Noninvasive fragmentation of urinary tract stones with focused ultrasound

US12167864B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• University of Washington through its Center for Commercialization · US

Inventors

• Adam D. Maxwell · Seattle, US
• Bryan Cunitz · Seattle, US
• Wayne Kreider · Seattle, US
• Oleg A. Sapozhnikov · Seattle, US
• Ryan Hsi · Nashville, US
• Michael R. Bailey · Seattle, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 6, 2023
• Grant date: Dec 17, 2024
• Expiry date: Jan 6, 2043

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B2017/22014
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method for attempting to fragment or comminute an object in a body using ultrasound includes producing a burst wave lithotripsy (BWL) waveform by a therapy transducer. The BWL waveform is configured to fragment or comminute the object. The BWL waveform includes a first burst of continuous ultrasound cycles and a second burst of continuous ultrasound cycles. A burst frequency corresponds to a frequency of repeating the bursts of the BWL waveform. The method also includes determining a cycle frequency f of the continuous ultrasound cycles within the first burst and the second burst based on a target fragment size D, where the cycle frequency is: f(MHz)=0.47/D(mm).