Systems and methods for coupling an ultrasound source to tissue

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9504446-B2
Application number	US-201213547023-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2012
Priority date	Aug 2, 2010
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

This disclosure provides systems and methods for sensing coupling of an ultrasound source to a target and for providing a constant average output of power from an ultrasound source. The systems and methods can include a frequency sweep function. The systems and methods can also include receiving reflected energy from an acoustic window and determining a feedback using the reflected energy. The systems and methods can also include comparing the feedback with a threshold level and using the comparison to determine if the ultrasound source is coupled with a target.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of sensing coupling of an ultrasound source to a target, the ultrasound source comprising a transducer, an acoustically transparent standoff, an acoustic window at a bottom surface of the standoff, and a controller coupled to the transducer, the controller configured to execute a frequency sweep over time function, the method comprising:
emitting an ultrasound energy from the transducer by frequency sweeping over time the transducer using the frequency sweep over time function;
in response to the emitted ultrasound energy, receiving a reflected energy from the acoustic window;
determining, using the reflected energy, a feedback from the frequency sweep;
comparing the feedback with a threshold level; and
determining, based on the comparison, if the ultrasound source is coupled with the target.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein if the feedback from the frequency sweep is above the threshold level, then the ultrasound source is not coupled to the target.

3. The method according to claim 2 , terminating or reducing power to the ultrasound source.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein if the feedback from the frequency sweep is below the threshold level, then the ultrasound source is coupled to the target.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising providing constant average output power from the ultrasound source.

6. The method according to claim 4 , the method further comprising transmitting a second ultrasound energy from the ultrasound source to the target.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic window has a thickness that is a half wavelength of the ultrasound energy or a multiple thereof.

8. The method according to claim 1 , the standoff comprising a path length defined as the distance that the ultrasound energy travels through the standoff, wherein the frequency sweep has a frequency span, which is calculated using the path length of the standoff and a speed of sound within the standoff.

9. A system for determining whether an ultrasound source is coupled to a target, the system comprising:
an ultrasound source comprising a transducer;
an acoustically transparent standoff coupled to the transducer;
a half wavelength acoustic window or multiple thereof at a bottom surface of the standoff; and
a controller coupled to the transducer,
wherein the controller is configured to cause the transducer to emit ultrasound energy by frequency sweeping over time the transducer using a frequency sweep over time function;
wherein in response to the emitted ultrasound energy, the transducer is further configured to receive a reflected energy from the half wavelength acoustic window;
wherein the controller is further configured to determine, using the reflected energy, a feedback from the frequency sweep, compare the feedback with a threshold level, and determine, based on the comparison, if the ultrasound source is coupled with the target.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the half wavelength acoustic window is a reflector when the ultrasound source is not coupled to the target.

11. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the half wavelength acoustic window is transparent to ultrasound energy when the ultrasound source is coupled to the target.

12. The system according to claim 9 , the controller further configured to execute a power to transducer termination function in communication with the frequency sweep over time function.

13. The system according to claim 9 wherein the controller provides a constant average output power from the ultrasound source when the ultrasound source is coupled to the target.

14. The system according to claim 9 , further comprising a lens coupled to the ultrasound source.

Assignees

• Jaeger Paul
• Barthe Peter G
• Slayton Michael H
• Guided Therapy Systems Llc

Inventors

• Jaeger Paul
• Barthe Peter G
• Slayton Michael H

Classifications

• A61B8/56

  Details of data transmission or power supply · CPC title

• A61B2018/00642

  with feedback, i.e. closed loop control · CPC title

• A61N2007/027

  with multiple foci created simultaneously · CPC title

• A61B2018/00898

  Alarms or notifications created in response to an abnormal condition · CPC title

• A61N2007/0091

  with moving parts, e.g. transducers, lenses, reflectors · CPC title