Method for thermal monitoring subcutaneous tissue

Patent 4513750 Issued on April 30, 1985. Estimated Expiration Date:

February 22, 2004. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

3577981

3609731

3893111

Acoustic examination, material characterization and imaging of the internal structure of a body by measurement of the time-of-flight of acoustic energy therethrough
Patent #: 4105018
Issued on: 08/08/1978
Inventor: Greenleaf , et al.

Indicating temperature within living tissue
Patent #: 4138998
Issued on: 02/13/1979
Inventor: Nowogrodzki

Passive remote temperature sensor system
Patent #: 4246784
Issued on: 01/27/1981
Inventor: Bowen

Method and apparatus for selective cell destruction
Patent #: 4315514
Issued on: 02/16/1982
Inventor: Drewes , et al.

Acoustic intensity monitor
Patent #: 4323077
Issued on: 04/06/1982
Inventor: Smith

Wireless temperature-sensing system inclusive of thermally-responsive oscillator
Patent #: 4340796
Issued on: 07/20/1982
Inventor: Yamaguchi , et al.

Ultrasonic marker for physiologic diagnosis and method of using same
Patent #: 4373532
Issued on: 02/15/1983
Inventor: Hill , et al.

More ...

Inventors

Assignee

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the

Application

No. 06/582492 filed on 02/22/1984

US Classes:

600/438, Used as an indicator of another parameter (e.g., temperature, pressure, viscosity)374/117, By a vibratory effect (e.g., resonant frequency, acoustical)374/160, Melting or softening600/549Temperature detection

Examiners

Primary: Howell, Kyle L.
Assistant: Jaworski, Francis J.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

International Classes

A61B 10/00 (20060101)
A61N 7/00 (20060101)
A61N 7/02 (20060101)
G01N 29/04 (20060101)
G01N 29/11 (20060101)
G01K 11/00 (20060101)
G01K 11/22 (20060101)

Abstract

A noninvasive accurate method for measuring the temperature of tissue beneath the surface of a living body 11. Ultrasonic signals (14) are directed into beads 13 of a material that are inserted into the tissue with a syringe. The reflected signals (15) indicate the acoustic impedance or resonance frequency of the beads 13 which in turn indicates the temperature of the tissue. A range of temperatures around the melting temperature of the material can be measured by this method.