Disposable acoustic coupling medium container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9526923-B2
Application number	US-201514746692-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2015
Priority date	Aug 17, 2009
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A medical imaging and therapy device is provided that may include any of a number of features. One feature of the device is that it can acoustically couple an ultrasound therapy transducer to a patient. In some embodiments, the medical imaging and therapy device is configured to conform to the anatomy of a patient's perineal area to acoustically couple an ultrasound therapy transducer to the patient for treatment of BPH. The medical imaging and therapy device can be used in therapeutic applications such as Histotripsy, Lithotripsy, and HIFU, for example. Methods associated with use of the medical imaging and therapy device are also covered.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of providing ultrasound therapy to a patient, comprising the steps of:
placing a frame having an open aperture against the patient's skin;
filling the frame with an acoustic coupling medium so that the acoustic coupling medium directly contacts the patient's skin through the open aperture;
inserting a rectal imaging probe into a rectum of the patient through a rectal sheath of the frame;
placing an ultrasound transducer in acoustic communication with the acoustic coupling medium;
imaging the patient's prostate with the rectal imaging probe; and
providing ultrasound therapy to the patient's prostate with the ultrasound transducer.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving the ultrasound transducer relative to the frame while maintaining acoustic communication between the ultrasound transducer and the acoustic coupling medium.

Assignees

• Histosonics Inc
• Univ Michigan Regents
• Histosonics Inc

Inventors

• Jahnke Russell C
• Bertolina James A
• Roberts William W
• Cain Charles A
• Teofilovic Dejan
• Davison Thomas W

Classifications

• A61N2007/0043

  intra-cavitary · CPC title

• A61B2018/00547

  Prostate · CPC title

• A61B17/2256

  with means for locating or checking the concrement, e.g. X-ray apparatus, imaging means (A61B17/2255 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B2017/2253

  using a coupling gel or liquid · CPC title

• A61N7/00 Primary

  Ultrasound therapy (lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 {; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092}) · CPC title