# US 2017/0281982 A1 · Methods and systems for generating an occlusion using ultrasound > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0281982 A1 - Document ID: US20170281982A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/087,624 - Filed: 2016-03-31 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-31 - Assignees: Family Health International - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: ShangXian Zhu; Bruno Hans Haider; Lavanya Kiran; Edward Leahy; Milki Tilimo; Heather Linaya Vahdat - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170281982A1 ## CPC - A61N 7/00: Ultrasound therapy (lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 {; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092}) - A61N 7/022: {intracavitary} - A61B 2018/00559: {Female reproductive organs} - A61N 2007/0043: {intra-cavitary} - A61N 2007/0052: {using the same transducer for therapy and imaging} - A61N 2007/0082: {Scanning transducers} - A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract An intra-cavity ultrasound imaging and therapy system is provided. The system includes an intra-cavity ultrasound probe including a housing configure to be inserted into a cavity proximate to a region of interest (ROI). The housing includes a transducer array located proximate to a distal end of the housing. The system also includes a diagnostic control circuit configured to direct the transducer array to collect diagnostic ultrasound signals from the ROI. The diagnostic control circuit is configured to generate an ultrasound image based on the diagnostic ultrasound signals. The diagnostic control circuit is further configured to direct the transducer array to deliver a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy at a treatment location based on target information derived from the ultrasound image. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An intra-cavity ultrasound imaging and therapy system, comprising: an intra-cavity ultrasound probe including a housing configure to be inserted into a cavity proximate to a region of interest (ROI), the housing including a transducer array located proximate to a distal end of the housing; and a diagnostic control circuit configured to direct the transducer array to collect diagnostic ultrasound signals from the ROI, the diagnostic control circuit to generate an ultrasound image based on the diagnostic ultrasound signals, the diagnostic control circuit is configured to direct the transducer array to deliver a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy at a treatment location based on target information derived from the ultrasound image. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the transducer array includes transducer elements, the diagnostic control circuit directing at least one common transducer element to deliver the HIFU therapy to the treatment location, during a therapy session, and to collect the diagnostic ultrasound signals from the ROI, during an imaging session. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the probe includes an acoustic stack coupled to the transducer array, the acoustic stack tuned to a select center frequency and bandwidth corresponding to the HIFU therapy. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the transducer array includes at least first and second transducer elements, the diagnostic control circuit to direct the first transducer element to collect the diagnostic ultrasound signals of the ROI, during an imaging session, the diagnostic control circuit to direct the second transducer element to deliver the HIFU therapy to the treatment location, during a therapy session. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is tubular in shape and elongated along a longitudinal axis, the transducer array positioned along a side of the housing such that the transducer array is oriented to face in a lateral direction relative to the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a display to display the ultrasound image and a user interface to receive a user input indicative of the treatment location, the diagnostic control circuit to utilize the user input as the target information derived from the ultrasound image to designate the treatment location. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the user input represents user designated points indicative of at least a portion of a boundary of an anatomical target within the ROI. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic control circuit defines first and second HIFU therapies having different first and second center frequencies, the diagnostic control circuit to utilize the first center frequency to deliver the first HIFU therapy in connection with treatment locations proximate to the transducer array, the diagnostic control circuit to utilize the second center frequency to deliver the second HIFU therapy in connection with treatment locations distal from the transducer array. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, the diagnostic control circuit is configured to define at least one of a depth range or a sweep angle arc over which the HIFU therapy is delivered based on the target information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the intra-cavity ultrasound probe includes a plurality of joints, the plurality of joints configured to adjust a distance between the transducer array and the ROI. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic control circuit is configured to direct only a subset of the transducer elements in the transducer array to deliver the HIFU therapy with a non-therapy subset of the transducer elements remaining inactive during the HIFU therapy. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is elongated along a longitudinal axis, the transducer array includes first and second transducer arrays positioned along opposite sides of the housing such that the first and second transducer arrays are oriented to face in opposite lateral directions relative to the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 13 A method for generating an occlusion by delivering high intensity frequency ultrasound (HIFU) therapy, the method comprising: positioning an intra-cavity ultrasound probe into a cavity proximate to a region of interest (ROI), the intra-cavity ultrasound probe including a housing, wherein the housing includes a transducer array located at a distal end of the housing; collecting diagnostic ultrasound signals at the transducer array from the ROI; identifying a treatment location based on the diagnostic ultrasound signals; and delivering high intensity frequency ultrasound (HIFU) therapy from the transducer array to the treatment location. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the transducer array includes transducer elements, and wherein the delivering and the collecting operations utilize at least one common transducer element. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the collecting of the diagnostic ultrasound signals occurs during an imaging session and the delivering of the HIFU therapy occurs during a therapy session, the imaging session is interposed between portions of the therapy session. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising generating an ultrasound image based on the diagnostic ultrasound signals, wherein the identifying operation is further based on the ultrasound image. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising displaying the ultrasound image on a display; and receiving a user input indicative of the treatment location from a user interface. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising calculating a depth range and a sweep angle arc relative to a reference position on the transducer array based on the target location. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the transducer array includes non-therapy transducer element and non-imaging transducer element, the collecting operation occurs at the non-therapy transducer element and the delivering operation occurs at the non-imaging transducer element. ### Claim 20 An intra-cavity ultrasound imaging and therapy system, comprising: an intra-cavity ultrasound probe including a housing configure to be inserted into a cavity proximate to a region of interest (ROI), the housing including a transducer array located at a distal end of the housing; a diagnostic control circuit configured to direct the transducer array to collect diagnostic ultrasound signals from the ROI, the diagnostic control circuit to generate an ultrasound image based on the diagnostic ultrasound signals; a display to display the ultrasound image; and a user interface to receive a user input indicative of the treatment location, wherein the diagnostic control circuit is configured to direct the transducer array to deliver a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy at the treatment location.