Therapeutic ultrasound with reduced interference from microbubbles
AssigneeInsightec, Ltd.
InventorsKobi Vortman, Shuki Vitek, Eyal Zadicario, Yoav Levy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various approaches for reducing microbubble interference with ultrasound waves transmitted from multiple transducer elements and traversing tissue onto a target region include measuring microbubbles in high-throughput areas of ultrasound exposure and reducing the amount of microbubbles using the ultrasound waves.
Claims35
A method of reducing microbubble interference with ultrasound waves transmitted from a plurality of transducer elements and traversing a patient's skull into a target region, spaced apart from the patient's skull, in accordance with a treatment plan, the method comprising:
- (a) identifying high-throughput areas of the patient's skull through which, during execution of the treatment plan, ultrasound energy above a first threshold amount will pass;
- (b) monitoring the high-throughput areas for microbubbles during execution of the treatment plan;
- and
- (c) if an amount of microbubbles in the high-throughput areas exceeds a threshold, reducing the amount of microbubbles using the ultrasound waves.
An ultrasound treatment system comprising:
- an ultrasound transducer comprising a plurality of transducer elements;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- (a) operate the transducer in accordance with a treatment plan to focus ultrasound waves onto a target tissue within a patient's skull, the target tissue being spaced apart from the patient's skull;
- (b) identify, based at least on the treatment plan and an orientation of the transducer with respect to the patient's skull, high-throughput areas of the patient's skull through which, during execution of the treatment plan, ultrasound energy above a first threshold amount will pass;
- (c) monitor the high-throughput areas for microbubbles during execution of the treatment plan;
- and
- (d) if an amount of microbubbles in the high-throughput areas exceeds a threshold, reduce the amount of microbubbles using the ultrasound waves.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.