profile created by the second application of ultrasound energy.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the first application of ultrasound energy and the second application of ultrasound energy are applied at targets that are in a linear relationship to one another.

6. The method according claim 4, wherein the first application of ultrasound energy and the second application of ultrasound energy are applied simultaneously to the region of interest.

7. A method of treating tissue with ultrasound energy comprising:

coupling a transducer probe to a region of interest comprising tissue, wherein the transducer probe comprises different transduction elements configured for producing ultrasound energy for different time lengths and with a different geometric pattern;

applying a first application of ultrasound energy at one location, within a region of interest with defined spatial and temporal characteristics,

applying a second application of ultrasound energy at a second another location within the region of interest with different defined spatial and temporal characteristics than the first application of ultrasound energy; and

providing a combined therapeutic energy profile different than either an ablative temperature profile created by the first application of ultrasound energy or a non ablative temperature profile created by the second application of ultrasound energy.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the first application of ultrasound energy and the second application of ultrasound energy are applied at targets that are in a linear relationship to one another within the region of interest.

9. The method according claim 7, wherein the first application of ultrasound energy and the second application of ultrasound energy are applied simultaneously to the region of interest.