Surgery: kinesitherapy – Kinesitherapy – Ultrasonic
Patent
1996-06-17
1998-08-18
Jaworski, Francis
Surgery: kinesitherapy
Kinesitherapy
Ultrasonic
601 4, A61B 1722
Patent
active
057953112
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is a 371 of PCT/EP 94/01784 Jun. 1, 1994.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an apparatus for the treatment of biological tissue and corporal concretions using focussed acoustic waves according to the introductory part of claim 1.
STATE OF THE ART
In the course of the development of noninvasive therapeutic methods, procedures have been developed that generate a locally confined, controlled effect inside the body obviating traumatic penetration of the body. One example of this is extracorporally induced lithotripsy in which short pressure pulses of high amplitude, which are focussed on the to-be-destroyed concretion, by way of illustration a kidney stone, are generated outside the body. When the energy density is high enough at the site of the concretion, the concretion is crushed. An example of such an apparatus is described in DE 38 35 318 C1, to which, in addition to the literature cited therein, reference is explicitly made with regard to all the terms not explained in more detail herein. Furthermore, it has been proposed to utilize energy concentrated with the aid of highly energetic ultrasound waves for hyperthermy or for thermotherapy.
In all the processes in which focussed acoustic waves are employed for achieving successful therapy, it is necessary that the energy generated outside the body is coupled in exploiting suited "body windows" in the body and steered to the predetermined target area by means of suited locating procedures. It must be taken into account that many organs cannot be reached directly via suited "body windows". But rather the available body windows are of irregular shape, such as by way of illustration the window through which ultrasound can be coupled into the liver or the urinary bladder. Moreover, it is often necessary to beam in the ultrasound with a "slanted" respectively inclined direction of incidence.
The hitherto proposed sound generating units such as, by way of illustration, mentioned in DE 38 35 318 C1, i.e., by way of illustration spherical caps, concave ellipsoids or paraboloids of rotation can therefore only be employed in a restricted manner, because the circular shaped radiating areas of these sound generating units are not optimumly adapted to the body windows at disposal. Moreover, if the coupling-in direction is slanted, the coupling media can only be poorly adapted to the contours of the body.
As a consequence, only a part of the ultrasound generated outside the body is at disposal for therapeutical purposes at the target site. In addition, regional and temporal focussing is frequently insufficient due to phase disturbances on the propagation path (coupling medium and corporal tissue). Furthermore, only a certain part of the generated ultrasonic energy is released into the coupling medium, because the acoustic impedances (density .rho. * propagation velocity c) of the sound generator and of the tissuelike transmission respectively coupling medium (often water) are very different especially when piezo-electric exciters are used so that the energy can only be partially coupled in.
The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for the treatment of biological tissue using focussed acoustic waves, this apparatus being easy to adapt to the different instances of application and not being restricted to circular radiation areas.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1a shows the fundamental concept of the present invention.
FIG. 1b shows an alternative embodiment using multiple adapting layers.
FIG. 2 shows the inventive transducer combined with a target locator device.
FIG. 3 shows use of the applicator on a patient.
FIGS. 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d show applicators of non-circular outline and their relationship to a target locator.
FIG. 5 shows wavelength relationship to various focal depth zones within the body.
An element of the present invention is that the sound generating unit is provided with, in an as such known manner, a plane or only minimally concave or convex curved radiation area so that the generated wa
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patent: 4207901 (1980-06-01), Nigam
patent: 4562900 (1986-01-01), Anderson et al.
patent: 4893624 (1990-01-01), Lele
patent: 4936303 (1990-06-01), Detwiler et al.
patent: 5402792 (1995-04-01), Kimura
Jaworski Francis
Mon Donald D.
Storz Medical AG
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