Ultrasonic medical device
AssigneeNeurosonix Ltd.
InventorSimcha Milo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Ultrasonic devices for preventing microbubbles and/or microparticles from reaching the brain during a PCI, such as cardiovascular surgery. Devices 27 and 77 are designed for implantation in the chest cavity and operate in combination with needle vents or other vent systems for removing diverted microbubbles. Systems 77 and 83 are designed for noninvasive employment. Devices 57 and 87 are particularly designed to prevent microbubbles from reaching the great origins of the carotid arteries and/or for diverting bubbles that might reach the vicinity and otherwise pass through. Improved devices 11 and 94 separate microbubbles from a flowing bloodstream and produce a cleansed stream.
Claims18
A medical treatment device for preventing microbubbles and/or microparticles from entering the neck vessels of a patient comprising
- collar means for association with the exterior of the neck of a patient undergoing treatment which might give rise to the creation of microbubbles and/or microparticles in the bloodstream, which collar means contains multiple transducers in selected locations such that they will focus ultrasonic waves that are generated in a collar region of the patient at the exterior of the neck and direct them downward and inward at both great origins of the neck vessels at the arch of the aorta, and
- means for powering such transducers so as to send ultrasonic waves that cause microbubbles and/or microparticles to deviate within the flowing bloodstream so as not to enter said great origins and instead travel to the lower part of the patient's body.
A method for treating a patient undergoing a percutaneous cardiological intervention so as to prevent microbubbles and/or microparticles in the blood of the patient from entering the neck vessels of the patient, which method comprises the steps of:
- directing ultrasonic waves into the ascending aorta of the patient, and
- focusing such waves to direct microbubbles and/or microparticles toward a wall of the ascending aorta.
A medical treatment device for removing microbubbles and/or microparticles from a patient's bloodstream, which device comprises
- transducer means for association with the exterior surface of the posterior side of the aorta in the general region of the transverse sinus,
- means for powering said transducer means to generate ultrasonic waves that are directed toward the anterior side of the aorta,
- sidestream-removal means for insertion into the anterior side of the aorta downstream of the transverse sinus, and
- means for removing blood and microbubbles and/or microparticles through said sidestream-removal means.
A separation device for removing microbubbles and/or microparticles from a flowing stream, which device comprises
- conduit means for carrying a liquid stream containing microbubbles and/or microparticles, which conduit means includes a main inlet, a main outlet and a side outlet,
- transducer means upstream of said side outlet for deflecting microbubbles and/or microparticles in a flowing stream to said side outlet, and
- receiving means having a valve outlet at its top and a lower liquid outlet near its bottom with a major portion of said receiving means being filled with inert fibrous material,
- said side outlet conduit connecting to an upper location in said receiving means so that liquid diverted from said main stream through said side outlet enters said mass of fibrous material causing the separation of microbubbles and/or microparticles therefrom with cleansed liquid moving downward by gravity and exiting through the lower outlet while microbubbles gravitate upward into the top region of the receiving means from whence they can be removed through the valved outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.