Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Profound Medical Inc.

The University of Chicago

Shunmugavelu D Sokka

Gosta J Ehnholm

Erkki Tapani Vahala

Christopher Stephen Hall

Emil George Radulescu

Max Oskar Köhler

Teuvo Vaara

I A Julius Koskela

Ramon Q Erkamp

Ronald Dekker

Raymond C Chan

Peter Dirksen

Marcel Rene Bohmer

Volker Rasche

Julius Koskela

Charles A Pelizzari

Robert M Manzke

Gregory S Karczmar

Vivek Reddy

Matti Oskari Tillander

David Louis Marie Savery

Chien-Ting Chin

When planning magnetic resonance (MR) guided high intensity focused ultrasonic (HIFU) therapy, HIFU transducer element parameters are optimized as a function of 3D MR data describing a size, shape, and position of a region of interest (ROI) () and any obstructions () between the HIFU transducer elements and the ROI (). Transducer element phases and amplitudes are adjusted to maximize HIFU radiation delivery to the ROI () while minimizing delivery to the obstruction (). Additionally or alternatively, transducer elements are selectively deactivated if the obstruction () is positioned between the ROI () and a given transducer element.

High intensity focused ultrasound transducer optimization

A medical apparatus () including a high intensity focused ultrasound system () generates focused ultrasonic energy () for sonicating within a target volume () of a subject (). The high intensity focused ultrasound includes an ultrasonic transducer () with a controllable focus (). The apparatus further includes a memory () containing machine executable for controlling the medical apparatus and a processor (). The processor causes () ultrasonic cavitations at multiple cavitation locations () within the target volume using the high intensity focused ultrasound system, and sonicates () multiple sonication locations () within the target volume using the high intensity focused ultrasound system. The multiple sonication locations and the multiple cavitation locations are targeted by adjusting the controllable focus.

High intensity focused ultrasound enhanced by cavitation

A catheter () includes a shaft with distal () and proximal ends (). The distal end comprises at least one array of capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducers () with an adjustable focus for controllably heating a target zone (). A connector () at the proximal end supplies the at least one array of capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducers with electrical power and controls the adjustable focus.

Catheter comprising capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers with an adjustable focus

A therapy system comprises a therapy module to direct a therapeutic action to a target along successive trajectories in a target zone that includes the target. A thermometry module is provided to measure temperature in a measurement field and to compute a thermal dose. The measurement field at least partially covers the target zone. A control module controls the therapy module to switch the therapeutic action to a next successive trajectory on the basis of the measured temperature or thermal dose. The successive trajectories are located inside of or outside of one another within the target zone. The therapeutic action comprises application of a focused ultrasound beam to the target. Temperature measurement is done on the basis of magnetic resonance signals.

Therapy system with temperature control

A therapy system includes a therapy module to perform successive deposits of energy in a target zone. The therapy system further includes a control module configured to, prior to deposits of energy, produce an a priori estimate of the induced heating. A thermometry module is configured to measure temperature in a measurement field. The induced heating may be derived based on a tissue model from the settings of a therapy module. The therapy module includes a high-intensity focused ultrasound transmitter. A magnetic resonance examination system configured for thermometry is employed as the thermometry module.

Therapy system for depositing energy

The present disclosure provides for effective systems and methods for increasing target tissue conspicuity within a particular anatomy of a particular patient. In an exemplary embodiment, a system associated with the present disclosure includes: (a) a MRI-guided HIFU system for generating ablation markings on a target tissue region, the MRI-guided HIFU system including a transducer for delivering HIFU to the target tissue region, the delivered HIFU generating the ablation markings on the target tissue and an MRI imaging system adapted to generate a three dimensional image of the target tissue region during HIFU delivery for guiding the delivery of the HIFU to the target tissue region; (b) a radiotherapy delivery system for delivering radiotherapy treatment to the target tissue region; and (c) a CT imaging system operable within the radiotherapy delivery system for generating a three dimensional image of the target tissue region. The markings generated on the target tissue region by the MRI-guided HIFU are visible in the image generated by the CT imaging system. The image generated by the CT imaging system guides the location of the radiotherapy treatment delivered to the target tissue region.

MRI-guided HIFU marking to guide radiotherapy and other procedures

Method and system for ultrasound imaging of body tissue in which a focused ultrasound (FUS) transducer () is oriented relative to the body such that ultrasonic waves generated by the FUS transducer () are directed toward the tissue being imaged. The FUS transducer () is operated to cause the formation of microbubbles () in the tissue and an ultrasound image of the tissue with the microbubbles () is acquired. Phase aberration in the acquired ultrasound image may be corrected, if necessary, using each microbubble () as a point source or point-like scatterer. Microbubble () formation can therefore be obtained in a non-invasive manner since FUS-induced microbubble () formation does not require the insertion of interventional tools into the body.

Microbubble generating technique for phase aberration correction

An ultrasound treatment includes applying ultrasound at a first energy level to a region of interest in a subject for activating a cavitation nucleation agent during a first portion of a treatment cycle. Ultrasound at a second energy level is applied to the region of interest during a second portion of the treatment cycle for implementing a desired thermal therapy in the presence of the cavitation nucleation agent activated during the first portion of the treatment cycle. The second energy level is at an energy level different from the first energy level.

Method and apparatus for ultrasound drug delivery and thermal therapy with phase-convertible fluids

A therapeutic apparatus comprising a high intensity focused ultrasound system () for sonicating a sonication volume () of a subject (). The therapeutic apparatus further comprises a magnetic resonance imaging system () for acquiring magnetic resonance thermometry data () within an imaging volume (). The sonication volume is within the imaging volume. The therapeutic apparatus further comprises a controller () for controlling the therapeutic apparatus. The treatment plan comprises instructions for controlling the operation of the high intensity focused ultrasound system. The controller is adapted for sonicating () the target volume using the high intensity focused ultrasound system. The controller is adapted for repeatedly acquiring () magnetic resonance thermometry data using the magnetic resonance imaging system during execution of the treatment plan. The controller is adapted for modifying () the treatment plan during execution of the treatment plan using the magnetic resonance thermometry data.

Therapeutic apparatus

A therapy system includes a therapy module, e.g., a high-intensity-focused ultrasound transmitter, to perform successive deposits of energy in a target zone. The successive deposits being separated by a cool down period. The therapy system further includes a thermometry module, e.g. by a magnetic resonance examination system, configured for thermometry to measure temperature in a measurement field. A control module regulates the cool down period in dependence of the measured off-focus maximum temperature during the energy deposit preceding the cool down period.

System and method for enabling intra-operative selection of an image registration transformation for use in displaying a first image dataset and a second image dataset in correspondence with one another. Image dataset acquisition devices () obtain the first and second image datasets. A similarity function indicative of a likelihood that the first and second image datasets are in correspondence with one another is computed by a processor () and then a ranking of each of a plurality of local maxima of the similarity function is determined. Registration transformations derived from a plurality of the local maxima are displayed on a display (), and using a user-interface (), a physician can select each registration transformation to ascertain visually whether it is the clinically-optimal registration transformation for subsequent use.

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Brighton, MA, United States of America

Shunmugavelu D Sokka