Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Patent
1995-10-03
1998-10-06
Casler, Brian
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
601 3, H61B 1722
Patent
active
058170219
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a therapy apparatus for treating conditions of the heart and, in particular, heart-proximate vessels with therapeutic acoustic waves having a region of influence, the therapy apparatus being of the type having a therapeutic ultrasound source.
2. Description of the Prior Art
German OS 30 38 445 discloses an apparatus of the above type. This apparatus contains a shock wave source integrated in a catheter introducible into the esophagus. The focussed shock waves generated by the shockwave source are introduced into the heart in order to stimulate it.
German OS 39 00 433 discloses another apparatus of the above type. This apparatus contains one or more ultrasound sources that can be extracorporeally applied. The therapeutic ultrasound waves generated by the ultrasound source or sources serve for treating scleroses, for example in the region of the coronary vessels. A re-emulsification of the lipids deposited at the vessel wall in the sclerotic regions is to be effected by the therapeutic ultrasound waves.
It is in fact possible to influence symptoms with this known therapy apparatus, for example in the case of disorders of the heart rhythm or scleroses. As a rule, however, there is no possibility of achieving a longterm influence in focal pathogenic areas such as, for example, accessorial bundles in the case of the WPW symptom or trigger zones for arrhythmias.
German OS 31 50 513 discloses a therapy apparatus for treatment with therapeutic ultrasound waves having a region of influence, the apparatus having an ultrasound source which generates the therapeutic ultrasound waves with an intensity such that tissue modifications due to the thermal effect of the ultrasound waves are produced in the tissue disposed in the region of influence. The apparatus contains a number of therapeutic ultrasound transducers which can be oriented such that the ultrasound waves respectively emitted by the individual transducers are superimposed in the region to be treated. The source of therapeutic ultrasound waves in this known therapy apparatus is only suitable for extracorporeal application.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention to provide a therapy apparatus of the type initially described such that a long term influencing of pathogenic areas, particularly pathogenic foci, is possible.
The above object is achieved in accordance with the principles of the present invention in a therapy apparatus and method for treating conditions of the heart and, in particular, heart-proximate vessels, with therapeutic acoustic waves having a region of influence, i.e., a therapeutically effective region, wherein ultrasound waves are generated with such an intensity that tissue modifications are produced by the thermal effect of the ultrasound waves in the tissue located in the region of influence. The apparatus is dimensioned so that it can be transesophageally applied, and the source of therapeutic waves includes a number of therapeutic ultrasound transducers which can be oriented relative to each other so that the ultrasound waves respectively emitted by the sources are superimposed in the region to be treated.
There is thus the possibility of suppressing focal pathogenic regions by charging with therapeutic ultrasound waves. It is especially advantageous in this context when the intensity of the therapeutic ultrasound waves produces necrotization of the heart tissue located in the region of influence since a reliable suppression of the focal pathogenic regions is then assured. Since the ultrasound source is dimensioned such that it can be transesophageally applied (through the esophagus), the heart located inside the ribs is accessible for the therapeutic ultrasound waves without further ado, differing from the case of extracorporeally generated therapeutic ultrasound waves. For the sake of a short treatment duration, the ultrasound source comprises a plurality of therapeutic ultrasound transducers that can be aligned such that the ultrasound
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Transosophageale Echo Computer Tomographie ("Echo-CT") Wollschlager et al., Biomedizinische Technik, vol. 34, Supplementary vol., p. 10 (1989).
Casler Brian
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
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