JP2576849B2 - Ultrasound therapy applicator - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an applicator for performing treatment using ultrasonic energy.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Recently, attempts have been made to treat using focused ultrasound energy. For example, there are hyperthermia, a hyperthermia treatment that raises the temperature of the tumor to the death temperature with ultrasonic energy, and a calculus breaking device that breaks down a focused sonic wave against a calculus in the body. Usually, an ultrasonic therapy applicator is provided with a therapeutic ultrasonic transducer having a concave shape and forming a focal point of the ultrasonic wave at its geometric center, and is disposed in a predetermined positional relationship with the ultrasonic transducer for therapy. A thin film is stretched over an opening of a housing containing an image transducer for obtaining tomographic image data of a living body and used as a closed system filled with water.

An effective method of treatment is to use a large diameter applicator and set the treatment energy to focus at the treatment target location, to reduce the effect of the treatment energy at points other than the focal point and to achieve a more effective energy at the focus. Is a way to get
Therefore, an operation of focusing on the treatment target is always performed.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration and sound field distribution of an applicator used in an ultrasonic calculus breaking device.

The crushing concave vibrators 51 a and 51 b are arranged so that the focal points are in the same position, and are fixed to the holder 50. For coupling with the living body 54, it is in close contact with the living body 54 via a water bag 53 containing water. An ultrasonic transducer 52 for positioning and crushing confirmation is arranged at the center and fixed to the holder.

At the time of treatment, first, the calculus 55 in the living body 54 is detected by the ultrasonic transducer 52 and extracted and displayed on the display device 66 of FIG. The applicator is moved to position the calculus 55 on the display screen such that the position of the calculus 55 is focused on the crushing vibrators 51a and 51b. At the time of focusing, the crushing concave vibrators 51a and 51b are vibrated by the pulser 66, and the calculus 55 is irradiated with strong ultrasonic waves to perform crushing.

However, as shown in FIG. 7, control of the apparatus, for example, irradiation of high-intensity ultrasonic waves and movement of the applicator 73 through the arm 72 are performed by using a switch 74 for controlling the applicator 73 instead of the switch 74. Since it is arranged on the device 71 side, the operator operates the switch on the device side to check whether or not the applicator 73 is normally attached to the living body and whether or not the applicator 73 is properly positioned on the display screen. It was necessary to judge by and operation was very difficult. Further, the positional relationship between the scanning direction (plane) of the image transducer disposed inside the ultrasonic treatment applicator and the ultrasonic treatment applicator cannot be determined from the outer shape of the ultrasonic treatment applicator. In some cases, it was not possible to scan the direction and determine which tomographic image was displayed.

[0008]

As described above, the conventional ultrasonic therapy applicator has a problem in that it takes time to focus the treatment site on the treatment transducer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic therapy applicator which facilitates operations such as focusing of a therapy transducer.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a therapeutic ultrasonic transducer for forming a focal point of ultrasonic waves, and an ultrasonic transducer for imaging which obtains a tomographic image of a living body arranged in a predetermined positional relationship with the transducer. Means for arranging the ultrasonic transducer for treatment and the ultrasonic transducer for imaging in a housing, and means for displaying the scanning direction of the ultrasonic transducer for imaging on the housing.

[0011]

The ultrasonic transducer for treatment acts to irradiate a powerful ultrasonic wave to the living body to perform treatment, and the ultrasonic transducer for imaging acts to obtain a tomographic image of the living body, and the treatment site in the tomographic image is treated. While moving the housing to match the focal point of the therapeutic ultrasound transducer. The means for displaying the scanning direction of the ultrasonic transducer for image on the housing includes the scanning direction of the ultrasonic transducer for image installed in the housing and the C direction.
The positional relationship between the tomographic image projected on the RT and the ultrasonic treatment applicator (housing) is shown to the operator to help determine which direction to move the ultrasonic treatment applicator.

[0012]

1 (a) and 1 (b) show a configuration of an ultrasonic therapy applicator according to an embodiment of the present invention. The housing 1 is filled with water 2 for effectively transmitting ultrasonic energy into a living body, and is circulated by an inlet 3 and an outlet 4 by a pump (not shown). A membrane 5 is attached to the living body side of the housing 1, and the membrane 5 adheres to the unevenness of the living body and adheres to the body, so that ultrasonic energy is irradiated into the living body. In the housing 1, a treatment transducer 6 and an image transducer 7 are mounted. The therapeutic transducer 6 is shaped so as to focus an ultrasonic wave, and is used to bring a treatment target to this focus point and perform treatment. The image transducer 7 is for obtaining a tomographic image of a living body together with a B-mode system (not shown). For example, if the image transducer 7 is constituted by an array vibrator, the B-mode system specifically includes a delay circuit The scanning surface 8 of the ultrasonic wave is created by a scanning circuit that performs the focusing and the deflection scanning of the ultrasonic wave by driving through the. This scanning plane 8 is projected as a tomographic image by a CRT (not shown). A display indicating the direction of the scanning plane 8 is a scanning plane display 9. Note that the R, L of this scan plane display 9
Is desirably corresponding to the R and L displays on the CRT screen. In this way, when it is desired to move the ultrasonic treatment applicator in the R direction on the CRT screen, it is sufficient to move the ultrasonic treatment applicator in the R direction displayed on the ultrasonic treatment applicator. FIG. 2 shows another embodiment.
In this case, the scanning plane display 29 is displayed from the upper surface to the side surface of the housing 21, and the scanning cross section can be easily determined at the X point and the Y point near the film 25 that is in close contact with the living body.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment. In this case, the scanning surface display 39 uses a metal fitting for fixing the housing 31 to an arm or the like.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the applicator of the ultrasonic calculus breaking device according to the present invention.

The operator grasps the handle 43 and moves the applicator 41 while watching the ultrasonic tomographic image so that the focal point is located at the calculus portion of the patient. When the focal points match, the applicator fixing switch 45 is operated, and the applicator 4
Fix 1

Next, by pressing the irradiation switch 44a, a powerful ultrasonic wave for crushing is radiated, and the operator who starts the treatment checks the crushing state on the tomographic image while checking the crushing state. Then, the irradiation stop switch 44a is pressed to end the treatment. In addition, if the focal position moves during the treatment, the treatment can be interrupted by immediately pressing the irradiation stop switch 44b.

Further, the handle 3 is fixed without fixing the applicator.
The irradiation switch 44a can be pressed while moving the applicator 41 in accordance with the movement of the calculus in the tomographic image.

The control switch shown in the embodiment is a switch for controlling the irradiation of the ultrasonic wave and the movement of the applicator. However, the present invention is not limited to this range, and can be implemented with various changes. For example, even if a switch for varying the amount of liquid in the applicator water bag, a switch for varying the repetition rate of irradiation, a switch for rotating the ultrasonic probe for tomographic image detection and rotating the tomographic image on an axis, or the like is arranged. good.

The control switch is arranged not only on the applicator side but also on the apparatus side, and it is needless to say that the control switch is more effective if both can be controlled.

The crushing energy is not limited to high-intensity ultrasonic waves, but may be generated by focusing energy of electric discharge by electrodes or explosion of a small explosive.

[0021]

As described above, the positional relationship between the treatment applicator and the scanning plane for obtaining the tomographic image is clear, and the operation of aligning the treatment site with the focal point of the ultrasonic wave is simplified. Further, according to the present invention, since the control of irradiation of the high-intensity ultrasonic wave and the movement of the applicator can be performed while observing the situation of the patient and the applicator, the patient unexpectedly moves and the position of the calculus is out of focus. However, the ultrasonic irradiation can be stopped immediately on the applicator, and the surrounding tissue is not affected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing one embodiment of an ultrasonic therapy applicator according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing another applicator structure according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another applicator structure according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another applicator structure according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a structure of a general ultrasonic calculus breaking device.

FIG. 6 is a view showing the structure of a general ultrasonic calculus breaking device.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a structure of a general ultrasonic calculus breaking device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Housing 2 Water (liquid) 3 Inlet 4 Outlet 5 Membrane 6 Therapeutic transducer 7 Image transducer 41 Applicator 42 Water bag 43 Handle 44a Irradiation switch 44b Irradiation stop switch 45 Applicator fixing switch 46 Applicator holding arm

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A water bag housing contacting a living body, a liquid contained in the water bag housing, and a means for forming a focal region through the liquid to generate ultrasonic treatment energy, An ultrasonic therapy applicator having means for obtaining a B-mode image of a focal region, wherein a scanning surface of the B-mode image is displayed on the water bag housing.