EP0194897A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ultrasound therapy system
Assignee: Toshiba Corp
•
Filing: 1986-03-14
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2006-03-14
Abstract
Abstract An ultrasound therapy system comprises an annular array ultrasound transducer (13), a mechanical driver (15), a transmitter/receiver (16, 17), and a controller (18, 19). The controller (18, 19) includes a imaging controller (18, 19), a heating controller (19), and a select controller (19). The mechanical driver (15) mechanically drives the transducer (13) to change at least one of the position and direction of ultrasound beams transmitted and received by the transducer (13). The transmitter/receiver (16, 17) may supply drive signals to the respective elements of the transducer (13), and receive the ultrasound echo signals from the elements (13a - 13d). The imaging controller (18, 19) gives a first drive command to the transmitter/receiver (16, 17), and at the same time drives the mechanical driver (15), radiates scanning ultrasound beams for tomographing through the transducer (13), and obtains a tomogram of a target portion in a patient from the echo signal derived from the transmitter/receiver (16, 17). The heating controller (19) drives the transmitter/receiver (16,17) by a second drive signal to cause the transducer (13) to radiate heating ultrasound beams. The heating ultrasound beams heats the target. These imaging and heating controllers (18, 19) are selectively activated by the select controller (19).
Inventors
- 👤 Ayao C/O Patent Division Itoh
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 16:58
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10K; G10K11/00; G10K11/18; G10K11/26; A; A61; A61N; A61N7/00; A61N7/02; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/22; A61B17/22004; A61B2017/22027; A61B2017/22028; A61B90/00; A61B90/36; A61B90/37; A61B2090/378; A61N2007/0052; A61N2007/0078
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
239 words
An ultrasound therapy system using an annular array ultrasound transducer (13) constructed with a plurality of ring transducer elements (13a to 13d) concentrically arrayed and for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves by these elements, characterized by mechanical drive means (15) for mechanically driving said transducer (13) for changing position and/or direction of ultrasound beams transmitted and received by said ultrasound transducers (13); transmitting/receiving means (16, 17) for supplying drive signals to said transducer elements (13a to 13d) of said ultrasound transducer (13) for transmitting and receiving ultrasound waves by said transducer elements, and receiving ultrasound echo signals by each of said transducer elements; imaging means (18, 19) for giving a first drive command to said transmitting/receiving means (16, 17) and for driving said mechanical driving means (15), said imaging means (18, 19) transmitting scanning ultrasound beams into a patient by means of said ultrasound transducer (13) and obtaining a tomogram of organ tissue of a patient using a signal as produced by said transmitting/receiving means in response to echo waves received from the tissue; treating control means (19) for giving a second drive command to said transmitting/receiving means (16, 17) for treating a target in a patient, and for driving said transmitting/receiving means so as to cause said ultrasound transducer (13) to produce ultrasound beams for treating the target; and select control means (19) for selectively operating said imaging means and said treating control means (18, 19, and 19).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
239 words
An ultrasound therapy system using an annular array ultrasound transducer (13) constructed with a plurality of ring transducer elements (13a to 13d) concentrically arrayed and for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves by these elements, characterized by mechanical drive means (15) for mechanically driving said transducer (13) for changing position and/or direction of ultrasound beams transmitted and received by said ultrasound transducers (13); transmitting/receiving means (16, 17) for supplying drive signals to said transducer elements (13a to 13d) of said ultrasound transducer (13) for transmitting and receiving ultrasound waves by said transducer elements, and receiving ultrasound echo signals by each of said transducer elements; imaging means (18, 19) for giving a first drive command to said transmitting/receiving means (16, 17) and for driving said mechanical driving means (15), said imaging means (18, 19) transmitting scanning ultrasound beams into a patient by means of said ultrasound transducer (13) and obtaining a tomogram of organ tissue of a patient using a signal as produced by said transmitting/receiving means in response to echo waves received from the tissue; treating control means (19) for giving a second drive command to said transmitting/receiving means (16, 17) for treating a target in a patient, and for driving said transmitting/receiving means so as to cause said ultrasound transducer (13) to produce ultrasound beams for treating the target; and select control means (19) for selectively operating said imaging means and said treating control means (18, 19, and 19).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
An ultrasound therapy system according to claim 1, characterized in that said imaging means includes a means (18) for obtaining a C-mode image at a desired depth in a patient.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
48 words
An ultrasound therapy system according to claim 1, characterized in that said imaging means includes a means (18, 19) for obtaining images at various depths in a patient to obtain C-mode image signals, and displaying a three dimensional image of the target portion using the C-mode image signals.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
An ultrasound therapy system according to claim 1, characterized in that treating control means includes a means for controlling said mechanical drive means for driving said ultrasound transducer in relation with the operation of said transmitting/receiving means by said second drive command.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
An ultrasound therapy system according to claim 1, characterized in that said treating control means includes a means (19) for setting up transducer drive conditions according to the tomogram information on the target portion as obtained by said imaging means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
77 words
An ultrasound therapy system according to claim 1, characterized in that said imaging means includes a means (18, 19) for obtaining images at various depths in a patient to obtain C-mode image signals, and displaying a three dimensional image of the target using the C-mode image signals, and said heating control means includes a means (19) for setting up transducer drive conditions according to the tomogram information on the target portion as obtained by said imaging means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
58 words
An ultrasound therapy system according to claim 1, characterized in that said transmitting/ receiving means includes a means (16) for setting a predertermined time delay between said adjacent transducer elements in at least one of the input and output of each of said transducer elements of said annular array ultrasound transducer, in order to focus the ultrasound beams.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
40 words
An ultrasound therapy system according to claim 1, characterized in that said transmitting/ receiving means includes a means (16) for selectively enabling active said transducer elements of said transducer to control the effective diameter of said annular array ultrasound transducer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.