Histotripsy for thrombolysis

US11364042B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN · US

Inventors

• Adam D. Maxwell · Seattle, US
• Zhen Xu · Ann Arbor, US
• Hitinder Gurm · Ann Arbor, US
• Charles A. Cain · Ann Arbor, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 5, 2019
• Grant date: Jun 21, 2022
• Expiry date: Mar 30, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B2090/378
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Methods for performing non-invasive thrombolysis with ultrasound using, in some embodiments, one or more ultrasound transducers to focus or place a high intensity ultrasound beam onto a blood clot (thrombus) or other vascular inclusion or occlusion (e.g., clot in the dialysis graft, deep vein thrombosis, superficial vein thrombosis, arterial embolus, bypass graft thrombosis or embolization, pulmonary embolus) which would be ablated (eroded, mechanically fractionated, liquefied, or dissolved) by ultrasound energy. The process can employ one or more mechanisms, such as of cavitational, sonochemical, mechanical fractionation, or thermal processes depending on the acoustic parameters selected. This general process, including the examples of application set forth herein, is henceforth referred to as “Thrombolysis.”