University of Washington

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Koninlkijke Philips N.v.

Koninklijke Philips N.v., a Corporporation Organized and Existing Under the Laws of Kingdom of the Netherlands

Wayne Kreider

Michael R Bailey

Oleg A Sapozhnikov

Adam D Maxwell

Vera Khokhlova

Tatiana Khokhlova

Bryan Cunitz

George R Schade

Yak-Nam Wang

Ryan Hsi

Lawrence A Crum

Joo Ha Hwang

Michael S Canney

Ari Partanen

Ari Ilkka Mikael Partanen

Navid Farr

Peter John Kaczkowski

Donghoon Lee

Disclosed herein are example embodiments of devices, systems, and methods for mechanical fractionation of biological tissue using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) feedback control. The examples may involve displaying an image representing first MRI data corresponding to biological tissue, and receiving input identifying one or more target regions of the biological tissue to be mechanically fractionated via exposure to first ultrasound waves. The examples may further involve applying the first ultrasound waves and, contemporaneous to or after applying the first ultrasound waves, acquiring second MRI data corresponding to the biological tissue. The examples may also involve determining, based on the second MRI data, one or more second parameters for applying second ultrasound waves to the biological tissue, and applying the second ultrasound waves to the biological tissue according to the one or more second parameters.

MRI-based feedback control of ultrasound based mechanical fractionation of biological tissue

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).

Noninvasive fragmentation of urinary tract stones with focused ultrasound

An example method includes generating an acoustic ultrasound wave that is focused at a focal point. The method further includes sequentially directing the focal point upon distinct portions of an object to form respective shock waves at the distinct portions of the object. The method further includes, via the respective shock waves, causing the distinct portions of the object to boil and form respective vapor cavities. The method further includes causing substantially uniform ablation of a region of the object that comprises the distinct portions. The substantially uniform ablation is caused via interaction of the respective shock waves with the respective vapor cavities. An example ablation system and an example non-transitory computer-readable medium, both related to the example method, are also disclosed.

Boiling histotripsy methods and systems for uniform volumetric ablation of an object by high-intensity focused ultrasound waves with shocks

High intensity focused ultrasound systems for treating tissue are disclosed herein. A system of treating tissue in a patient in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology can include, for example, an ultrasound source having a focal region and configured to deliver high intensity focused ultrasound energy to a target site in tissue of the patient. The system can further include a controller operably coupled to the ultrasound source. The controller comprises a pulsing protocol for delivering the high intensity focused ultrasound energy with the ultrasound source to the target site. The controller is configured to cause the ultrasound source to pulse high intensity focused ultrasound waves to lyse cells in a volume of the tissue of the subject while preserving an extracellular matrix in the volume of the tissue exposed to the high intensity focused ultrasound waves.

High intensity focused ultrasound systems for treating tissue

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:(MHz)=0.47/(mm).

A method includes transmitting a focused ultrasound wave into a medium to form (i) an ultrasound intensity well within the medium that exhibits a first range of acoustic pressure and (ii) a surrounding region of the medium that surrounds the ultrasound intensity well and exhibits a second range of acoustic pressure that exceeds the first range of acoustic pressure. The method further includes confining an object within the ultrasound intensity well. Additionally, an acoustic lens is configured to be acoustically coupled to an acoustic transducer. The acoustic lens has a varying longitudinal thickness that increases proportionally with respect to increasing azimuth angle of the acoustic lens. Another acoustic lens is configured to be acoustically coupled to an acoustic transducer. The acoustic lens includes a plurality of segments. Each of the plurality of segments has a varying longitudinal thickness that increases proportionally with respect to increasing azimuth angle of the segment.

Confinement or movement of an object using focused ultrasound waves to generate an ultrasound intensity well

MRI-feedback control of ultrasound based mechanical fractionation of biological tissue

Example embodiments of system and method for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques for planning, real-time monitoring, control, and post-treatment assessment of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) mechanical fractionation of biological material are disclosed. An adapted form of HIFU, referred to as 'boiling histotripsy' (BH), can be used to cause mechanical fractionation of biological material. In contrast to conventional HIFU, which cause pure thermal ablation, BH can generate therapeutic destruction of biological tissue with a degree of control and precision that allows the process to be accurately measured and monitored in real-time as well as the outcome of the treatment can be evaluated using a variety of MRI techniques. Real-time monitoring also allow for real-time control of BH.

Method and system for MRI-based targeting, monitoring, and quantification of thermal and mechanical bioeffects in tissue induced by high intensity focused ultrasound

The present technology relates generally to receiving arrays to measure a characteristic of an acoustic beam and associated systems and methods. The receiving arrays can include elongated elements having at least one dimension, such as a length, that is larger than a width of an emitted acoustic beam and another dimension, such as a width, that is smaller than half of a characteristic wavelength of an ultrasound wave. The elongated elements can be configured to capture waveform measurements of the beam based on a characteristic of the emitted acoustic beam as the acoustic beam crosses a plane of the array, such as a transverse plane. The methods include measuring at least one characteristic of an ultrasound source using an array-based acoustic holography system and defining a measured hologram at the array surface based, at least in part, on the waveform measurements. The measured hologram can be processed to reconstruct a characteristic of the ultrasound source. The ultrasound source can be calibrated and/or re-calibrated based on the characteristic.

Systems and methods for measuring pressure distributions of acoustic beams from ultrasound sources

A method includes transmitting a focused ultrasound wave into a medium to form (i) an ultrasound intensity well within the medium that exhibits a first range of acoustic pressure and (ii) a surrounding region of the medium that surrounds the ultrasound intensity well and exhibits a second range of acoustic pressure that exceeds the first range of acoustic pressure. The method further includes confining an object within the ultrasound intensity well. Additionally, an acoustic lens is configured to be acoustically coupled to an acoustic transducer. The acoustic lens has a varying longitudinal thickness that increases proportionally with respect to increasing azimuth angle of the acoustic lens. Another acoustic lens is configured to be acoustically coupled to an acoustic that increases proportionally with respect to increasing azimuth angle of the segment.

Methods, computing devices, and a computer-readable medium are described herein related to fragmenting or comminuting an object in a subject using a burst wave lithotripsy (BWL) waveform. A computing device, such a computing device coupled to a transducer, may carry out functions for producing a BWL waveform. The computing device may determine a burst frequency for a number of bursts in the BWL waveform, where the number of bursts includes a number of cycles. Further, the computing device may determine a cycle frequency for the number of cycles. Yet further, the computing device may determine a pressure amplitude for the BWL waveform, where the pressure amplitude is less than or equal to 8 MPa. In addition, the computing device may determine a time period for producing the BWL waveform.

Methods and systems for non-invasive treatment of tissue using high intensity focused ultrasound ('HIFU') therapy. A method of non-invasively treating tissue in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology, for example, can include positioning a focal plane of an ultrasound source at a target site in tissue. The ultrasound source can be configured to emit HIFU waves. The method can further include pulsing ultrasound energy from the ultrasound source toward the target site, and generating shock waves in the tissue to induce boiling of the tissue at the target site within milliseconds. The boiling of the tissue at least substantially emulsifies the tissue.

Methods and systems for non-invasive treatment of tissue using high intensity focused ultrasound therapy

The present technology relates generally to portable acoustic holography systems for therapeutic ultrasound sources, and associated devices and methods. In some embodiments, a method of characterizing an ultrasound source by acoustic holography includes the use of a transducer geometry characteristic, a transducer operation characteristic, and a holography system measurement characteristic. A control computer can be instructed to determine holography measurement parameters. Based on the holography measurement parameters, the method can include scanning a target surface to obtain a hologram. Waveform measurements at a plurality of points on the target surface can be captured. Finally, the method can include processing the measurements to reconstruct at least one characteristic of the ultrasound source.

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Wayne Kreider