Ultrasound heater-agitator for thermal tissue treatment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9878182-B2
Application number	US-201213608613-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2012
Priority date	Apr 30, 2009
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

A device is for thermal treatment of tissue. The device includes (a) an elongated member extending from a proximal end to a distal end insertable to a target position within a body; (b) a housing coupled to the distal end of the elongated member sized and shaped for insertion to a target organ within a living body, the housing including an opening permitting fluid surrounding the housing to enter the housing, the housing further including first and second deflecting elements shaped to diffuse pulses of fluid directed thereagainst; and © a piezoelectric element mounted within the housing between the first and second deflecting elements. The piezoelectric element is oriented to generate pulses in liquid received within the housing toward the first and second deflecting elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for thermal treatment of tissue, comprising:
an elongated member extending from a proximal end to a distal end insertable to a target position within a body;
a housing coupled to the distal end of the elongated member sized and shaped for insertion to a target organ within a living body, the housing including an opening permitting fluid surrounding the housing to enter the housing, the housing further including first and second deflecting elements mounted therein and shaped to diffuse pulses of fluid directed thereagainst; and
a piezoelectric element mounted within the housing between the first and second deflecting elements, the piezoelectric element being oriented to generate pulses in liquid received within the housing toward the first and second deflecting elements.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a transmission line connecting the piezoelectric element to an external power source.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric element is a flat disc.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the first and second deflecting elements are mounted on proximal and distal ends of the housing, respectively, each of the first and second deflecting elements facing a corresponding side of the flat disc of the piezoelectric element.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein deflecting surfaces of the first and second deflecting elements are convex.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein a deflecting surface of the first deflecting element facing the piezoelectric element includes a first protrusion to scatter fluid pulses from the piezoelectric element.

7. The device of claim 3 , wherein the piezoelectric element extends in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the housing, a deflecting surface of the first deflecting element facing the piezoelectric element being angled with respect to the plane of the piezoelectric element to deflect fluid pulses therefrom away from the longitudinal axis of the housing.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein a deflecting surface of the second deflecting element facing a side of the piezoelectric element opposite the side faced by the first deflecting element is angled with respect to the plane of the piezoelectric element to deflect pulses of fluid from the piezoelectric element away from the longitudinal axis of the housing in a direction different from the pulses deflected by the first deflecting element.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second deflecting elements is formed of one of a thermally conductive material allowing for rapid heat dissipation and a highly porous hydrophilic material.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein deflecting surfaces of the first and second deflecting elements are coated with a thin layer of material having an acoustic impedance matching an acoustic impedance of water.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the housing is an elongated hollow member having an open proximal end closed by the first deflecting element and an open distal end closed by the second deflecting element.

12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the housing comprises a plurality of cutouts facilitating a transfer of ultrasound energy from the piezoelectric element to a surrounding area.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric element produces ultrasound energy in the form of pulses traveling along an axis perpendicular to a plane of the piezoelectric element.

14. A device for supplying ultrasound energy, comprising:
a housing sized and shaped for insertion to a target organ within a living body, the housing including an opening permitting fluid surrounding the housing to enter the housing, the housing further including first and second deflecting elements mounted therein and shaped to diffuse pulses of fluid directed thereagainst; and
a piezoelectric element mounted within the housing between the first and second deflecting elements, the piezoelectric element being oriented to generate pulses in liquid received within the housing toward the first and second deflecting elements.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the piezoelectric element extends in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the housing and produces ultrasound energy in the form of pulses traveling along an axis perpendicular to a plane of the piezoelectric element.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the piezoelectric element extends in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the housing, a deflecting surface of the first deflecting element facing the piezoelectric element being angled with respect to the plane of the piezoelectric element to deflect fluid pulses therefrom away from the longitudinal axis of the housing and a deflecting surface of the second deflecting element facing a side of the piezoelectric element opposite the side faced by the first deflecting element is angled with respect to the plane of the piezoelectric element to deflect pulses of fluid from the piezoelectric element away from the longitudinal axis of the housing in a direction different from the pulses deflected by the first deflecting element.

17. The device of claim 14 , wherein the first and second deflecting elements are mounted on proximal and distal ends of the housing, respectively, each of the first and second deflecting elements facing a corresponding side of a flat disc of the piezoelectric element.

18. The device of claim 14 , wherein deflecting surfaces of the first and second deflecting elements are convex.

19. The device of claim 14 , wherein a deflecting surface of the first deflecting element facing the piezoelectric element includes a first protrusion to scatter fluid pulses from the piezoelectric element.

20. A system for thermal treatment of tissue, comprising:
an elongated member extending from a proximal end to a distal end insertable to a target position within a body;
a housing coupled to the distal end of the elongated member sized and shaped for insertion to a target organ within a living body, the housing including an opening permitting fluid surrounding the housing to enter the housing, the housing further including first and second deflecting elements mounted therein and shaped to diffuse pulses of fluid directed thereagainst;
a piezoelectric element mounted within the housing between the first and second deflecting elements, the piezoelectric element being oriented to generate pulses in liquid received within the housing toward the first and second deflecting elements; and
a power source connected to the proximal end of the elongated member and supplying power to the piezoelectric element.

Assignees

• Ostrovsky Isaac
• Shukhat Victor
• Li Jamie
• Boston Scient Scimed Inc

Inventors

• Ostrovsky Isaac
• Shukhat Victor
• Li Jamie

Classifications

• 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

• A61B2017/4216

  Operations on uterus, e.g. endometrium · CPC title

• A61N2007/0043

  intra-cavitary · CPC title