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AssigneeUniversity of Washington
InventorsShahram Vaezy, Roy W. Martin, Stephen J. Carter, George W. Keilman, Victor Y. Fujimoto, Lawrence A. Crum
Estimating the term…
Method and apparatus for the simultaneous use of ultrasound on a probe for imaging and therapeutic purposes. The probe limits the effects of undesirable interference noise in a display by synchronizing high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) waves with an imaging transducer to cause the noise to be displayed in an area of the image that does not overlap the treatment site. In one embodiment, the HIFU is first energized at a low power level that does not cause tissue damage, so that the focal point of the HIFU can be identified by a change in the echogenicity of the tissue caused by the HIFU. Once the focal point is properly targeted on a desired treatment site, the power level is increased to a therapeutic level. The location of each treatment site is stored and displayed to the user to enable a plurality of spaced-apart treatment sites to be achieved. As the treatment progresses, any changes in the treatment site can be seen in the real time, noise-free image. A preferred application of the HIFU waves is to cause lesions in blood vessels, so that the supply of nutrients and oxygen to a region, such as a tumor, is interrupted. The tumor will thus eventually be destroyed. In a preferred embodiment, the HIFU is used to treat disorders of the female reproductive system, such as uterine fibroids. The HIFU treatment can be repeated at spaced-apart intervals, until any remaining fibroid tissue is destroyed.
A method for using ultrasound to simultaneously image a target area and to provide therapy to a treatment site disposed within said target area, producing a lesion in a blood vessel that occludes a blood supply relative to a region, comprising the steps of:
A method for using ultrasound to visualize and to provide therapy to a treatment site within a target area, such that an image is displayed to a clinician in real time, to continually provide feedback to the clinician relating to a focal point of therapeutic waves of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and a change in the treatment site, said method enabling a plurality of lesions to be produced in blood vessels supplying a region to occlude blood flow through the blood vessels into the region, comprising the steps of:
A method for treating a tumorous growth by damaging selected regions affecting a viability of the tumorous growth, comprising the steps of:
A system for simultaneously using ultrasound for both imaging and therapeutic purposes, enabling a lesion to be produced in a blood vessel to occlude blood flow, comprising:
A probe for administering ultrasound therapy from within a vaginal canal of a patient, said therapy being administered to a treatment site within the patient's body and outside the vaginal canal, comprising:
A method for using ultrasound to simultaneously image a target area and to provide therapy to a treatment site disposed within said target area, thereby inducing a therapeutic effect at the target area, comprising the steps of:
A system for simultaneously using ultrasound for both imaging and therapeutic purposes, in which noise arising from ultrasonic therapeutic waves that is included in an image generated by ultrasonic scanning waves can be selectively positioned within the image, thereby allowing the noise to be moved to a portion of the image not corresponding to a treatment site in the image, comprising:
A system for simultaneously using ultrasound for both imaging and therapeutic purposes, in which noise arising from ultrasonic therapeutic waves that is included in an image generated in response to ultrasonic scanning waves can be selectively positioned within the image, thereby enabling the noise to be moved to a portion of the image not corresponding to a treatment site, comprising:
A probe for administering ultrasound therapy from within a vaginal canal of a patient, said therapy being administered to a treatment site within the patient's body and outside the vaginal canal, comprising:
A probe for administering ultrasound therapy from within a vaginal canal of a patient, said therapy being administered to a treatment site within a patient's body and outside the vaginal canal, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.