Ultrasonic signal generation method for controlling cavitation bubbles and ultrasonic treatment device using same

Abstract

The invention relates to an ultrasonic signal generation method for controlling cavitation bubbles. The ultrasonic signal generation method for controlling cavitation bubbles comprises the following steps: determining a transmission ratio of a first frequency ultrasonic signal to a second frequency ultrasonic signal; generating the first frequency ultrasonic signal towards a target area based on the sending proportion so as to enable cavitation bubbles to expand in the target area; and generating the second frequency ultrasonic signal towards the target area based on the sending proportion, so as to stop the expansion of the cavitation bubbles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for generating an ultrasonic signal for controlling cavitation bubbles and an ultrasonic treatment apparatus using the same. Background Art

[0002] High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is generally used to treat (process) biological tissues such as cancer, tumors, and lesions. That is, the treatment method using high-intensity ultrasound is a method of necrotizing corresponding biological tissues by using the heat generated by focusing and transmitting high-intensity ultrasound to one place. In this case, adjustment is required to avoid damage to healthy biological tissues by high-intensity ultrasound, and the treatment (processing) using high-intensity ultrasound can avoid the incision process required during surgery.

[0003] On the other hand, the histotripsy technique is a high-intensity focused ultrasound technique using a non-heating method. The technique generates cavitation bubbles in a target area by controlling the pressure and frequency of high-intensity focused ultrasound, and the generated cavitation bubbles go through the processes of generation, expansion, and rupture, and mechanically homogenize the lesions and tissues in the target area, thereby treating biological tissues. For the histotripsy technique, the problem of damage to surrounding tissues outside the target area due to the heat generated during treatment by existing high-intensity focused ultrasound can be improved.

[0004] According to existing research, the state of cavitation (generation, expansion, shrinkage, extinction, etc.) can be controlled according to the time-varying sound pressure or frequency. However, in this case, since it is necessary to suspend the treatment (elimination) of lesions and tissues using cavitation bubbles and control the cavitation bubbles, there may be a problem that the treatment efficiency is somewhat reduced.

[0005] The background art of the present invention is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10,219,815. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Technical Problem

[0007] The present invention is proposed to solve the problems of the above-mentioned prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a method for generating an ultrasonic signal for controlling cavitation bubbles and an ultrasonic treatment apparatus using the same, that is, cavitation bubbles can be generated by applying a first-frequency ultrasonic signal to eliminate lesions in a target area, and a second-frequency ultrasonic signal can be applied while applying the first-frequency ultrasonic signal to eliminate the cavitation bubbles in the target area.

[0008] The present invention is proposed to solve the problems of the prior art, and its purpose is to provide a method for generating an ultrasonic signal for controlling cavitation bubbles and an ultrasonic treatment device applying the same, that is, the treatment of lesions and the control of cavitation bubbles can be carried out simultaneously by using multiple frequencies, thereby solving the problem of reduced treatment efficiency during the frequency modulation time, and thus improving the treatment efficiency.

[0009] However, the technical problems to be achieved by the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above technical problems, and there may be other technical problems.

[0010] Technical solution

[0011] As a technical solution for achieving the above technical problems, a method for generating an ultrasonic signal for controlling cavitation bubbles according to an embodiment of the present invention may include the following steps: determining the transmission ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal; generating the first-frequency ultrasonic signal toward the target area based on the transmission ratio to expand the cavitation bubbles in the target area; and generating the second-frequency ultrasonic signal toward the target area based on the transmission ratio to terminate the expansion of the cavitation bubbles.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of generating the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and the step of generating the second-frequency ultrasonic signal may be executed simultaneously or alternately.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the step of generating the first-frequency ultrasonic signal, the first-frequency ultrasonic signal may be transmitted according to consecutive periods. In the step of generating the second-frequency ultrasonic signal, when the second-frequency ultrasonic signal is generated while generating the first-frequency ultrasonic signal, the first period of transmitting the second-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second period of not transmitting the second-frequency ultrasonic signal are repeated to generate the second-frequency ultrasonic signal.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the step of determining the transmission ratio, the first transmission ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second transmission ratio of the second-frequency ultrasonic signal may be determined respectively.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the step of determining the transmission ratio, the combined ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal may be determined such that the sum of the first transmission ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second transmission ratio of the second-frequency ultrasonic signal reaches 1 (100%).

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first-frequency ultrasonic signal may be a signal for generating the cavitation bubbles in the target area or expanding the cavitation bubbles generated in the target area, and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal may be a signal for aborting the expansion of the cavitation bubbles generated in the target area or shrinking or eliminating the cavitation bubbles generated in the target area.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the present invention may further include the following steps of sending diagnostic ultrasonic waves to the target area and receiving ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the target area to generate an ultrasonic image.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the step of generating the ultrasonic image, at least one of the position of the lesion in the target area, whether the cavitation bubbles in the target area are eliminated, and whether the lesion is eliminated may be monitored.

[0019] As a technical solution for realizing the technical problem, an ultrasonic treatment device applying an ultrasonic signal generation method for controlling cavitation bubbles according to an embodiment of the present invention may include: a transmission ratio determination unit that determines the transmission ratios of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal; a first transducer that generates the first-frequency ultrasonic signal toward the target area based on the transmission ratio to expand the cavitation bubbles in the target area; and a second transducer that generates the second-frequency ultrasonic signal toward the target area based on the transmission ratio to abort the expansion of the cavitation bubbles.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first transducer and the second transducer may respectively generate the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal simultaneously or alternately with each other.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first transducer may send the first-frequency ultrasonic signal according to continuous cycles. When generating the second-frequency ultrasonic signal while generating the first-frequency ultrasonic signal, the second transducer may repeat the first cycle of sending the second-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second cycle of not sending the second-frequency ultrasonic signal to generate the second-frequency ultrasonic signal.

[0022] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the transmission ratio determination unit may respectively determine the first transmission ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second transmission ratio of the second-frequency ultrasonic signal.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the transmission ratio determination unit may determine a combination ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal such that the sum of the first transmission ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second transmission ratio of the second-frequency ultrasonic signal reaches 1 (100%).

[0024] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first-frequency ultrasonic signal may be a signal for generating cavitation bubbles in the target area or expanding the cavitation bubbles generated in the target area, and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal may be a signal for aborting the expansion of the cavitation bubbles generated in the target area or shrinking or eliminating the cavitation bubbles generated in the target area.

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the present invention may further include an image transducer that transmits diagnostic ultrasonic waves to the target area and receives ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the target area to generate an ultrasonic image.

[0026] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the image transducer may monitor at least one of the location of a lesion in the target area, whether the cavitation bubbles in the target area are eliminated, and whether the lesion is eliminated.

[0027] The technical solutions described above are merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. In addition to the exemplary embodiments described above, additional embodiments may also exist in the drawings and the detailed description.

[0028] Advantages of the Invention

[0029] According to the technical solution of the present invention, the following advantages are achieved. Cavitation bubbles can be generated by applying a first-frequency ultrasonic signal to eliminate a lesion in a target area, and the cavitation bubbles in the target area can be eliminated by applying a second-frequency ultrasonic signal while applying the first-frequency ultrasonic signal.

[0030] According to the technical solution of the present invention, treatment of a lesion and control of cavitation bubbles can be performed simultaneously using multiple frequencies, thereby solving the problem of reduced treatment efficiency during the frequency modulation time and improving the treatment efficiency.

[0031] However, the advantages obtained from the present invention are not limited to the above advantages, and other advantages may also exist. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0032] Figure 1 It is a simplified block diagram of an ultrasonic treatment device applying an ultrasonic signal generation method for controlling cavitation bubbles according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 2Brief structural diagram of an ultrasonic transducer of an ultrasonic treatment device for an ultrasonic signal generation method for controlling cavitation bubbles according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 3 Example diagram for an ultrasonic treatment device for an ultrasonic signal generation method for controlling cavitation bubbles according to an embodiment of the present invention to control cavitation bubbles by controlling the frequency.

[0035] Figure 4 Example diagram showing waveforms of multiple frequencies according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 5 Example diagram showing spectra of multiple frequencies according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 6 Example diagram showing radiation waveforms of multiple frequencies according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 7 Example diagram showing spectra of radiation of multiple frequencies according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 8 Flowchart of an ultrasonic signal generation method for controlling cavitation bubbles according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0040] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily implement the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in various different embodiments and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Moreover, in order to clearly illustrate the present invention, parts not relevant to the description are omitted in the drawings, and like reference numerals are given to like parts throughout the specification.

[0041] Throughout the specification of the present invention, when it is stated that a certain part is "connected" to another part, this includes not only the case of "directly connected", but also the cases of "electrically connected" or "indirectly connected" with other devices left in between.

[0042] Throughout the specification of the present invention, when it is stated that a certain component is "above", "upper part", "upper end", "below", "lower part", "lower end" of another component, it includes not only the case where a certain component is in contact with another component, but also the case where there are other components between the two components.

[0043] Throughout the specification of the present invention, when it is stated that a certain part "includes" a certain structural element, unless there is a particularly contrary record, it means that other structural elements may also be included, rather than excluding other structural elements.

[0044] The present invention relates to a method for generating an ultrasonic signal for controlling cavitation bubbles and an ultrasonic treatment device using the same.

[0045] The high-intensity ultrasonic wave described in the present invention refers to an ultrasonic wave with an intensity approximately one hundred thousand times that of diagnostic ultrasonic waves. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment is a treatment method in which high-intensity ultrasonic waves are focused and transmitted to a single location (a specific area), and the biological tissue in the specific area is burned and removed using the high temperature of 65°C to 100°C generated in the specific area. Generally, when high-intensity ultrasonic waves with an intensity approximately one hundred thousand times that of the diagnostic ultrasonic waves used in diagnosis are focused on a single location (a specific area), heat is generated at the focal point, which is similar to the principle that heat is generated at the focal point when sunlight is concentrated by a convex lens. Since ultrasonic waves themselves are harmless to the human body and heat is only generated at the focal point where the ultrasonic waves are focused, there is no need to use a knife or a needle, and the internal lesions can be treated without general anesthesia.

[0046] Furthermore, in relation to this, the ultrasonic tissue fragmentation (Histotripsy) technology described in the present invention is a high-intensity focused ultrasonic technology using a non-heating method. Cavitation bubbles are generated in the target area by controlling the pressure and frequency of the high-intensity focused ultrasonic waves. The generated cavitation bubbles go through the processes of generation, expansion, and rupture, and the lesions and tissues in the target area are mechanically homogenized, thereby treating biological tissues. For the ultrasonic tissue fragmentation technology, the problem of damage to the surrounding tissues outside the target area caused by the heat generated during the treatment by the existing high-intensity focused ultrasonic waves can be improved.

[0047] Furthermore, the ultrasonic image described in the present invention may refer to a B-mode image or a C-mode image, etc. The B-mode image may refer to an image mode representing the movement of an object body, and the C-mode image may refer to a color flow image mode. On the other hand, the BC-mode image (BC-Mode Image) is an image mode that uses the Doppler effect to display blood flow or the movement of an object body. As a mode that simultaneously provides a B-mode image and a C-mode image, it refers to an image mode that provides blood flow and object body movement information as well as anatomical information. That is, the B-mode, as a grayscale image, is an image mode representing the movement of an object body, and the C-mode, as a color flow image, is an image mode representing blood flow or the movement of an object body. The ultrasonic image of an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the B-mode image and the C-mode image, etc.

[0048] Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience of description, the "method for generating an ultrasonic signal for controlling cavitation bubbles and an ultrasonic treatment device 100 using the same" of an embodiment of the present invention will be simply referred to as the "ultrasonic treatment device 100".

[0049] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasonic treatment device 100 can emit ultrasonic signals of different frequencies to a target area of a lesion and generate cavitation bubbles in the target area, thereby treating (eliminating) the lesion in the target area by using the cavitation bubbles. In this case, the ultrasonic signals of different frequencies can be transmitted by different transducers or one transducer according to the frequencies respectively. A detailed description thereof will be described later.

[0050] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasonic treatment device 100 may include an ultrasonic probe (not shown), a device body (not shown), and a computer unit (not shown) for controlling the ultrasonic probe (not shown). In this case, the computer unit (not shown) may refer to a computing device programmed with instructions for controlling the operations of the ultrasonic probe (not shown) and the device body (not shown), etc.

[0051] Figure 1 It is a simplified block diagram of an ultrasonic treatment device for an ultrasonic signal generation method for controlling cavitation bubbles according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] Referring to Figure 1 , the ultrasonic treatment device 100 may include a transmission ratio determination unit 110, a first transducer 120, a second transducer 130, and an image transducer 140. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and even if not disclosed in the present invention, the ultrasonic treatment device 100 may include various structural elements commonly applied to ultrasonic diagnostic devices or ultrasonic treatment devices.

[0053] In this case, the transmission ratio determination unit 110 may be included in the computer unit (not shown) or corresponding thereto, and the first transducer 120, the second transducer 130, and the image transducer 140 may be included in the ultrasonic probe (not shown).

[0054] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the transmission ratio determination unit 110 may determine the transmission ratio of the first frequency ultrasonic signal F1 and the second frequency ultrasonic signal F2. In this case, the first frequency ultrasonic signal F1 may be a signal for generating cavitation bubbles in a target area of a lesion or expanding the cavitation bubbles already generated in the target area. And, the second frequency ultrasonic signal F2 may be a signal for aborting the expansion of the cavitation bubbles generated in the target area or shrinking or eliminating the cavitation bubbles generated in the target area.

[0055] For example, the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 may be a signal having a frequency of about 3 MHz, and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2 may be a signal having a frequency of about 6 MHz. However, it is not limited thereto. When the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 is an ultrasonic signal having a frequency that can achieve the generation and expansion of cavitation bubbles and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2 is an ultrasonic signal having a frequency that can abort, reduce, and eliminate the expansion of cavitation bubbles, the characteristics such as the vibration frequency (Hz), period (s), and amplitude of each frequency can be changed.

[0056] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the transmission ratio determination unit 110 may determine the transmission ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2. For example, when it is necessary to eliminate a lesion in a target area, the transmission ratio determination unit 110 may generate and expand cavitation bubbles in the target area by increasing the ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1. However, when the cavitation bubbles in the target area are over-generated or over-expanded and may cause damage to the surrounding tissues outside the target area, the transmission ratio determination unit 110 may reduce the ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 and increase the ratio of the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2, thereby aborting the expansion of the cavitation bubbles and then reducing or eliminating the over-generated or over-expanded cavitation bubbles.

[0057] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the transmission ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 may be referred to as the first transmission ratio, and the transmission ratio of the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2 may be referred to as the second transmission ratio. In this case, if the intensity (magnitude) ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 that the ultrasonic treatment device 100 of an embodiment of the present invention can transmit maximally is 100%, and the intensity (magnitude) ratio of the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2 is 100%, then the transmission ratio determination unit 110 may determine the first transmission ratio as a ratio of 0% to 100% and the second transmission ratio as a ratio of 0% to 100%.

[0058] Specifically, the transmission ratio determination unit 110 may determine the first transmission ratio and the second transmission ratio respectively. For example, if the transmission ratio determination unit 110 determines the first transmission ratio as 80% and the second transmission ratio as 40%, then the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 can be transmitted at an intensity (magnitude) of 80% of the maximum ultrasonic signal that the ultrasonic treatment device 100 can transmit, and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2 can be transmitted at an intensity (magnitude) of 40% of the maximum ultrasonic signal that the ultrasonic treatment device 100 can transmit.

[0059] Further, the transmission ratio determination unit 110 can determine the combination ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2 such that the sum of the first transmission ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 and the second transmission ratio of the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2 reaches 1 (100%). For example, if the transmission ratio determination unit 110 determines the first transmission ratio to be 80% (0.8), the second transmission ratio can be determined to be 20% (0.2). If the second transmission ratio is determined to be 40% (0.4), the first transmission ratio can be determined to be 60% (0.6). Thus, the intensity (magnitude) of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 and the intensity (magnitude) of the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2 can be determined. That is, the transmission ratio determination unit 110 can keep the sum of the first transmission ratio and the second transmission ratio at 100% and determine the first transmission ratio and the second transmission ratio.

[0060] Further, as described above, the transmission ratio can be the ratio of the signal intensities (magnitudes) that can be generated by the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2. However, this is not limiting, and the description of another embodiment will be referred to Figure 2 and described later.

[0061] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of an ultrasonic transducer of an ultrasonic treatment device for an ultrasonic signal generation method for controlling cavitation bubbles according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] Figure 2 The ultrasonic generation unit of an ultrasonic probe (not shown) can be exemplarily shown. Figure 2 The shown ultrasonic generation unit can show the first transducer 120 and the second transducer 130. In this case, although Figure 2 the image transducer 140 is not shown, substantially, it can be provided at the center of a plurality of first transducers 120 and a plurality of second transducers 130 arranged in a circular shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0063] In this case, the first transducer 120 can generate the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 toward the target area based on the first transmission ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 determined by the transmission ratio determination unit 110 to expand the cavitation bubbles in the target area. And the second transducer 130 can generate the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2 toward the target area based on the second transmission ratio of the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2 determined by the transmission ratio determination unit 110 to abort the expansion of the cavitation bubbles in the target area or shrink or eliminate the cavitation bubbles.

[0064] That is to say, the first transducer 120 can generate the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1, the second transducer 130 generates the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2, and the transmission ratio determination unit 110 can determine (control) the transmission ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 generated by the first transducer 120, that is, the first transmission ratio, and determine (control) the transmission ratio of the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2 generated by the second transducer 130, that is, the second transmission ratio.

[0065] Referring to Figure 2 , a plurality of first transducers 120 and second transducers 130 may be formed and randomly arranged within the ultrasonic generation unit ( Figure 2 in part (a)), or may be formed into specific groups and arranged according to at least two or more divided regions of the ultrasonic generation unit ( Figure 2 in part (b)). In this case, a plurality of first transducers 120 and a plurality of second transducers 130 may be formed according to the embodiments, but in fact, they may represent the same transducer in a physical sense. However, for the convenience of description, the channel that generates the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 is referred to as the first transducer 120, and the channel that generates the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2 is referred to as the second transducer 130, so that the first transducer 120 and the second transducer 130 can be distinguished and described.

[0066] According to an embodiment of the present invention, as described above, the transmission ratio determined by the transmission ratio determination unit 110 may be the ratio of the signal intensities (sizes) that can be generated by the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may also be the ratio of the ON / OFF of a plurality of first transducers 120 and a plurality of second transducers 130 or the ON / OFF of a plurality of channels of the first transducer 120 and a plurality of channels of the second transducer 130.

[0067] For example, if the transmission ratio determination unit 110 determines the first transmission ratio to be 100% and the second transmission ratio to be 20%, then the first transducer 120 can turn on (ON) all channels, and the second transducer 130 can only turn on (ON) 20% of all channels. That is to say, the ratio of the turned-on (ON) channels can be determined according to the transmission ratio determined by the transmission ratio determination unit 110.

[0068] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the transmission ratio can be determined according to a user input or a treatment control instruction. For example, in the case where the user inputs the transmission ratio through a control panel or the like included in the device body (not shown), the transmission ratio determination unit 110 can determine the transmission ratio based on the corresponding input. Alternatively, the transmission ratio determination unit 110 can adjust and determine the transmission ratio based on the state of cavitation bubbles in the target area monitored by the image transducer 140 described later, so as to appropriately control the cavitation bubbles. In this case, the transmission ratio determination unit 110 can include an artificial intelligence function or the like, and can control the transmission ratio according to the state of the cavitation bubbles based on the artificial intelligence function.

[0069] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first transducer 120 and the second transducer 130 can generate the first frequency ultrasonic signal F1 and the second frequency ultrasonic signal F2 simultaneously or alternately. That is, the first transducer 120 and the second transducer 130 can simultaneously transmit ultrasonic signals to the target area at the same focus at their respective frequencies and respective transmission ratios, and can also transmit ultrasonic signals by turning on / off (ON / OFF) a part of a plurality of channels of their respective transmission ratios at a certain time interval. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the first transducer 120 and the second transducer 130 can generate ultrasonic signals at their respective transmission ratios toward the target area without affecting each other's ultrasonic signals.

[0070] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the image transducer 140 can transmit diagnostic ultrasonic waves to the target area and receive ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the target area to generate an ultrasonic image. Specifically, the image transducer 140 can monitor at least one of the position of a lesion in the target area, whether the cavitation bubbles in the target area are eliminated, and whether the lesion is eliminated.

[0071] Specifically, the image transducer 140 can monitor a target area of tissue lesions. The first transducer 120 and the second transducer 130 can be focused to emit ultrasonic signals towards the target area monitored and detected by the image transducer 140. Then, the first transducer 120 can send (apply) a first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 to the target area, thereby generating and expanding cavitation bubbles to eliminate the lesions. In this case, the image transducer 140 can monitor whether the lesions in the target area are eliminated, and the transmission ratio determination unit 110 can control the first transmission ratio and the second transmission ratio according to whether the lesions are eliminated. If the lesions are not completely eliminated, a relatively high first transmission ratio can be maintained. If the lesions have been eliminated, the first transmission ratio can be decreased and the second transmission ratio can be increased to eliminate the cavitation bubbles. Also, the image transducer 140 can monitor the state of the cavitation bubbles in the target area. If the cavitation bubbles generated and expanded in the target area reach a state that may cause damage to the tissue around the target area, even if the lesions have not been completely eliminated, the transmission ratio determination unit 110 can increase the second transmission ratio to shrink the cavitation bubbles.

[0072] Moreover, the present invention is not limited thereto. The ultrasonic treatment device 100 can simultaneously apply the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2 to one target area, thereby simultaneously performing lesion elimination through the generation and expansion of cavitation bubbles and shrinking and eliminating over-generated and over-expanded cavitation bubbles.

[0073] That is to say, the ultrasonic treatment device 100 can generate cavitation bubbles by applying the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 to eliminate the lesions in the target area, and apply the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2 while applying the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 to eliminate the cavitation bubbles in the target area.

[0074] Figure 3 FIG. is an exemplary diagram for explaining an ultrasonic treatment device that applies a method for generating an ultrasonic signal for controlling cavitation bubbles according to an embodiment of the present invention to control cavitation bubbles by controlling frequency control.

[0075] Referring to Figure 3 For illustration, if the first transducer 120 sends a first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 with a first transmission ratio to the target area, and the transmission ratio determination unit 110 gradually increases the first transmission ratio, cavitation bubbles start to be generated at a certain time point t1, and the lesions are eliminated using the cavitation bubbles. If the monitoring result of the image transducer 140 determines that the cavitation bubbles are over-generated, the transmission ratio determination unit 110 can gradually decrease the first transmission ratio to stop the generation of cavitation bubbles at the time point t2. In this case, the transmission ratio determination unit 110 can decrease the first transmission ratio and increase the second transmission ratio to shrink or eliminate the cavitation bubbles.

[0076] Figure 4 An example diagram showing waveforms of multiple frequencies according to an embodiment of the present invention. And, Figure 5 An example diagram showing spectra of multiple frequencies according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0077] Referring to Figure 4 , the first transducer 120 may transmit a first - frequency ultrasonic signal F1 according to a continuous period. In the case where a second - frequency ultrasonic signal F2 is generated while generating the first - frequency ultrasonic signal F1, the second transducer 130 may repeat a first period of transmitting the second - frequency ultrasonic signal F2 and a second period of not transmitting the second - frequency ultrasonic signal F2, thereby generating the second - frequency ultrasonic signal F2. That is, the second transducer 130 can generate the second - frequency ultrasonic signal in the form of interval harmonic.

[0078] Figure 6 An example diagram showing radiation - line waveforms of multiple frequencies according to an embodiment of the present invention. And, Figure 7 An example diagram showing spectra of radiation - lines of multiple frequencies according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0079] Referring to Figure 6 and Figure 7 , the radiation pressure of the first - frequency ultrasonic signal F1 generated from the ultrasonic treatment device 100 will decrease, but it has uniform frequency characteristics. The second - frequency ultrasonic signal F2 can also simultaneously apply a pressure with uniform frequency characteristics.

[0080] Thus, even when the first - frequency ultrasonic signal F1 and the second - frequency ultrasonic signal F2 are applied simultaneously, the frequency characteristics can be kept stable. Therefore, when the first - frequency ultrasonic signal F1 is applied to generate or expand cavitation bubbles for treating (eliminating) lesions, at the same time, when the second - frequency ultrasonic signal F2 is applied, the cavitation bubbles in the treated area can be shrunk or eliminated, or the cavitation bubbles over - generated in the same area where the first - frequency ultrasonic signal F1 is applied can be eliminated. That is, the ultrasonic treatment device 100 can simultaneously perform the treatment of lesions and the control of cavitation bubbles, thereby solving the problem of needing to suspend treatment during frequency modulation, and thus improving the treatment efficiency.

[0081] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first - frequency ultrasonic signal F1 may be an ultrasonic signal applying a 3 - MHz frequency, and the second - frequency ultrasonic signal F2 may be an ultrasonic signal applying a 6 - MHz frequency, but it is not limited thereto.

[0082] As described above, the ultrasonic treatment device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can simultaneously use multiple frequencies to treat lesions and control cavitation bubbles, thereby solving the problem of reduced treatment efficiency during frequency modulation and improving treatment efficiency.

[0083] Hereinafter, based on the content of the above detailed description, the working process of the present invention will be briefly described.

[0084] Figure 8 It is a flowchart of the working process of an ultrasonic signal generation method for controlling cavitation bubbles according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0085] Figure 8 The ultrasonic signal generation method for controlling cavitation bubbles shown can be executed by the ultrasonic treatment device 100 applying the ultrasonic signal generation method for controlling cavitation bubbles. Therefore, even if some content is omitted below, the description content of the ultrasonic treatment device 10 applying the ultrasonic signal generation method for controlling cavitation bubbles is equally applicable to the description of the ultrasonic signal generation method for controlling cavitation bubbles.

[0086] Refer to Figure 8 , in step S11, the transmission ratio determination unit 110 can determine the transmission ratio of the first frequency ultrasonic signal F1 and the second frequency ultrasonic signal F2. Specifically, in step S11, the transmission ratio determination unit 110 can respectively determine the first transmission ratio of the first frequency ultrasonic signal F1 and the second transmission ratio of the second frequency ultrasonic signal F2, and can determine the combination ratio of the first frequency ultrasonic signal F1 and the second frequency ultrasonic signal F2 such that the sum of the first transmission ratio of the first frequency ultrasonic signal F1 and the second transmission ratio of the second frequency ultrasonic signal F2 reaches 1 (100%).

[0087] Next, in step S12, the first transducer 120 can generate the first frequency ultrasonic signal F1 toward the target area based on the transmission ratio to expand the cavitation bubbles in the target area. In this case, the first frequency ultrasonic signal F1 can be a signal for generating cavitation bubbles in the target area or expanding the cavitation bubbles generated in the target area.

[0088] Next, in step S13, the second transducer 130 can generate the second frequency ultrasonic signal F2 toward the target area based on the transmission ratio to abort the expansion of the cavitation bubbles. In this case, the second frequency ultrasonic signal F2 can be a signal for aborting the expansion of the cavitation bubbles generated in the target area or shrinking or eliminating the cavitation bubbles generated in the target area.

[0089] Moreover, step S12 and step S13 can be executed simultaneously or alternately. That is to say, the first transducer and the second transducer can respectively generate the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2 simultaneously or alternately. Also, the first transducer 120 can transmit the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1 according to consecutive periods. In the case of generating the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2 while generating the first-frequency ultrasonic signal F1, the second transducer 130 can repeat the first period of transmitting the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2 and the second period of not transmitting the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2 to generate the second-frequency ultrasonic signal F2.

[0090] Next, in step S14, the image transducer 140 can send diagnostic ultrasonic waves to the target area and receive the ultrasonic echo signal reflected from the target area to generate an ultrasonic image. Specifically, in step S14, the image transducer 140 can monitor at least one of the location of the lesion in the target area, whether the cavitation bubbles in the target area are eliminated, and whether the lesion is eliminated.

[0091] In the above description, steps S11 to S14 can be further divided into more additional steps or combined into fewer steps according to the embodiments of the present invention. Also, some steps can be omitted as needed, and the order between the steps can also be changed.

[0092] The method for generating an ultrasonic signal for controlling cavitation bubbles according to an embodiment of the present invention can be implemented in the form of program instructions executable by various computer programs and recorded on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium can include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc. alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on this medium can be specially designed and configured for the present invention or known and usable by those skilled in the computer software field. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and hardware devices such as read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), and flash memories specially configured to store and execute program instructions. Examples of program instructions include not only machine codes generated by compilers but also high-level language codes that can be executed on a computer using, for example, interpreters. The hardware device can be configured to work as one or more software modules, and vice versa.

[0093] In addition, the ultrasonic signal generation method for controlling cavitation bubbles can also be implemented in the form of a computer program or application program executed by a computer and stored in a recording medium.

[0094] The description of the present invention as described above is only for example, and those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains should understand that the present invention can be easily deformed into other specific implementation manners without changing the technical idea or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the multiple embodiments described above should be understood as exemplary in all aspects and not restrictive. For example, each structural element described in a single form can be implemented in a dispersed form, and similarly, multiple structural elements described in a dispersed form can also be implemented in a combined form.

[0095] The scope of the present invention is presented by the appended claims for invention, rather than the detailed description, and all changes or deformed implementation manners derived from the meaning, scope and equivalent concepts of the claims for invention should be construed as being included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic signal generation method for controlling cavitation bubbles, characterized in that, Comprising the following steps: Determining the transmission ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal; Based on the transmission ratio, generating the first-frequency ultrasonic signal towards the target area to expand cavitation bubbles in the target area; And Based on the transmission ratio, generating the second-frequency ultrasonic signal towards the target area to abort the expansion of the cavitation bubbles.

2. The ultrasonic signal generation method according to claim 1, wherein The step of generating the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and the step of generating the second-frequency ultrasonic signal are executed simultaneously or alternately.

3. The ultrasonic signal generation method according to claim 2, wherein In the step of generating the first-frequency ultrasonic signal, the first-frequency ultrasonic signal is transmitted according to consecutive periods, In the step of generating the second-frequency ultrasonic signal, in the case of generating the second-frequency ultrasonic signal while generating the first-frequency ultrasonic signal, the second-frequency ultrasonic signal is generated by repeating the first period of transmitting the second-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second period of not transmitting the second-frequency ultrasonic signal.

4. The ultrasonic signal generation method according to claim 1, wherein In the step of determining the transmission ratio, the first transmission ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second transmission ratio of the second-frequency ultrasonic signal are respectively determined.

5. The ultrasonic signal generation method according to claim 1, wherein In the step of determining the transmission ratio, the combined ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal is determined such that the sum of the first transmission ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second transmission ratio of the second-frequency ultrasonic signal reaches 1 (100%).

6. The ultrasonic signal generation method according to claim 1, wherein The first-frequency ultrasonic signal is a signal for generating cavitation bubbles in the target area or expanding the cavitation bubbles generated in the target area, The second-frequency ultrasonic signal is a signal for aborting the expansion of the cavitation bubbles generated in the target area or shrinking or eliminating the cavitation bubbles generated in the target area.

7. The ultrasonic signal generation method according to claim 1, wherein Further comprising the following steps: Sending diagnostic ultrasonic waves to the target area and receiving the ultrasonic echo signal reflected from the target area to generate an ultrasonic image.

8. The ultrasonic signal generation method according to claim 7, wherein In the step of generating the ultrasonic image, at least one of the position of the lesion in the target area, whether the cavitation bubbles in the target area are eliminated, and whether the lesion is eliminated is monitored.

9. An ultrasonic treatment device that applies an ultrasonic signal generation method for controlling cavitation bubbles, characterized in that, Comprising: A transmission ratio determination unit that determines the transmission ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal; A first transducer that, based on the transmission ratio, generates the first-frequency ultrasonic signal towards the target area to expand cavitation bubbles in the target area; And A second transducer generates the second-frequency ultrasonic signal toward the target area based on the transmission ratio, so as to abort the expansion of the cavitation bubbles.

10. The ultrasonic treatment device according to claim 9, wherein the first transducer and the second transducer respectively generate the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal simultaneously or alternately with each other.

11. The ultrasonic treatment device according to claim 10, wherein the first transducer transmits the first-frequency ultrasonic signal according to continuous periods, in the case of generating the second-frequency ultrasonic signal while generating the first-frequency ultrasonic signal, the second transducer generates the second-frequency ultrasonic signal by repeating a first period of transmitting the second-frequency ultrasonic signal and a second period of not transmitting the second-frequency ultrasonic signal.

12. The ultrasonic treatment device according to claim 9, wherein the transmission ratio determination part respectively determines a first transmission ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and a second transmission ratio of the second-frequency ultrasonic signal.

13. The ultrasonic treatment device according to claim 9, wherein the transmission ratio determination unit determines a combined ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second-frequency ultrasonic signal such that the sum of the first transmission ratio of the first-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second transmission ratio of the second-frequency ultrasonic signal reaches 1 (100%).

14. The ultrasonic treatment device according to claim 9, wherein the first-frequency ultrasonic signal is a signal for generating the cavitation bubbles in the target area or expanding the cavitation bubbles generated in the target area, the second-frequency ultrasonic signal is a signal for aborting the expansion of the cavitation bubbles generated in the target area or shrinking or eliminating the cavitation bubbles generated in the target area.

15. The ultrasonic treatment device according to claim 9, wherein, Further comprising: An image transducer that transmits diagnostic ultrasonic waves to the target area and receives ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the target area to generate an ultrasonic image.

16. The ultrasonic treatment device according to claim 15, wherein the image transducer monitors at least one of the position of the lesion in the target area, whether the cavitation bubbles in the target area are eliminated, and whether the lesion is eliminated.

Images