US 5,769,790 A · Focused ultrasound surgery system guided by ultrasound imaging

Abstract

A system employing ultrasound imaging as a method to localize a patient's tissue volume to be treated prior to applying therapeutic levels of ultrasound energy includes a therapy transducer for producing high-intensity fields that cause necrosis and an imaging transducer for producing high-quality ultrasound images. The therapy transducer is a spheroidal piezoelectric element and the imaging transducer is made up of a plurality of piezoelectric elements mounted in fixed relationship to the therapy transducer. The therapy transducer transmits a beam that is focused at a location in the tissue to be treated. The imaging transducer is then steered to produce successive receive beams which scan the tissue, including the tissue at the focal point of the pulsed therapy transducer. The image of the focal point is then superimposed on an image of the tissue to be treated obtained by B-mode imaging using the imaging transducer to transmit and then receive. Proper alignment of the focal point and the tissue to be treated ensures proper positioning of the therapy transducer relative to the patient.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method for employing ultrasound imaging to guide focused ultrasound surgery, comprising the steps of:

positioning a probe, including an ultrasonic therapy transducer and an ultrasonic imaging transducer, relative to a patient such that a focal point of the therapy transducer is located in tissue of the patient, said transducers being in fixed positional relationship to each other;
operating said imaging transducer in transmit and receive modes to acquire data sufficient to form an image of tissue to undergo necrosis;
displaying an image of said tissue to undergo necrosis;
applying relatively low electrical energy to said therapy transducer, said relatively low electrical energy having an amplitude and duration to cause ultrasound energy to be transmitted by said therapy transducer to the focal point at a level that is insufficient to cause necrosis of tissue at the focal point;
operating said imaging transducer in the receive mode to acquire data sufficient to form an image of an artifact representing ultrasound energy scattered by the tissue at said focal point in response to application of said relatively low electrical energy to said therapy transducer;
displaying an image of said artifact;
and
registering said image of said artifact relative to said image of said tissue to undergo necrosis.

5 more elements

A method for employing ultrasound imaging to guide focused ultrasound surgery, comprising the steps of:

positioning a probe, including an ultrasonic therapy transducer and an ultrasonic imaging transducer, relative to a patient such that a focal point of the therapy transducer is located in tissue of the patient, said transducers being in fixed positional relationship to each other;
applying relatively low electrical energy to the therapy transducer, said relatively low electrical energy having an amplitude and duration such that ultrasound energy transmitted by the therapy transducer to the focal point in response thereto is insufficient to cause necrosis of tissue at the focal point;
and
controlling a plurality of elements of the imaging transducer to form a receive beam of ultrasound energy scattered by the tissue at the focal point in response to application of said relatively low electrical energy to the therapy transducer.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Focused ultrasound surgery system guided by ultrasound imaging

Life of this patent

Focused ultrasound surgery system guided by ultrasound imaging

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13