Ultrasound treatment device for HIFU and ultrasound image, and control method therefor

An ultrasound treatment device comprising:

• a plurality of image converters positioned on a probe assembly and configured to transmit ultrasonic signals to a target and receive the signals reflected from the target to create an ultrasound image;
• and
• a plurality of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) converters positioned on the probe assembly and configured to transmit ultrasonic signals to the target to generate heat energy, thereby treating the tissue within a focusing area,
• wherein the plurality of image converters are spaced from each other and arranged across one surface of the probe assembly in a first circle to form a circular image converter group and the plurality of HIFU converters are spaced from each other and arranged on the one surface of the probe assembly in a second circle to form a circular HIFU converter group such that the first and second circles form concentric circles having different radii,
• wherein the image converters included in the circular image converter group and the HIFU converters included in the circular HIFU converter group are arranged at the same interval on each concentric circle, and
• wherein each of the plurality of image converters in the circular image converter group and each of the plurality of HIFU converters in the circular HIFU converter group are randomly arranged such that each of the plurality of image converters are offset from being side by side in a line with any of the plurality of HIFU converters.

A control method for an ultrasound treatment device, comprising:

• (a) transmitting ultrasonic signals to a target and receiving the signals reflected from the target to create an ultrasound image of a target tissue for treatment, using a plurality of image converters disposed across one surface of a probe assembly;
• (b) transmitting ultrasonic signals to the target to generate heat energy, thereby treating the tissue within a focusing area, using a plurality of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) converters disposed in different positions from the image converters on one surface of the probe assembly;
• and
• (c) transmitting ultrasonic signals to the target and receiving the signals reflected from the target to create an ultrasound image of the treated condition of the tissue, using the plurality of image converters,
• wherein the steps (b) and (c) are repeatedly performed at least once by controlling each of the image converters and the HIFU converters and the plurality of image converters and the plurality of HIFU converters are of different converter types;
• (d) maintaining an aperture difference, comprising:
• determining an aperture of an IC array of the plurality of image converters;
• determining an aperture of an HIFU array of the plurality of HIFU converters;
• and
• selectively driving each of the IC array and the HIFU array such that a difference in the apertures of the IC array and the HIFU array is within a predetermined value.