Therapy apparatus for carrying out treatment with focused ultrasound

US5938608A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Johannes Bieger · Birkenfeld, DE
• Ulrich Schätzle · Königsee, DE
• Erhard Schmidt · Erlangen, DE
• Siegfried Schneider · Erlangen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 2, 1997
• Grant date: Aug 17, 1999
• Expiry date: Sep 2, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61N2007/0095
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The invention is directed to a therapy apparatus for treatment with focussed ultrasound, comprising a cooled ultrasound source (1) implemented as phased array and a preceding acoustic lens (6). The ultrasound source (1) also comprises a base plate (3) arranged between the lens (6) and the ultrasound source (1) on whose side facing away from the lens (6) the ultrasound transducer elements (2.sub.1 through 2.sub.6) of the phased array are attached, whereby the base plate (3) is composed of a material with good thermal conductivity, whereby an ultrasound-conductive coolant that adjoins that side of the base plate (3) facing toward the lens (6) is situated between the lens (6) and the ultrasound source (1), whereby the base plate (3), at least in the region of the ultrasound transducer elements (2.sub.1 through 2.sub.6), comprises a thickness that is equal to an odd-numbered multiple of a quarter of the wavelength of the ultrasound in the material of the base plate (3).