Dual-frequency method for non-invasively treating a selected region of a living body

Abstract

The method and apparatus of the invention are directed to surgically non-invasively treating skeleto / muscular injuries or of diagnosing bone fractures, involving application of two components of ultrasonic energy, to an external surface of living tissue, wherein the two components are of different frequencies in the range between 10 kHz and 4 MHz, and wherein separate transducers, each uniquely supplied with an excitation signal at a different one of said two frequencies, are directionally disposed for acoustic propagation on the same directional axis.

Description

RELATED CASE[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of pending application PCT / GB97 / 02200, filed Aug. 18, 1997, said PCT application having an International Publication Date of Feb. 26, 1998 and being further identified as Publication No. WO 98 / 07470.[0002] The present invention relates to an improved medical appliance for ultrasonic therapeutic treatment and / or other operation upon living body tissue.[0003] The application of ultrasound in diagnostic scanning techniques and therapeutic treatment of specific medical conditions has been widely reported in the technical literature over the last 20 to 30 years. However, prior to application GB 2274996A, which does disclose treatment apparatus operating in the kHz band, no relevant reference was found, for the use of frequencies in the range 30 to 100 kHz.[0004] It is known that ultrasound therapeutic radiation in the MHz band has beneficial effects when treating soft-tissue injuries, and that such emissions are absorbed (atte...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] It is an object of the present invention to provide improved ultrasonic means for combining benefits associated with long-wavelength treatment with those associated with shorter wavelength treatment.

Problems solved by technology

This characteristic of absorption or attenuation limits to some extent the scope for treating certain types of injury since in order to transmit adequate intensities of radiation to a deep injury, potentially harmful levels would have to be introduced into the outer tissue layers.

This consideration becomes very important since in order to transmit enough energy to the required region, the risk of excessive absorption in surface layers may become unreasonably high when applying therapeutic ultrasound in the MHz band.

Furthermore, conventional high frequency systems produce columnar (collimated) energy beams which can lead to a danger of standing waves, internal reflection and consequent hot spots in irradiated tissue.

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