Controlled, non-linear focused ultrasound treatment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10130828-B2
Application number	US-99344306-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2006
Priority date	Jun 21, 2005
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A system ( 10 ) for treating tissue within a body is configured to deliver a first level of ultrasound energy to a target tissue region ( 42 ) for a first duration resulting in the generation of micro-bubbles ( 56 ) in the target tissue region, determine one or more characteristics of the target tissue region in the presence of the micro-bubbles, and deliver a second level of ultrasound energy to the target tissue region for a second duration, wherein one or both of the second energy level and the second duration are based, at least in part, on the determined one or more characteristics of the target tissue region.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A focused ultrasound system, comprising:
a transducer configured for delivering ultrasound energy to generate thermal energy in a target tissue region in a patient's body, and
a controller configured for controlling a power, duration, frequency and focal location of the transducer, wherein the controller is further configured to:
cause the delivery of a first level of ultrasound energy to the target tissue region for a first duration resulting in the generation of micro-bubbles in the target tissue region,
detect activity of the micro-bubbles, if present, based on an acoustic signal therefrom,
cause a modality to transmit a signal to the target tissue region and detect a response, if present, therefrom,
determine (i) whether the activity of the micro-bubbles is detected and the response from the target tissue is not detected and (ii) whether the activity of the micro-bubbles is not detected and the ultrasound energy to be delivered varies non-linearly with time, and
suspend the delivery of the ultrasound energy to the target tissue region if (i) or (ii) is determined to occur.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine one or more characteristics of the target tissue region based at least in part on the response therefrom; and
based on the determined one or more characteristics, cause delivery of a second level of ultrasound energy to the target tissue region for a second duration.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the determined one or more characteristics of the target tissue region consist of one or more of:
depth of the micro-bubbles from a skin surface of the patient,
tissue temperature,
thermal dose profile, and
focal boundary.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to utilize a combination of temperature sensitive images provided by the modality and the acoustic signal to determine one or more of a frequency, a phase, a location, and an amplitude associated with the second level of ultrasound energy.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to deliver the second level of ultrasound energy to a different focal location in the target tissue region than the first level.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the determination of the second level of ultrasound energy is based, at least in part, on maintaining a temperature of the target tissue region above a prescribed threshold temperature.

7. The system of claim 3 , wherein the determination of the second level of ultrasound energy is based, at least in part, on maintaining a temperature of the target tissue region below a prescribed threshold temperature.

8. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the target tissue region based, at least in part, on temperature sensitive images of the target tissue region provided from the modality.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the modality comprises an imager configured for providing temperature sensitive images of the target tissue region illustrating an actual thermal dose distribution in the target tissue region based on the response therefrom.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
utilize a combination of the temperature sensitive images and the acoustic signal to determine a second level of ultrasound energy to be delivered to the target tissue region; and
cause delivery of the second level of ultrasound energy to the target tissue region.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to utilize the combination of the temperature sensitive images and the acoustic signal to determine one or more of a frequency, a phase, a duration, a location, and an amplitude associated with the second level of ultrasound energy.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to deliver the second level of ultrasound energy to a different focal location in the target tissue region than the first level.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the determination of the second level of ultrasound energy is based, at least in part, on maintaining a temperature of the target tissue region above a prescribed threshold temperature.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the determination of the second level of ultrasound energy is based, at least in part, on maintaining a temperature of the target tissue region below a prescribed threshold temperature.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the second level of ultrasound energy is different from the first level of ultrasound energy.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to repeat processes of determining one or more characteristics of the target tissue region and delivering the second level of ultrasound energy to the target tissue region, until a desired effect on the target tissue region is achieved.

17. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine one or more characteristics of the target tissue region based, at least in part, on a comparison of the actual thermal dose distribution with a predicted thermal dose distribution; and
based on the determined one or more characteristics of the target tissue region, cause delivery of a second level of ultrasound energy to the target tissue region for a second duration.

Assignees

• Vortman Kobi
• Vitek Shuki
• Freundlich David
• Insightec Ltd

Inventors

• Vortman Kobi
• Vitek Shuki
• Freundlich David

Classifications

• A61B8/467

  characterised by special input means · CPC title

• A61B2017/22008

  used or promoted · CPC title

• A61B8/481

  involving the use of contrast agents, e.g. microbubbles introduced into the bloodstream · CPC title

• A61B90/37

  Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation · CPC title

• A61N7/02 Primary

  Localised ultrasound hyperthermia · CPC title