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Publication Number
US-8585601-B2
Publication Date
2013-11-19
Expiration Date
Abstract
There is provided in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention an ultrasound transducer for intrabody medical therapy comprising; an element adapted to transmit ultrasound energy; at least two electrodes configured to apply a voltage across at least some volume of the element; and a gas bubble containment area adapted to retain the gas bubble when in blood.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to an ultrasound transducer for intrabody medical therapy that transmits ultrasound energy with an element driven by at least two electrodes. The transducer includes a gas bubble containment area adapted to retain a gas bubble when in blood using surface tension, and the element includes a coating which couples the gas bubble to the element.
A key aspect is that gas bubble retention and coupling persist during therapeutic ultrasound operation, supported by a gas-bubble-containing structure that retains the gas bubble in blood while the element is driven. The described coupling mechanisms include increasing surface tension, increasing an effective surface area using projections or irregularities, and employing microstructures.
In disclosed embodiments, the transducer uses relatively low divergence, unfocused ultrasound elements, including rectangular or planar elements, and suspended element arrangements above a support board over apertures or depressions. The support structures can include fluid-flow channels for cooling and for preventing thrombus formation, and multielement/phased-array and multiregional designs are disclosed, including separate treatment and imaging regions.
Claims Coverage
The provided independent claims cover intrabody medical therapy ultrasound transducers that retain and couple a gas bubble in blood using surface tension with a coating, and they distribute additional inventive features across electrode-driven transducer elements, suspended or board-coupled structures, fluid-flow features, and specific geometric coupling constraints.
Surface-tension gas bubble containment with bubble-coupling coating
An element adapted to transmit ultrasound energy; at least two electrodes configured to apply a voltage across at least some volume of said element; and a gas bubble containment area adapted to retain a gas bubble when in blood using surface tension, wherein said element includes a coating which couples said gas bubble to said element.
Suspended ultrasound element supported by a support board
A support board; an element adapted to transmit ultrasound energy, said element suspended by said board; at least two electrodes configured to apply a voltage across at least some volume of said element and a gas bubble containment area adapted to retain a gas bubble when in blood using surface tension, wherein said element includes a coating which couples said gas bubble to said element.
Support board with fluid-flow channel between board and element
An element adapted to transmit ultrasound energy; at least two electrodes configured to apply a voltage across at least some volume of said element; a support board, said element suspended by said board and said board comprises at least one channel to direct flow of a fluid between said board and said element; and a gas bubble containment area adapted to retain a gas bubble when in blood using surface tension, wherein said element includes a coating which couples said gas bubble to said element.
Support-board coupling over a specified surface-area fraction
An element adapted to transmit ultrasound energy; at least two electrodes configured to apply a voltage across at least some volume of said element; a support board, wherein said support board is coupled to said element at 0.06%-17% of a surface area of said board; and a gas bubble containment area adapted to retain a gas bubble when in blood using surface tension, wherein said element includes a coating which couples said gas bubble to said element.
Across the independent claims, the shared core is a gas bubble containment area that retains a gas bubble in blood using surface tension, together with an element coating that couples the gas bubble to the element, while ultrasound energy is transmitted by an electrode-driven element. The claim set further differentiates embodiments by adding a suspended element on a support board, a support-board fluid-flow channel between the board and the element, and a quantitative surface-area fraction for how the support board is coupled to the element.
Stated Advantages
The bubble-coupled transducers show surprisingly high efficiency (up to ~60%).
Efficiency after drying returns near initial values, supporting that the bubble remains coupled during therapeutic intensity.
Bubble coupling reduces mechanical failure risk.
Potential for lower heat transfer.
Enables non-focused treatment with larger or even energy distribution volumes.
Manufacturing via microelectronics processes.
Documented Applications
Intravascular treatment using an intrabody ultrasound transducer, including catheter integration and medical therapy emission for treatment and imaging.
Medical therapy catheter implementations that include ultrasound treatment and ultrasound imaging regions, together with cooling and temperature sensing configurations.
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