Patent · US Expired

Ultrasonic imaging and treatment probe having an asymmetric focal zone

US7753944B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by
18References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 5, 2002
Grant dateJul 13, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 5, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B2090/378
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The invention relates to a treatment probe for focused ultrasound including a probe body, which is mounted in rotation around an axis; an elongated treatment transducer with a focused ultrasound emission acoustic axis, which is more or less the same as the rotation axis of the probe body; and an imaging transducer, the imaging plane of which contains the acoustic axis of the treatment transducer. The inventive probe can be used to provide a simple treatment. The probe body can be rotated around the axis in order to vary the direction of the imaging plane without moving the focus, which always remains in the imaging plane. The treatment transducer can be extended in order to provide safer treatment in relation to the organs to be treated and without risk of damaging the fragile surrounding organs.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.