Combination ultrasound-phototherapy transducer
AssigneeSound Surgical Technologies LLC
InventorsMark E. Schafer, Brady Aller
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Abstract
A soundhead of a treatment device is provided that enables a volume of tissue located beneath the soundhead to simultaneously receive ultrasound and light stimulation. According to one embodiment, the soundhead includes an ultrasound transducer, a light source, and a faceplate extending across a face of the transducer for providing a tissue contacting and ultrasound energy coupling surface of the soundhead. The faceplate is transparent or translucent to the light generated by the light source. Alternate embodiments including externally mounted light sources are also disclosed.
Claims4
1-17. (canceled)
A treatment device, comprising:
- a soundhead having an ultrasonic transducer;
- a layer of opto-acoustic material adjacent said ultrasonic transducer;
- and at least one light source disposed outside of a periphery of said ultrasonic transducer for directing light laterally into said layer of opto-acoustic material;
- said opto-acoustic material being a material that provides acoustic coupling of ultrasound energy of said ultrasound transducer and reflects or diffuses the light from said light source to underlying tissue;
- whereby, in use, the treatment device enables a volume of tissue located beneath the layer of opto-acoustic material to simultaneously receive ultrasound and light stimulation from said ultrasonic transducer and said light source.
A treatment device according to claim 19, wherein said soundhead includes a faceplate extending across a face of said transducer between said transducer and said layer of opto-acoustic material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.