Assembly for imaging and/or treating brain tissue
Inventors
Carpentier, Alexandre • BOUCHOUX, Guillaume • Canney, Michael • Lacoste, Francois
Assignees
Assistance Publique Hopitaux de Paris APHP • Carthera SAS • Sorbonne Universite
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Publication Number
US-12029652-B2
Publication Date
2024-07-09
Expiration Date
Abstract
An assembly for imaging and/or treating brain tissue, having at least one acoustic window which comprises a plate that is transparent to ultrasonic waves, and at least one positioning marker which facilitates positioning of a probe for generating ultrasonic waves so as to be aligned with said acoustic window.
Core Innovation
The invention is an implantable brain imaging and/or treating assembly that includes at least one acoustic window configured to be implanted at an opening arranged into the cranium of a patient and covered with the skin of the patient's skull once implanted. The acoustic window comprises a plate transparent to ultrasonic waves and is configured to cooperate with an ultrasonic wave generation probe intended to be positioned in line with the acoustic window. The assembly introduces a plurality of positioning marks associated with the acoustic window and configured to be locatable through the skin of the patient to facilitate positioning of the probe in line with the acoustic window.
Each positioning mark is configured to return a reflection time detectable by the ultrasonic wave generation probe. A processing unit communicatively connected to the ultrasonic wave generation probe determines which of the plurality of positioning marks has been detected based on the reflection time and displays an instruction to displace the ultrasonic wave generation probe in a specified direction based on which positioning mark has been detected.
In some embodiments, the positioning marks are detectable by ultrasonography and a second plurality of positioning marks is detectable by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Differentiation of marks is implemented using blind holes with different depths, and positioning marks are also described as having acoustic-impedance-based structures in which an element with a second acoustic impedance is located within a substrate at a depth that varies among positioning marks.
Claims Coverage
The document includes three independent claims. Across the independent claims, the key inventive focus is on acoustic-window positioning marks that return reflection times to a processing unit so the probe is aligned by an instruction, with optional MRI-detectable positioning marks and mark differentiation by blind-hole depth and/or acoustic-impedance-based depth variations.
Acoustic window with ultrasonic-transparent plate and positioning marks by reflection time
An assembly for imaging and/or treating brain tissue comprising an implanted acoustic window at an opening arranged into the cranium and covered with the skin once implanted, where the acoustic window comprises a plate transparent to ultrasonic waves and a plurality of positioning marks configured to be locatable through the skin to facilitate positioning of an ultrasonic wave generation probe in line with the acoustic window, each positioning mark returning a reflection time detectable by the ultrasonic wave generation probe, and a processing unit configured to determine which positioning mark has been detected based on the reflection time and display an instruction to displace the ultrasonic wave generation probe in a specified direction based on which positioning mark has been detected.
Dual-detectable positioning marks for ultrasonic and MRI with reflection-time-based alignment
An assembly for imaging or treating brain tissue comprising at least one acoustic window configured to be implanted at an opening arranged into the cranium and covered with the skin once implanted, an ultrasonic wave generation probe intended to be positioned in line with the acoustic window, and an acoustic window plate transparent to ultrasonic waves comprising a first plurality of positioning marks detectable by ultrasonography and a second plurality of positioning marks detectable by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), each first plurality positioning mark configured to return a reflection time detectable by the ultrasonic wave generation probe, and a processing unit configured to determine which of the first plurality of positioning marks has been detected based on the reflection time and display an instruction to displace the ultrasonic wave generation probe in a specified direction based on which of the first plurality of positioning marks has been detected.
Method of ultrasound-based positioning using blind-hole depth markers and mode switching
A method for imaging or treating a brain tissue of a patient comprising detecting, by operating an ultrasound device in a first mode of operation, a first positioning mark of a plurality of positioning marks integrated in an acoustic window implanted at an opening in the cranium and covered with the skin of the skull, where the acoustic window comprises a plate transparent to ultrasonic waves, the plurality of positioning marks are detectable by ultrasonography, and each positioning mark comprises a blind hole having a different depth from any other positioning mark; determining based on a reflection time corresponding to the positioning mark which positioning mark has been detected; displaying an instruction to displace the ultrasound device in a specified direction; and applying, by the ultrasound device operating in a second mode of operation, ultrasonic waves to the patient, where the second mode corresponds to an imaging mode or a treating mode.
Across the independent claims, the invention centers on implanted acoustic windows with ultrasonic-transparent plates and positioning marks that yield detectable reflection times. The processing unit identifies which mark is detected from the reflection time and displays instructions to displace the ultrasonic probe for alignment, with optional MRI-detectable positioning marks and blind-hole different-depth differentiation in the method claim.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
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