Medical ultrasound device with temperature detection at distal end

Method of operating a medical device, the device including:

• an elongated body having a proximal end, a distal end, a distal end region and a length axis along the elongation;
• one or more ultrasound transducers for generating acoustic radiation and detecting reflected acoustic radiation, the one or more ultrasound transducers being positioned in the distal end region, inside the elongated body;
• a transmission element coupled to the elongated body and positioned in the radiation path of the acoustic radiation at a fixed positioned relative to the one or more ultrasound transducers, wherein the transmission element is transparent to acoustic radiation, wherein the transmission element comprises a first side facing the one or more ultrasound transducers and an opposite facing second side, and wherein the first side of the transmission element is spaced from the one or more ultrasound transducers;
• and
• a controller unit operatively connected to the one or more ultrasound transducers;
• wherein the method comprises:
• generating acoustic radiation by operating the one or more ultrasound transducers in a generation mode;
• detecting reflected acoustic radiation by operating the one or more ultrasound transducers in a detection mode;
• controlling, by the controller unit, a generation of an ultrasound image from the reflected acoustic radiation, a detection of an acoustic path length of the acoustic radiation between the first side and the second side of the transmission element within the ultrasound image, and a determination of a temperature of the transmission element from the detected acoustic path length.

A controller unit for detecting a temperature at a distal end of a medical ultrasound device including

• an elongated body having a proximal end, the distal end, a distal end region and a length axis along the elongation,
• one or more ultrasound transducers for generating acoustic radiation and detecting reflected acoustic radiation, the one or more ultrasound transducers being positioned in the distal end region, inside the elongated body, and
• a transmission element coupled to the elongate body and positioned in the radiation path of the acoustic radiation at a fixed position relative to the one or more ultrasound transducers, wherein the transmission element is transparent to acoustic radiation, wherein the transmission element comprises a first side facing the one or more ultrasound transducers and an opposite facing second side, and wherein the first side of the transmission element is spaced from the one or more ultrasound transducers,
• the controller unit comprising:
• a computer system including a computer program product structurally configured:
• to generate an ultrasound image from a detection of reflected acoustic radiation by the one or more ultrasound transducers;
• to detect an acoustic path length between the first side and the second side of the transmission element within the ultrasound image,
• to determine a temperature of the transmission element from the detected acoustic path length;
• and
• to control a generation of the acoustic radiation by the one or more ultrasound transducers based on the determined temperature of the transmission element.