Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Publication Number
US-12728293-B2
Publication Date
2026-09-08
Expiration Date
Abstract
Various approaches to stimulating neural activity in one or more target regions associated with one or more brain diseases or disorders include transmitting the first sequence of ultrasound pulses to the target region(s); measuring a physiological parameter indicative of the neural activity at the target region(s) resulting from the ultrasound pulses; and based at least in part on the measurement, adjusting a parameter value associated with one or more transducer elements so as to achieve a target objective of the neural activity.
Core Innovation
The patent describes a focused-ultrasound system that uses imaging to identify target and non-target brain regions and real-time blood-flow measurements to track changes associated with neural activity. A controller adjusts transducer-element parameters in response to those measurements to produce desired neural-activity changes. For the system claim, the controller compares measured and desired changes and repeats stimulation and adjustment until the desired changes are satisfied.
The patent also describes a method that uses focused-ultrasound pulses and real-time blood-flow measurements to guide parameter adjustment. The provided partial content does not include the background section, so the problem identified there is not explicitly described. The description additionally identifies adjustable focus, multiple foci, temperature monitoring, and physiological feedback as system capabilities.
Claims Coverage
The provided relevant claims include two independent claims with two inventive features: claim 1 covers a system, and claim 14 covers a method, each utilizing focused ultrasound with real-time blood-flow measurements to guide stimulation toward desired neural-activity changes.
Imaging-guided focused-ultrasound system with iterative feedback
Claim 1 recites an ultrasound transducer with multiple transducer elements, an imaging device, and a controller. The controller receives an image to identify target and non-target regions, transmits ultrasound pulses, causes real-time measurement of blood-flow changes corresponding to neural-activity changes, and adjusts a transducer-element frequency, phase, amplitude, or activation duration based at least in part on those measurements. It compares measured and desired changes and repeats the stimulation and adjustment until the desired changes are satisfied.
Focused-ultrasound method guided by real-time blood-flow measurements
Claim 14 recites transmitting ultrasound pulses from a transducer with multiple elements to a target region, measuring in real time blood-flow changes corresponding to neural-activity changes in target and non-target regions, and adjusting a transducer-element frequency, phase, amplitude, or activation duration based at least in part on the measurement to cause blood-flow changes corresponding to desired neural-activity changes.
The independent claims cover a focused-ultrasound system and a method in which real-time blood-flow measurements associated with neural activity guide transducer adjustment. The system claim additionally specifies imaging-based identification of target and non-target regions and repetition until the desired changes are satisfied.
Stated Advantages
Temperature measurement at the ultrasound focus is used to adjust a transducer-element parameter to avoid damage to the target region.
Documented Applications
Stimulating neural activity in target regions associated with brain diseases or disorders. The provided description identifies Parkinson's disease and shows the subthalamic nucleus and globus pallidus interna as target regions.
Interested in licensing this patent?