Transcranial ultrasonic stimulation detection system and detection method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of ultrasonic detection, and discloses a transcranial ultrasonic stimulation detection system and method, and the system comprises an ultrasonic generator which is used for generating an excitation electric signal to drive an ultrasonic transducer to emit ultrasound, and achieves the contact detection of the ultrasonic transducer and the scalp of a patient and the skull thickness detection according to an ultrasonic echo signal. The excitation electric signal is compensated according to a skull thickness detection result; the ultrasonic transducer is used for emitting ultrasound to stimulate the brain of a patient through the skull. The contact tightness of the ultrasonic transducer and the scalp of the patient can be judged according to the intensity of the echo signals on the outer surface of the skull, the thickness of the skull can be calculated according to the time interval of the echo signals on the inner surface and the outer surface of the skull, and corresponding compensation is carried out according to the attenuation degree of the skull to ultrasound. The intensity of the ultrasonic guided into a specific stimulation target in the brain is accurately controlled, and the curative effect of transcranial ultrasonic stimulation is facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of ultrasonic detection, and more specifically, to a transcranial ultrasound stimulation detection system and a detection method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation (TUS) is a newly emerging non-invasive brain stimulation technique that uses ultrasonic waves with specific frequencies and intensities to stimulate target areas of the brain. Transcranial ultrasound stimulation mainly utilizes low-intensity ultrasound, which does not produce obvious thermal effects and will not cause damage to brain tissue. Specific frequencies can ensure that ultrasound penetrates tissues such as the skull and reaches the brain. When ultrasonic waves propagate in biological tissues, they will cause the vibration of particles in the tissues, generating a mechanical effect. This mechanical effect can change the permeability of the neuron cell membrane, thereby regulating the activities of neurons. The mechanical effect of ultrasonic waves can induce the opening or closing of ion channels (such as calcium ion channels) on the cell membrane. Changes in the influx of calcium ions will affect the excitability of neurons, thereby regulating the conduction of nerve signals. Ultrasonic waves may also affect the synaptic transmission of neurons. By regulating the release of neurotransmitters from the presynaptic membrane or the sensitivity of receptors on the postsynaptic membrane, ultrasonic waves can change the information exchange between neurons.

[0003] Transcranial ultrasound stimulation technology is currently mainly applied to neuroscience research and the treatment of nervous system diseases, including: 1) used for studying the functional connectivity of the brain; for example, by stimulating specific brain regions, the activity changes of other connected brain regions can be observed, thereby revealing the working mechanism of the brain neural network; 2) used for studying neuronal plasticity; transcranial ultrasound stimulation can be used as an intervention means, and the changes in the morphology and function of neurons in the brain after being stimulated by ultrasound, such as the remodeling of synapses, etc.; 3) used for the treatment of neurological brain diseases such as Parkinson's disease; for example, some studies have attempted to regulate the neuronal activities in the basal ganglia region of the brain through transcranial ultrasound stimulation to improve the motor symptoms of patients, such as tremors, stiffness, etc.; 4) used for the treatment of mental diseases such as depression; transcranial ultrasound stimulation may play a certain therapeutic role by regulating the neural activities in related brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex.

[0004] The transcranial ultrasound stimulation system mainly includes an ultrasound generator and an ultrasound transducer. The ultrasound generator is used to generate an ultrasonic excitation signal and control the parameters of the ultrasound, such as frequency (the basic frequency F of the ultrasound used for transcranial stimulation is generally between 0.2 - 2 MHz), intensity (the spatial peak pulse average intensity ISPPA is usually within 30 W / cm 2 ²), pulse width, etc. The ultrasound transducer is a key component for generating ultrasonic waves. It can convert electrical energy into mechanical energy and emit ultrasonic waves with specific frequencies and intensities. At the same time, the device is usually equipped with a positioning device to ensure that the ultrasound is accurately focused on the target area of the brain.

[0005] During treatment, in order to introduce the ultrasound emitted by the ultrasonic transducer into the human brain, a coupling pad needs to be added between the ultrasonic transducer and the scalp of the brain, and the interface is filled with an ultrasonic coupling agent. The coupling pad is usually made of hydrogel or silica gel, has relatively good ultrasonic conduction performance, and is easy to deform to ensure a tight fit at the interface. However, in actual clinical treatment, due to factors such as the movement of the patient's brain, the loosening of the transducer fixing device, and the improper initial installation by medical staff, the contact between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp may no longer be tight or even completely separated. In this case, the intensity of the ultrasound emitted by the transducer introduced into the brain will be affected, and the expected treatment effect cannot be achieved.

[0006] The Chinese authorized patent with the application number CN201410258121.6 proposes a technical solution for monitoring the contact state between an ultrasonic transducer and the human body. This solution determines the contact situation by detecting the change in the voltage at both ends of the ultrasonic transducer or the amplitude of the current flowing through it relative to a preset value. The drawback of this solution is that the voltage at both ends of the ultrasonic transducer and the current flowing through it are affected by many factors, such as the aging of circuit components, the manufacturing tolerances of the circuit or the ultrasonic transducer, and the impedance matching of the ultrasonic transducer. The change in the contact state between the ultrasonic transducer and the human body is only one of the factors affecting the voltage or current amplitude. Therefore, it is difficult to ensure the detection effect of the contact state between the ultrasonic transducer and the human body. In actual clinical practice, a more effective technical solution is needed to detect the contact situation between the ultrasonic transducer and the scalp of the brain.

[0007] On the other hand, ultrasound will attenuate after passing through the skull. In order to more precisely control the intensity of the ultrasound introduced into a specific stimulation target in the brain, the ultrasonic attenuation effect of the skull can be compensated. In this case, the thickness of the skull needs to be known in order to calculate the degree of attenuation of the skull to the ultrasound. Therefore, the measurement of the thickness of the skull at the contact part with the ultrasonic transducer is also a problem that needs to be solved in clinical practice.

[0008] In response to the problems in the related art, no effective solution has been proposed yet. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In response to the problems in the related art, the present invention proposes a transcranial ultrasound stimulation detection system and its detection method to overcome the above technical problems existing in the existing related art.

[0010] To this end, the specific technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, a transcranial ultrasound stimulation detection system is provided, which includes an ultrasound generator for generating an excitation electrical signal to drive an ultrasound transducer to emit ultrasound, realizing contact detection between the ultrasound transducer and the patient's scalp and skull thickness detection based on the ultrasound echo signal, and compensating the excitation electrical signal according to the skull thickness detection result to precisely control the ultrasound intensity introduced into a predetermined stimulation target in the brain; an ultrasound transducer for emitting ultrasound to stimulate the patient's brain through the skull; wherein, the ultrasound generator includes: an ultrasound generation module for generating an excitation electrical signal to drive the ultrasound transducer to emit ultrasound; an echo module for detecting the ultrasound echo signals reflected from the inner and outer surfaces of the skull received by the ultrasound transducer; a main control detection module for using the ultrasound echo signals on the inner and outer surfaces of the skull to perform contact detection between the ultrasound transducer and the patient's brain and skull thickness detection, and compensating the excitation electrical signal according to the skull thickness detection result to precisely control the ultrasound intensity introduced into a predetermined stimulation target in the brain.

[0012] Further, the echo module includes a receiving limiter module, an amplifying and filtering module, a rectifying and detecting module, and a signal output module; wherein, the receiving limiter module is used for receiving the echo signal on the signal line of the ultrasound transducer and limiting the signal amplitude; the amplifying and filtering module is used for amplifying and filtering the echo signal; the rectifying and detecting module is used for shaping the echo signal to facilitate detection; the signal output module is used for processing the echo signal into a signal recognizable by the main control detection module.

[0013] Further, the amplifying and filtering module is composed of one or more levels of separate amplifying circuits and filtering circuits; wherein, the amplifying circuit includes any one of an amplifying circuit composed of triodes and an in-phase or anti-phase amplifying circuit composed of operational amplifiers; the filtering circuit is a band-pass filtering circuit formed by combining a high-pass active filtering circuit and a low-pass active filtering circuit.

[0014] Further, the amplifying and filtering module includes one or more levels of multiple-feedback band-pass filters with infinite gain.

[0015] Further, the rectifying and detecting module includes any one of a half-wave precision rectifying circuit or a full-wave precision rectifying circuit.

[0016] Further, the signal output module is any one of a hysteresis comparator circuit or a high-speed AD sampling circuit.

[0017] Further, the main control detection module includes a contact detection module, a thickness detection module, and an ultrasonic compensation module. Among them, the contact detection module is used to judge the tightness of the contact between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp according to the presence, absence, and strength of the ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the inner and outer surfaces of the skull detected by the echo module; the thickness detection module is used to analyze and determine the thickness of the patient's skull according to the time interval between the ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the inner and outer surfaces of the skull detected by the echo module; the ultrasonic compensation module is used to compensate the excitation electrical signal according to the skull thickness detection result to accurately control the ultrasonic intensity introduced into the predetermined stimulation target in the brain.

[0018] Further, when the contact detection module judges the tightness of the contact between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp according to the presence, absence, and strength of the ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the inner and outer surfaces of the skull detected by the echo module, it includes:

[0019] Judge the tightness of the contact between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp according to the presence or absence of the ultrasonic echo signal. When there is an ultrasonic echo signal, it is determined that the contact is good. When there is no ultrasonic echo signal, it is determined that the contact is disengaged.

[0020] Judge the strength of the ultrasonic echo signal according to the ratio of the pulse width of the echo signal output by the hysteresis comparator circuit to the pulse width of the excitation signal or the ratio of the maximum amplitude of the echo signal output by the high-speed AD sampling circuit to the maximum amplitude of the excitation signal. The larger the ratio, the stronger the ultrasonic echo signal, and the closer the contact. A ratio of zero indicates that there is no ultrasonic echo signal, and the contact is disengaged.

[0021] Further, when the thickness detection module analyzes and determines the thickness of the patient's skull according to the time interval between the ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the inner and outer surfaces of the skull detected by the echo module, it includes:

[0022] Calculate the thickness of the patient's skull according to the time interval between the maximum amplitude points of the echo signals on the outer surface and the inner surface of the skull output by the high-speed AD sampling circuit, in combination with the ultrasonic propagation speed in the skull.

[0023] Among them, the calculation formula for the skull thickness is:

[0024] H = T * V

[0025] In the formula, H represents the skull thickness, T represents the time interval between the maximum amplitude points of the echo signals on the outer surface and the inner surface of the skull, and V represents the ultrasonic propagation speed in the skull.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present invention, a transcranial ultrasound stimulation detection method is provided, including the following steps:

[0027] S1. Generate an excitation electrical signal through an ultrasonic generator to drive an ultrasonic transducer to emit ultrasonic waves, and use the ultrasonic waves passing through the skull to stimulate the patient's brain;

[0028] S2. Receive the ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the inner and outer surfaces of the skull through the ultrasonic transducer, and detect the contact condition between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp and the skull thickness according to the ultrasonic echo signals;

[0029] S3. Compensate the excitation electrical signal according to the detected result of the skull thickness to accurately control the ultrasonic intensity introduced into a predetermined stimulation target in the brain.

[0030] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: The present invention can use the strength of the ultrasonic echo signal on the outer surface of the skull detected by the echo circuit to judge the tightness of the contact between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp. A warning message can be given in a timely manner during the treatment process to remind medical staff of the change in the contact state between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp, ensuring that the ultrasonic waves are reliably introduced into the patient's brain, thereby ensuring the treatment effect. At the same time, the present invention also calculates the skull thickness by using the time interval between the ultrasonic echo signals on the inner and outer surfaces of the skull detected by the echo circuit, and can calculate the attenuation degree of the ultrasonic waves by the skull and perform corresponding compensation, so as to accurately control the ultrasonic intensity introduced into a specific stimulation target in the brain, which is beneficial to the curative effect of transcranial ultrasonic stimulation. Description of the Drawings

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0032] Figure 1 is a structural block diagram of a transcranial ultrasonic stimulation detection system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 is a working schematic diagram of a transcranial ultrasonic stimulation detection system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of reflection when ultrasonic waves penetrate the skull according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 is a signal schematic diagram after passing through a receiving limiter module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 is a signal schematic diagram after passing through an amplification and filtering module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6It is a schematic diagram of the signal after passing through the rectification and detection module in the embodiment of the present invention (the echo signal of the inner surface of the skull is not shown);

[0038] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the signal after passing through the signal output module in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the signal after passing through the rectification and detection module in the embodiment of the present invention (the echo signal of the inner surface of the skull is shown);

[0040] Figure 9 It is a flowchart of a transcranial ultrasound stimulation detection method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0041] To further illustrate the embodiments, the present invention provides accompanying drawings. These drawings are part of the disclosure of the present invention, mainly used to illustrate the embodiments, and can be combined with the relevant descriptions in the specification to explain the operation principle of the embodiments. With reference to these contents, those of ordinary skill in the art should be able to understand other possible implementation manners and the advantages of the present invention. The components in the drawings are not drawn to scale, and similar component symbols are usually used to represent similar components.

[0042] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a transcranial ultrasound stimulation detection system and its detection method are provided.

[0043] Now, the present invention will be further described in combination with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation manners. As Figures 1-8 shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a transcranial ultrasound stimulation detection system is provided, including:

[0044] An ultrasonic generator, configured to generate an excitation electrical signal to drive an ultrasonic transducer to emit ultrasound, detect the contact between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp and the skull thickness according to the ultrasonic echo signal, and compensate the excitation electrical signal according to the skull thickness detection result to accurately control the ultrasonic intensity introduced into a predetermined stimulation target in the brain;

[0045] An ultrasonic transducer, configured to emit ultrasound to stimulate the patient's brain through the skull;

[0046] As Figure 2 shown, the ultrasound emitted by the ultrasonic transducer penetrates the skull of the human brain and focuses on a specific brain area in the brain, that is, the position of the treatment target, and stimulates this part to achieve a certain therapeutic effect.

[0047] As Figure 3As shown, the ultrasound emitted by the ultrasonic transducer penetrates into the skull through the coupling pad and then enters the internal area of the brain. The coupling pad is made of a softer material such as silicone or hydrogel, and has less attenuation of ultrasonic conduction. It can closely fit the vibrating surface of the ultrasonic transducer and the scalp of the brain respectively, so as to effectively transmit the ultrasound to the brain. Because the acoustic impedance of the skull is very different from that of the coupling pad and the internal tissues of the brain, ultrasound will be reflected when it reaches the outer and inner surfaces of the skull. This part of the reflected ultrasound is usually called an echo. An ultrasonic transducer with better sensitivity can receive these echoes. After processing and identifying these echo signals with a circuit and supplemented by corresponding software algorithms, the contact detection and thickness detection functions shown in the present invention can be realized.

[0048] Specifically, the ultrasonic generator includes:

[0049] An ultrasonic generating module for generating an excitation electrical signal to drive the ultrasonic transducer to emit ultrasound;

[0050] An echo module for detecting the ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the inner and outer surfaces of the skull received by the ultrasonic transducer;

[0051] The echo module includes a receiving limiter module, an amplifying and filtering module, a rectifying and detecting module, and a signal output module;

[0052] Among them, the receiving limiter module is used to receive the echo signal on the signal line of the ultrasonic transducer and limit the signal amplitude;

[0053] The amplifying and filtering module is used to amplify and filter the echo signal;

[0054] The amplifying and filtering module is composed of one or more separate amplifying circuits and filtering circuits;

[0055] Among them, the amplifying circuit includes any one of an amplifying circuit composed of triodes and an in-phase or anti-phase amplifying circuit composed of operational amplifiers;

[0056] The filtering circuit is a band-pass filtering circuit composed of a combination of a high-pass active filtering and a low-pass active filtering circuit;

[0057] In addition, the amplifying and filtering module in this embodiment may also include one or more multiple-feedback band-pass filters with infinite gain;

[0058] The rectifying and detecting module is used to shape the echo signal for convenient detection;

[0059] The rectifying and detecting module includes any one of a half-wave precision rectifying circuit or a full-wave precision rectifying circuit;

[0060] The signal output module is used to process the echo signal into a signal that can be recognized by the main control detection module;

[0061] The signal output module is any one of a hysteresis comparator circuit or a high-speed AD sampling circuit;

[0062] The main control and detection module is used to detect the contact between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's brain and the thickness of the skull by using the ultrasonic echo signals on the inner and outer surfaces of the skull, and compensate the excitation electrical signal according to the detection result of the skull thickness, so as to accurately control the ultrasonic intensity imported into the predetermined stimulation target in the brain;

[0063] Specifically, the main control and detection module includes a contact detection module, a thickness detection module and an ultrasonic compensation module;

[0064] Among them, the contact detection module is used to judge the tightness of the contact between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp according to the presence, absence and strength of the ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the inner and outer surfaces of the skull detected by the echo module; specifically including:

[0065] Judge the tightness of the contact between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp according to the presence or absence of the ultrasonic echo signal. When there is an ultrasonic echo signal, it is determined that the contact is good. When there is no ultrasonic echo signal, it is determined that the contact is broken;

[0066] Judge the strength of the ultrasonic echo signal according to the ratio of the pulse width of the echo signal output by the hysteresis comparator circuit to the pulse width of the excitation signal or the ratio of the maximum amplitude of the echo signal output by the high-speed AD sampling circuit to the maximum amplitude of the excitation signal. The larger the ratio, the stronger the ultrasonic echo signal, and the closer the contact. A ratio of zero indicates that there is no ultrasonic echo signal, and the contact is broken;

[0067] The thickness detection module is used to analyze and determine the thickness of the patient's skull according to the time interval of the ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the inner and outer surfaces of the skull detected by the echo module; specifically including:

[0068] Calculate the thickness of the patient's skull according to the time interval between the maximum amplitude points of the echo signals on the outer surface and the inner surface of the skull output by the high-speed AD sampling circuit, combined with the ultrasonic propagation speed in the skull;

[0069] Among them, the calculation formula for the skull thickness is:

[0070] H = T * V

[0071] In the formula, H represents the skull thickness, T represents the time interval between the maximum amplitude points of the echo signals on the outer surface and the inner surface of the skull, and V represents the ultrasonic propagation speed in the skull;

[0072] The ultrasonic compensation module is used to compensate the excitation electrical signal according to the detection result of the skull thickness, so as to accurately control the ultrasonic intensity imported into the predetermined stimulation target in the brain.

[0073] Such asFigure 4 As shown, the original excitation signal is a pulsed sine wave signal with a peak value of approximately 29.6V emitted by the ultrasonic generation circuit (i.e., the ultrasonic generation module). This original excitation signal drives the ultrasonic transducer to emit ultrasonic waves. At the same time, this signal is also received by the echo circuit (i.e., the echo module). After passing through the receiving limiter circuit (i.e., the receiving limiter module), the excitation signal becomes a sine signal with a peak-to-peak value of approximately 1.32V. The reflected echoes from the outer and inner surfaces of the skull are received by the transducer and are also converted into electrical signals, received by the echo circuit, and become sine signals with very low amplitudes after passing through the receiving limiter circuit, with peak values all less than 200mV. And the echo signal from the inner surface of the skull has a large attenuation compared to the echo signal from the outer surface of the skull. The receiving limiter circuit generally uses two diodes to limit the signal amplitude to about ±0.6 - 0.7V.

[0074] As Figure 5 shown Figure 4 in

[0075] As Figure 6 shown Figure 5 in Figure 6 shows the waveform of the signal in Figure 6 after passing through the amplification and filtering circuit (i.e., the amplification and filtering module). It can be seen from the figure that the echo signal from the outer surface of the skull is amplified to a peak value exceeding 4V, and the echo signal from the inner surface of the skull is amplified to a peak value exceeding 1V. And the spurious waveforms of other frequencies are also filtered out. In some embodiments, the amplification and filtering circuit is composed of one or more separate amplification circuits and filtering circuits respectively. Among them, the amplification circuit can be an amplification circuit composed of triodes, an in-phase or anti-phase amplification circuit composed of operational amplifiers; the filtering circuit can be a band-pass filtering circuit composed of a combination of a high-pass active filter and a low-pass active filter circuit. In other embodiments, the amplification and filtering circuit can include one or more infinite gain multiple feedback band-pass filters (MFB). The infinite gain multiple feedback band-pass filter (MFB) can both amplify and filter. The center frequency of the filter is designed as the frequency of the ultrasonic excitation, and the -3dB bandwidth is designed as required. The infinite gain multiple feedback band-pass filter (MFB) can be combined with an amplification circuit composed of an operational amplifier to further increase the amplification gain. Figure 6It will be slightly worse, and the sawtooth shape in the waveform will be more obvious.

[0076] Such as Figure 7 shows Figure 6 a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the signal in [[]] after passing through the signal output circuit (i.e., the signal output module). In Figure 7 the signal output circuit is composed of a hysteresis comparator. Figure 6 the fluctuating excitation signal and the echo signal on the outer surface of the skull in [[]] become Figure 7 two pulse signals in [[]]. In order to detect the contact state between the ultrasonic transducer and the scalp of the brain, the presence and strength of the echo signal on the outer surface of the skull detected by the echo circuit can be used to judge the tightness of the contact between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp. The stronger the echo signal, the closer the contact. If there is no echo signal, it means the contact is detached. In one embodiment, when the main control circuit detects two pulse signals, it means that both the excitation signal and the echo signal on the outer surface of the skull are detected, and at this time, it can be judged that the contact is good; if only one pulse signal is detected, it means that only the excitation signal is detected and there is no echo signal, then at this time, it can be judged that the contact is not good. In another embodiment, the main control circuit can detect the pulse width of the pulse signal and judge the strength of the echo signal by calculating the ratio of the pulse width of the echo signal to the pulse width of the excitation signal. The larger the ratio, the stronger the echo signal and the closer the contact; if the ratio is zero, it means there is no echo signal and the contact is detached. After the main control circuit judges the tightness of the contact between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp, it can give a warning message in time during the treatment process to remind the medical staff of the change in the contact state between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp, ensuring that the ultrasound is reliably introduced into the patient's brain, thereby ensuring the treatment effect.

[0077] Such as Figure 8 shows Figure 5 the waveform of the signal in [[]] after passing through the rectifier detection circuit. The figure shows the excitation signal, the echo signals on the outer and inner surfaces of the skull. The shape of the echo signal on the inner surface of the skull is similar to that of the outer surface echo signal, but the amplitude is smaller. In Figure 8 the signal output circuit is composed of a high-speed AD sampling circuit. The high-speed AD sampling circuit samples the data of this waveform and transmits it to the main control circuit to calculate the maximum amplitudes of the excitation signal, the echo signal on the outer surface of the skull, and the echo signal on the inner surface of the skull. The strength of the echo signal on the outer surface of the skull can be judged by the ratio of the maximum amplitude of the echo signal output by the high-speed AD sampling circuit to the maximum amplitude of the excitation signal. The larger the ratio, the stronger the echo signal. The stronger the echo signal, the closer the contact between the ultrasonic transducer and the scalp of the brain. If there is no echo signal, it means the contact is detached.

[0078] In Figure 8In this case, the high-speed AD sampling circuit collects waveform data and transmits it to the main control circuit (i.e., the main control detection module). It can also calculate the time interval T between the maximum amplitude points of the echo signals on the outer surface and the inner surface of the skull. By multiplying this time interval T by the ultrasonic propagation speed V in the skull, the main control circuit can calculate the skull thickness (H = T * V), thus completing the detection of the skull thickness. With the data of the skull thickness, the attenuation degree of the skull to ultrasound can be calculated accordingly, and the ultrasonic generation circuit can be controlled to perform corresponding compensation. For example, in one embodiment, it is known that the attenuation percentage of the skull with unit thickness to ultrasound is a, then the attenuation percentage of the skull with thickness H to ultrasound is a * H. Then the compensation required for the ultrasonic output intensity is 1 / (1 - a * H). In this way, the ultrasonic intensity introduced into specific stimulation targets in the brain can be precisely controlled, which is beneficial to the therapeutic effect of transcranial ultrasound stimulation.

[0079] As Figure 9 shown, according to another embodiment of the present invention, a transcranial ultrasound stimulation detection method is provided, including the following steps:

[0080] S1. Generate an excitation electrical signal through an ultrasonic generator to drive the ultrasonic transducer to emit ultrasound, and use the ultrasound to stimulate the patient's brain through the skull;

[0081] S2. Receive the ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the inner and outer surfaces of the skull through the ultrasonic transducer, and detect the contact condition between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp and the skull thickness according to the ultrasonic echo signals;

[0082] S3. Compensate the excitation electrical signal according to the skull thickness detection result to precisely control the ultrasonic intensity introduced into the predetermined stimulation target in the brain.

[0083] In summary, by means of the above technical solutions of the present invention, the present invention can judge the tightness of the contact between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp according to the strength of the echo signal on the outer surface of the skull detected by the echo circuit. A warning message can be given in a timely manner during the treatment process to remind medical staff of the change in the contact state between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp, ensuring that the ultrasound is reliably introduced into the patient's brain, thereby ensuring the treatment effect. At the same time, the present invention also calculates the skull thickness by using the time interval between the echo signals on the inner and outer surfaces of the skull detected by the echo circuit, can calculate the attenuation degree of the skull to ultrasound accordingly and perform corresponding compensation, and can achieve precise control of the ultrasonic intensity introduced into specific stimulation targets in the brain, which is beneficial to the therapeutic effect of transcranial ultrasound stimulation.

[0084] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A transcranial ultrasound stimulation detection system, characterized in that, Comprising: An ultrasonic generator, which is used to generate an excitation electrical signal to drive an ultrasonic transducer to emit ultrasonic waves, realize contact detection between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp and skull thickness detection according to the ultrasonic echo signal, and compensate the excitation electrical signal according to the skull thickness detection result to precisely control the ultrasonic intensity introduced into a predetermined stimulation target in the brain; An ultrasonic transducer, which is used to emit ultrasonic waves to stimulate the patient's brain through the skull; Wherein, the ultrasonic generator includes: An ultrasonic generation module, which is used to generate an excitation electrical signal to drive an ultrasonic transducer to emit ultrasonic waves; An echo module, which is used to detect the ultrasonic echo signal reflected from the inner and outer surfaces of the skull received by the ultrasonic transducer; A main control detection module, which is used to perform contact detection between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's brain and skull thickness detection by using the ultrasonic echo signals on the inner and outer surfaces of the skull, and compensate the excitation electrical signal according to the skull thickness detection result to precisely control the ultrasonic intensity introduced into a predetermined stimulation target in the brain.

2. The transcranial ultrasound stimulation detection system according to claim 1, wherein, The echo module includes a receiving limiter module, an amplifying and filtering module, a rectifying and detecting module and a signal output module; Wherein, the receiving limiter module is used to receive the echo signal on the signal line of the ultrasonic transducer and limit the signal amplitude; The amplifying and filtering module is used to amplify and filter the echo signal; The rectifying and detecting module is used to shape the echo signal for convenient detection; The signal output module is used to process the echo signal into a signal that can be recognized by the main control detection module.

3. The transcranial ultrasound stimulation detection system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The amplifying and filtering module is composed of one or more separate amplifying circuits and filtering circuits; Wherein, the amplifying circuit includes any one of an amplifying circuit composed of triodes and an in-phase or anti-phase amplifying circuit composed of operational amplifiers; The filtering circuit is a band-pass filtering circuit composed of a combination of a high-pass active filtering and a low-pass active filtering circuit.

4. The transcranial ultrasound stimulation detection system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The amplifying and filtering module includes one or more multiple-feedback band-pass filters with infinite gain.

5. The transcranial ultrasound stimulation detection system according to claim 2, wherein The rectifying and detecting module includes any one of a half-wave precision rectifying circuit or a full-wave precision rectifying circuit.

6. The transcranial ultrasound stimulation detection system according to claim 2, characterized in that The signal output module is any one of a hysteresis comparator circuit or a high-speed AD sampling circuit.

7. The transcranial ultrasound stimulation detection system according to claim 6, wherein, The main control detection module includes a contact detection module, a thickness detection module and an ultrasonic compensation module; Wherein, the contact detection module is used to judge the tightness of the contact between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp according to the presence, absence and strength of the ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the inner and outer surfaces of the skull detected by the echo module; The thickness detection module is used to analyze and determine the patient's skull thickness according to the time interval of the ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the inner and outer surfaces of the skull detected by the echo module; The ultrasonic compensation module is used to compensate the excitation electrical signal according to the skull thickness detection result to precisely control the ultrasonic intensity introduced into a predetermined stimulation target in the brain.

8. The transcranial ultrasound stimulation detection system according to claim 7, characterized in that, When the contact detection module judges the tightness of the contact between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp according to the presence, absence and strength of the ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the inner and outer surfaces of the skull detected by the echo module, it includes: Judge the tightness of the contact between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp according to the presence or absence of the ultrasonic echo signal. When there is an ultrasonic echo signal, it is determined that the contact is good. When there is no ultrasonic echo signal, it is determined that the contact is lost. Judge the strength of the ultrasonic echo signal according to the ratio of the pulse width of the echo signal output by the hysteresis comparator circuit to the pulse width of the excitation signal or the ratio of the maximum amplitude of the echo signal output by the high-speed AD sampling circuit to the maximum amplitude of the excitation signal. The larger the ratio, the stronger the ultrasonic echo signal, and the closer the contact. A ratio of zero indicates that there is no ultrasonic echo signal, and the contact is lost.

9. The transcranial ultrasound stimulation detection system according to claim 7, characterized in that, When the thickness detection module analyzes and determines the skull thickness of the patient according to the time interval between the ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the inner and outer surfaces of the skull detected by the echo module, it includes: Calculate the skull thickness of the patient according to the time interval between the maximum amplitude points of the echo signals on the outer and inner surfaces of the skull output by the high-speed AD sampling circuit, combined with the ultrasonic propagation speed in the skull. Among them, the calculation formula for the skull thickness is: H = T * V In the formula, H represents the skull thickness, T represents the time interval between the maximum amplitude points of the echo signals on the outer and inner surfaces of the skull, and V represents the ultrasonic propagation speed in the skull.

10. A transcranial ultrasound stimulation detection method, implemented based on the transcranial ultrasound stimulation detection system according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, It includes the following steps: S1. Generate an excitation electrical signal through an ultrasonic generator to drive the ultrasonic transducer to emit ultrasonic waves, and use the ultrasonic waves passing through the skull to stimulate the patient's brain. S2. Receive the ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the inner and outer surfaces of the skull through the ultrasonic transducer, and detect the contact condition between the ultrasonic transducer and the patient's scalp and the skull thickness according to the ultrasonic echo signals. S3. Compensate the excitation electrical signal according to the skull thickness detection result to accurately control the ultrasonic intensity introduced into the predetermined stimulation target in the brain.

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