Acoustic system for bone-fracture therapy
US5520612A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 30, 1994 |
| Grant date | May 28, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 30, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B17/58
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A transducer for non-invasive transcutaneous transmission of pulsed ultrahigh-frequency acoustic radiation, in body tissue and/or fluids adjacent a bone fracture is "on target" when a fraction of the propagated energy within the longitudinal-response lobe of the transducer encounters a crack or other open feature of the fracture, where a gap or space exists between closely spaced fracture walls. The ultrahigh-frequency acoustic radiation sees this "on target" feature as the entrance to a waveguide, whereby pulsed ultrahigh-frequency acoustic radiation is guided within the crack. When this acoustic radiation encounters a gap of at least a quarter wavelength (at the ultrahigh frequency), a standing wave condition establishes itself, with dissipation of the ultrahigh frequency and with demodulation to establish a therapeutically beneficial low-frequency acoustic condition, within the fracture, and acting where most needed, namely, on and between wall regions of adjacent fragments of the broken bone. Collagen, callus and cartilage development is accelerated, closing the gap in a matter of days, so that thereafter zone-flooding of shear waves from transducer radiation can be osteogenica…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.