Methods, systems, and apparatuses for image-guided delivery of propagating wave energy to a target
AssigneeSoftwave Tissue Regeneration Technologies, LLC
InventorJohn F. Warlick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and apparatuses enabling delivery of propagating wave energy to a target location in a system-aided manner. Such delivery of propagating wave energy to the target location in a system-aided manner may be performed in regard to a target location within a body of a patient to treat a wellness condition (i.e., medical condition, health condition, preventative treatment, elective treatment, etc.). Such methods, systems, and apparatuses provide an approach to using imaging of a target within a body that is to be treated with propagating wave energy for subsequent targeted delivery of such propagating wave energy to the target location.
Claims50
A system for treating a patient with acoustic shock waves, comprising:
- an ultrasound transducer configured to output transducer spatial position information, to emit ultrasound energy for imaging a target location within a body of the patient, and to output imaging information generated by said imaging;
- an acoustic shock wave applicator configured to emit acoustic shock waves and to output applicator spatial position information;
- and
- an information processing apparatus coupled to the ultrasound transducer and to the acoustic shock wave applicator for receiving said transducer spatial position information, said applicator spatial position information, and said imaging information respectively therefrom, wherein the information processing apparatus is configured for:
- generating a mapping function using said transducer spatial position information, said applicator spatial position information, and said imaging information, wherein the mapping function correlates a plurality of transducer spatial positions derived from said transducer spatial position information to a respective portion of said imaging information and wherein the respective portion of the imaging information was generated with the ultrasound transducer in a particular one of said transducer spatial positions.
An apparatus for treating a patient using propagating wave energy, comprising:
- a transducer operable to emit a first configuration of propagating wave energy for enabling images of a target location within a body of the patient to be generated, wherein each of the images corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of transducer spatial positions relative to the target location;
- an applicator operable to emit a second configuration of propagating wave energy from a plurality of applicator spatial positions relative to the target location for treating a wellness condition at the target location;
- and
- a feedback module operably coupled to the transducer and to the applicator, wherein the feedback module correlates a current one of said applicator spatial positions to a particular one of said images when the current one of said applicator spatial positions is the same as or sufficiently similar to the respective one of said transducer spatial positions in which the transducer was positioned for enabling the particular one of said images to be generated.
A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium containing program instructions for controlling one or more data processors, when executed, to provide system-aided delivery of propagating wave energy for treating a wellness condition at a target location within a body of a patient, by performing a method comprising:
- receiving first spatial position information defining spatial positions of a first handheld device relative to the body, wherein the first handheld device emits a first configuration of propagating wave energy;
- receiving imaging information outputted by the first handheld device, wherein said imaging information is generated by the first handheld device using said propagating wave energy emitted thereby for imaging a target location within the body and wherein said imaging is performed with the first handheld device in a plurality of said spatial positions thereof;
- receiving second spatial position information defining spatial positions of a second handheld device relative to the body, wherein the second handheld device emits a second configuration of propagating wave energy selected for treating the wellness condition at the target location;
- and
- generating an image of the target location corresponding to a particular one of said spatial positions of the second handheld device, wherein said generating is performed as a function of said first spatial position information, said second spatial position information, and said imaging information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.