Self-cooled ultrasonic applicator for medical applications
AssigneeUniversity of Washington
InventorsRoy W. Martin, Andrew Hollis Proctor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A medical instrument uses solid tapered cones mounted to a preferably concave, spherically curved, piezoelectric ultrasound transducer which focuses and concentrates the ultrasound energy to a narrow tip so very high levels of ultrasound can be delivered to the tissue adjacent to the tip. Ultrasound matching layers or variable curvature geometries are employed at the tip aid in transferring the energy from the tip to the tissue. Alternative embodiments employing cooling technology are also described.
Claims14
A method for producing a therapeutic, high intensity, focused, ultrasonic energy pattern in living tissue, the method comprising:
- generating a sonic wave with a transducer;
- actively cooling the transducer without interfering with the sonic wave;
- focusing the sonic wave into a beam of ultrasound through a solid material such that it converges towards a focal point in the solid material;
- truncating the solid material behind the focal point;
- refocusing the beam with a lens at the focal point to provide a predetermined focal region externally of the solid material;
- and
- coupling the lens to the living tissue such that the focal region is directed to a target point within the living tissue.
A high intensity focused ultrasonic device for performing medical procedures, comprising:
- transducing means for generating a focused ultrasound beam;
- mounted to the transducing means, coupling means for transmitting the beam toward a focal point within the coupling means, wherein the coupling means is formed of a solid material;
- lens means for redirecting the beam, wherein the lens means is located between the transducing means and the focal point such that the focal point is external to the coupling means solid material;
- and
- means for cooling the device.
A high intensity focused ultrasound medical instrument comprising:
- a handle;
- mounted to the handle, a housing including a cavity;
- in the housing, a transducer having a substantially concave geometry for providing a focused ultrasonic beam from a transducer concave frontside thereof, proximate said transducer, at least one channel for carrying a coolant adapted for absorbing heat generated by the transducer, and an ultrasound applicator, having an applicator backside having a convex geometry substantially identical to the concave geometry of the transducer, the applicator is nested with the transducer with the transducer concave frontside substantially adjacent the applicator backside, the applicator being a solid material having a truncated tip such that the tip forms a lens for refocusing the beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.