Ultrasound diagnosis and treatment apparatus

Apparatus for imaging or treatment of occlusions or restrictions in vessels using sound waves, comprising:

• at least one servo-controlled sound transducer member including at least one sound-emitting element for producing at least one sound wave beam, the sound transducer member controlled by a feedback control signal originating from an occlusion in fluid flow, a restriction in fluid flow, or a combination thereof;
• means to adjust the parameters of said at least one sound wave beam for imaging or treatment of occlusions or restrictions in vessels;
• means to orient said at least one transducer member;
• means to focus sound waves generated by said sound-emitting element into a beam;
• and
• means to accept sound signals from sound-emitting element or elements.

Method for locating an occlusion in a vessel or a restriction in a vessel, including the steps of:

• identifying regions of a body in which an occlusion or restriction might be found;
• selecting a region of interest for sonication with sound waves;
• sonicating the region of interest with at least one sound-wave beam produced by a servo-controlled sound transducer member by moving said sound-wave beam across said region of interest;
• receiving reflected sound signals from said region of interest, wherein at least one of said sound signals is a feedback control signal originating from an occlusion in fluid flow, a restriction in fluid flow, or a combination thereof, wherein the sound transducer member is responsive to the feedback control signal;
• and
• calculating the Doppler effect parameters of flow and turbulence from said reflected sound signals.

Method for distinguishing anatomical features of an organism including the steps of:

• sonicating a region of the body of said organism with at least one sound-wave beam produced by a servo-controlled sound transducer member;
• whereby the frequency of said at least one sound-wave beam is suitable for determining a particular tissue type;
• receiving reflected sound signals from said region of interest, at least one of said sound signals is a feedback control signal originating from an occlusion in fluid flow, a restriction in fluid flow, or a combination thereof, wherein the sound transducer member is responsive to the feedback control signal;
• calculating the Doppler effect parameters of said reflected sound signals;
• and
• characterising said Doppler effect parameters according to parameters associated with known tissue types.