Medical devices with enhanced ultrasonic visibility

Abstract

The present invention provides medical devices with enhanced ultrasound visibility. The device uses real-time ultrasound monitoring of the position of the needle tip within the patient's body for topical drug delivery, probe positioning, fluid drainage, biopsy, or delivery of ultrasound pulses. The device controls the diffusion of drugs in solid tissues, injects particles into solid tissues, and delivers drugs to specific blood vessels. As the needle is inserted, a fluid with a different ultrasound visibility than the organ environment is injected into the patient. The fluid travels a short distance before being slowed and stopped by the patient's tissues, and the flow can be detected ultrasonically. During needle insertion, the needle position is monitored with ultrasound until the needle is at the ideal point of action. Therapeutic drugs are then delivered through the needle or probes are inserted to perform treatments such as removing tumors with radiofrequency heat. The flow rate can be adjusted during needle insertion to maintain a properly set image of the needle tip. At the point of application, the ultrasound imaging agent can be repeated and pulsed at different flow rates until a satisfactory fluid profile is obtained, after which the drug can be delivered. Ultrasound can also be sent through the needle with a detector mounted in the handheld assembly.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention generally pertains to medical devices guided by positioning ultrasound. Such devices can be used, for example, to probe, inject therapeutic agents, drain bodily fluids, perform biopsies, or provide diagnostic imaging agents. Such devices can be used to enhance the diffusion of therapeutic agents within solid tissue and to deliver therapeutic agents to specific blood vessels. These devices can be used to precisely position probes within a patient to enable treatments to eliminate solid tumors by heating, freezing or brachytherapy. Background technique [0002] Principles of medicine [0003] Accurate, real-time knowledge of the location of the needle tip is an obvious requirement for biopsy. In order to deliver drugs to specific target sites and avoid puncture damage to other tissues, medical personnel also need accurate and real-time knowledge of the location of the needle tip. [0004] Biotherapeutics, which are expected to a...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, in order to accurately position the needle tip with ultrasound, it is difficult to control the fluid flow uniformly by hand.

Images