Method, transducer, and arrangement for HIFU treatment with MR temperature monitoring
AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsFlorian Steinmeyer, Michael Zwanger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a medical device with at least one transducer fashioned for generation of high-intensity focused ultrasound and with a magnetic resonance apparatus as well as associated ultrasound transducer, and method for generation of magnetic resonance exposures, at least one shim element is associated with the transducer for compensation of a susceptibility difference caused by the design of the transducer with regard to the transducer environment.
Claims16
A medical device comprising:
- a transducer configured to generate high intensity focused ultrasound for a treatment of a subject by elevating a temperature of tissue in the subject, said transducer being comprised of material that produces a susceptibility difference between said transducer and an environment of said transducer;
- a magnetic resonance apparatus configured to generate magnetic resonance exposures that represent the temperature of said tissue during said treatment, said magnetic resonance apparatus being configured to generate a magnetic field that participates in generation of said magnetic resonance exposures, and said susceptibility difference causing a disruption of said magnetic field that produces an error in the temperature representation in magnetic resonance exposures;
- and
- a shim element having a material composition that gives the shim element a shimming effect, with said shim effect being located at a location relative to said transducer that causes said shimming effect of said shim element to counteract said susceptibility difference and reduce said disruption of said magnetic field and said error in said temperature representation in said magnetic resonance exposures.
An ultrasound transducer comprising:
- a transducer arrangement that generates and emits ultrasound into an environment of the transducer arrangement, said transducer arrangement being comprised of material having a susceptibility difference relative to said environment;
- and
- a shim element having a material composition that gives the shim element a shimming effect, and being mechanically attached to said transducer arrangement at a location relative to said transducer arrangement that causes said shimming effect of said shim element to counteract said susceptibility difference.
A method for monitoring temperature in tissue being treated with high intensity focused ultrasound using a transducer that generates high intensity focused ultrasound for a treatment of a subject by elevating a temperature of tissue in the subject, said transducer being comprised of material that produces a susceptibility difference between said transducer and an environment of said transducer, comprising the steps of:
- with a magnetic resonance apparatus, generating magnetic resonance exposures that represent the temperature of said tissue during said treatment, said magnetic resonance apparatus being configured to generate a magnetic field that participates in generation of said magnetic resonance exposures, and said susceptibility difference causing a disruption of said magnetic field that produces an error in the temperature representation in magnetic resonance exposures;
- and
- reducing said disruptions in said magnetic resonance exposures by providing a shim element with a material composition that gives the shim element a shimming effect, and placing said shim element at a location relative to said transducer that causes said shimming effect of said shim element to counteract said susceptibility difference and reduce said disruption of said magnetic field and said error in said temperature representation in said magnetic resonance exposures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.