Ultrasound therapy

Patent 6612988 Issued on September 2, 2003. Estimated Expiration Date:

December 15, 2020. 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

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Inventors

Assignee

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Application

No. 09/738514 filed on 12/15/2000

US Classes:

600/439, With therapeutic device600/437, Ultrasonic600/443Anatomic image produced by reflective scanning

Examiners

Primary: Jaworski, Francis J.
Assistant: Patel, Maulin

Attorney, Agent or Firm

International Classes

A61N 7/00 (20060101)
A61N 7/02 (20060101)
A61B 19/00 (20060101)

Abstract

The invention provides a method of delivering ultrasound signals. The method includes providing an image of at least a portion of a subject intended to receive ultrasound signals between sources of the ultrasound signals and a desired region of the subject for receiving focused ultrasound signals, identifying, from the image, physical characteristics of different layers of material between the sources and the desired region, and determining at least one of phase corrections and amplitude corrections for the sources depending on respective thicknesses of portions of each of the layers disposed between each source and the desired region.

Other References

Notification of Transmittal of The International Search Report or the Declaration, mailed Jul. 15, 2002
Hynynen, et al., "Demonstration of Potential Noninvasive Ultrasound Brain Therapy Through an Intact Skull", Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, vol. 24, No. 2, pp. 275-283, 1998
Sun, et al., "Focusing of Therapeutic Ultrasound Through A Human Skull: A Numerical Study", J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 104(3) pt. 1, pp. 1705-1715, Sep. 1998
Hynynen, Kullervo, "Trans-skull Ultrasound Therapy: The Feasibility of Using Image-Derived Skull Thickness Information to Correct the Phase Distortion", IEEE Trans. on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Freq. Control, pp. 752-755, vol. 46, No. 3, May 1999
Sun, et al., "The Potential of Transskull Ultrasound Therapy and Surgery Using the Maximum Available Skull Surface Area", J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 105(4), pp. 2519-2527, Apr. 1999