Ultrasonic transducer control method, ultrasonic device, and treatment head

Abstract

The present application discloses an ultrasonic transducer control method, an ultrasonic device, and a treatment head, and relates to the technical field of medical treatment. The method comprises: determining a target tissue comprising a potential, thermally damaged and denatured region; and determining the position corresponding to the target tissue as a focal region position, and controlling an ultrasonic transducer to transmit ultrasonic waves to the focal region position and receiving a corresponding current echo signal, so as to determine the size of the thermally damaged and denatured region at the focal region position by means of a first reflection time difference between an upper boundary interface reflection signal and a lower boundary interface reflection signal among interface reflection signals of the current echo signal.

Description

Ultrasound transducer control method, ultrasound device and treatment head

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410866657.X, filed on June 28, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the field of medical technology, in particular to an ultrasound transducer control method, an ultrasound device and a treatment head. BACKGROUND

[0003] Ultrasound is a kind of high-frequency mechanical wave with tissue penetration and energy deposition. In a therapeutic instrument, an ultrasound transducer can be used to generate ultrasound waves, which act on a living body to form a thermal damage denaturation area through the thermal effect, cavitation effect and mechanical effect generated by the interaction with biological tissues, so as to exert corresponding biological effects.

[0004] Currently, ultrasound beauty and ultrasound fat reduction are two popular fields in the ultrasound treatment field. Ultrasound beauty refers to using the thermal effect of ultrasound waves to heat the skin or subcutaneous tissue of the human body locally to above 60℃, forming a thermal damage denaturation area, promoting the contraction of collagen fibers and the formation of new collagen, so as to achieve medical effects such as lifting, tightening and improving wrinkles; ultrasound fat reduction refers to using the mechanical effect, thermal effect, cavitation effect or comprehensive effect of ultrasound waves to destroy fat tissue in specific areas of the body, such as the abdomen, thighs, hips and upper arms, forming a thermal damage denaturation area, so that the fat tissue is broken, crushed or necrotic, and the amount is reduced, thereby achieving the effect of fat reduction.

[0005] Currently, the energy dose for such ultrasound treatment is mainly determined by pre-setting an output value by the device, which is derived from the experience value of the device manufacturer. However, the tissue characteristics of different populations are different, and the same dose of energy output has different effects on different populations, or the treatment is excessive or insufficient, resulting in difficulty in controlling the size of the thermal damage denaturation area and achieving precise treatment. TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0006] From the above, it can be seen that how to control the ultrasound transducer to precisely control the size of the thermal damage denaturation area is a problem to be solved in the art. TECHNICAL SOLUTION

[0007] Therefore, the purpose of the present application is to provide an ultrasound transducer control method, an ultrasound device and a treatment head, which can control the ultrasound transducer to precisely control the size of the thermal damage denaturation area. The specific scheme is as follows:

[0008] In a first aspect, the present application discloses an ultrasound transducer control method, comprising:

[0009] determining a target tissue containing a potential thermal lesion denaturation region;

[0010] determining a position corresponding to the target tissue as a focal region position, controlling the ultrasound transducer to emit ultrasound waves to the focal region position and receive a corresponding current echo signal, so as to determine a size of the thermal lesion denaturation region on the focal region position by using a first reflection time difference between an upper boundary interface reflection signal and a lower boundary interface reflection signal in the interface reflection signal of the current echo signal.

[0011] In an embodiment, the ultrasound transducer control method further comprises:

[0012] determining a first reflection time of a tissue surface interface reflection signal in the interface reflection signal;

[0013] if a second reflection time difference between a second reflection time of the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the first reflection time is less than a preset time threshold, controlling the ultrasound transducer to stop emitting ultrasound waves.

[0014] In an embodiment, the ultrasound transducer control method further comprises:

[0015] if the size of the thermal lesion denaturation region meets a preset condition, controlling the ultrasound transducer to stop emitting ultrasound waves.

[0016] In an embodiment, the controlling the ultrasound transducer to emit ultrasound waves to the focal region position comprises:

[0017] if the ultrasound waves emitted by the ultrasound transducer are single ultrasound waves, controlling the ultrasound transducer to emit the single ultrasound waves to the focal region position according to a first pulse interval;

[0018] if the ultrasound waves emitted by the ultrasound transducer include at least two kinds of ultrasound waves, controlling the ultrasound transducer to alternately emit the at least two kinds of ultrasound waves to the focal region position according to a second pulse interval.

[0019] In an embodiment, the at least two kinds of ultrasound waves include ultrasound waves for treatment and ultrasound waves for detection, and the single ultrasound waves are ultrasound waves for treatment or ultrasound waves for detection.

[0020] In an embodiment, the ultrasound transducer control method further comprises:

[0021] determining a corresponding pulse interval based on a preset ultrasound wave transmission depth and a propagation speed of ultrasound waves in soft tissue;

[0022] wherein the preset ultrasound wave transmission depth is a depth of transmission of a preconfigured ultrasound wave in the tissue corresponding to the focal region position.

[0023] In an embodiment, the method further comprises:

[0024] determining whether the thermal lesion denaturation region exists in the tissue corresponding to the focal zone position according to the number of the interface reflection signals in the current echo signal.

[0025] In an embodiment, the determining whether the thermal lesion denaturation region exists in the tissue corresponding to the focal zone position according to the number of the interface reflection signals in the current echo signal comprises:

[0026] determining the number of the interface reflection signals in the current echo signal, and determining whether the number of the interface reflection signals is greater than a preset number threshold;

[0027] if the number of the interface reflection signals is greater than the preset number threshold, determining that the thermal lesion denaturation region exists in the tissue corresponding to the focal zone position;

[0028] if the number of the interface reflection signals is not greater than the preset number threshold, determining that the thermal lesion denaturation region does not exist in the tissue corresponding to the focal zone position, and receiving a next echo signal generated between the ultrasound transducer and the focal zone position.

[0029] In an embodiment, the method further comprises:

[0030] comparing the interface reflection signals in the current echo signal with background signals to determine each current newly added interface reflection signal from the interface reflection signals; wherein the background signals are signals obtained by performing ultrasound detection on the focal zone position before treatment;

[0031] determining an upper boundary interface reflection signal and a lower boundary interface reflection signal of the thermal lesion denaturation region from the current newly added interface reflection signals.

[0032] In an embodiment, the determining the size of the thermal lesion denaturation region on the focal zone position using the first reflection time difference between the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the lower boundary interface reflection signal in the interface reflection signals of the current echo signal comprises:

[0033] determining a second reflection time of the upper boundary interface reflection signal and a third reflection time of the lower boundary interface reflection signal in the interface reflection signals of the current echo signal;

[0034] determining the size of the thermal lesion denaturation region using a first reflection time difference between the second reflection time and the third reflection time and a propagation speed of ultrasound in soft tissue.

[0035] In a second aspect, the present application discloses an ultrasonic device, comprising a therapeutic instrument configured with a handle, wherein a therapeutic head comprising an ultrasonic transducer is installed in the handle; and the therapeutic instrument further comprises:

[0036] a memory for saving a computer program;

[0037] a processor for executing the computer program to realize the method disclosed above to complete the control of the ultrasonic transducer.

[0038] In an embodiment, the handle comprises a first handle and a second handle, wherein the first handle emits ultrasonic waves for treatment through its own first ultrasonic transducer, and the second handle emits ultrasonic waves for detection through its own second ultrasonic transducer.

[0039] In an embodiment, the handle is a diagnosis and treatment integrated handle; wherein,

[0040] the diagnosis and treatment integrated handle alternately emits ultrasonic waves for treatment or emits ultrasonic waves for detection through its own single ultrasonic transducer module.

[0041] In an embodiment, the handle is a diagnosis and treatment integrated handle; wherein,

[0042] the diagnosis and treatment integrated handle emits ultrasonic waves for treatment through its own first ultrasonic transducer module and emits ultrasonic waves for detection through its own second ultrasonic transducer module.

[0043] In a third aspect, the present application discloses a therapeutic head, which is the therapeutic head in the ultrasonic device disclosed above. Advantageous effects

[0044] The application has the beneficial effects that: the application determines the target tissue containing a potential thermal damage denaturation area; a position corresponding to the target tissue is determined as a focal domain position, an ultrasonic transducer is controlled to emit ultrasonic waves to the focal domain position and receive a corresponding current echo signal, so as to determine the size of the thermal damage denaturation area on the focal domain position by using a first reflection time difference between an upper boundary interface reflection signal and a lower boundary interface reflection signal in the interface reflection signal of the current echo signal. As can be seen, the application controls the ultrasonic transducer to emit ultrasonic waves to the focal domain position, because reflection occurs when the ultrasonic waves are conducted to the tissue surface, the upper boundary of the thermal damage denaturation area and the lower boundary of the thermal damage denaturation area, that is, a plurality of interface reflection signals are generated, and there is a time difference when the ultrasonic waves are conducted from the upper boundary to the lower boundary of the thermal damage denaturation area, so there is a time difference between the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the lower boundary interface reflection signal in the current echo signal, so the application accurately determines the size of the thermal damage denaturation area by using the first reflection time difference between the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the lower boundary interface reflection signal, so as to reasonably control the ultrasonic transducer to accurately control the size of the thermal damage denaturation area, ensure treatment safety, and improve treatment transparency and credibility. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0045] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or prior art description. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor on the basis of the provided drawings.

[0046] Fig. 1 is a flow chart of an ultrasonic transducer control method disclosed by the present application;

[0047] Fig. 2 is a specific ultrasonic wave emission schematic diagram disclosed by the present application;

[0048] Fig. 3 is a specific thermal damage denaturation area change schematic diagram disclosed by the present application;

[0049] Fig. 4 is a specific interface reflection signal schematic diagram disclosed by the present application;

[0050] Fig. 5 is a structure diagram of a therapeutic instrument disclosed by the present application. Embodiments of the present application

[0051] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0052] Ultrasound is a kind of high-frequency mechanical wave with tissue penetration and energy deposition. In the therapeutic instrument, the ultrasound transducer can generate ultrasound waves, which act on the organism to form a thermal damage denaturation area through the thermal effect, cavitation effect and mechanical effect generated by the interaction with the biological tissue, so as to play a corresponding biological role.

[0053] At present, ultrasound beauty and ultrasound fat reduction are two popular fields in the ultrasound treatment. Ultrasound beauty refers to using the thermal effect of ultrasound to heat the skin or subcutaneous tissue of the human body locally to above 60℃ to form a thermal damage denaturation area, promote the contraction of collagen fibers and the formation of new collagen, so as to achieve medical effects such as lifting, tightening and improving wrinkles; ultrasound fat reduction refers to using the mechanical effect, thermal effect, cavitation effect or comprehensive effect of ultrasound to destroy the fat tissue in a specific area of the body, such as the abdomen, thighs, hips and upper arms, to form a thermal damage denaturation area, so that the fat tissue is broken, crushed or necrotic, and the quantity is reduced, so as to achieve the effect of reducing fat.

[0054] At present, the energy dose of such ultrasound treatment is mainly determined by the pre-set output value of the equipment, which is derived from the experience value of the equipment manufacturer. However, the tissue characteristics of different populations are different, and the same dose of energy output has different effects on different populations, or over-treatment or under-treatment, resulting in difficulty in controlling the size of the thermal damage denaturation area and achieving precise treatment.

[0055] Therefore, the present application correspondingly provides an ultrasound transducer control scheme, which can control the ultrasound transducer to precisely control the size of the thermal damage denaturation area.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 1, the present application discloses an ultrasound transducer control method, comprising:

[0057] Step S11: determining a target tissue containing a potential thermal damage denaturation area.

[0058] When it is currently needed to control the ultrasound transducer to emit ultrasound waves, the target tissue is determined. It can be understood that the target tissue may or may not currently contain a thermal damage denaturation area.

[0059] Step S12: determining a focal domain position corresponding to the target tissue as a focal domain position, controlling the ultrasound transducer to emit ultrasound waves to the focal domain position and receive a corresponding current echo signal, so as to determine the size of the thermal damage denaturation area on the focal domain position by using the first reflection time difference between the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the lower boundary interface reflection signal in the interface reflection signal of the current echo signal.

[0060] After the target tissue is determined, the position corresponding to the target tissue is the focal position. Next, the ultrasound transducer is controlled to emit ultrasound waves to the focal position and receive the corresponding current echo signal. When there is a thermal damage denaturation region, the current echo signal includes the tissue surface interface reflection signal generated by the reflection of the ultrasound waves on the tissue surface, the upper boundary interface reflection signal generated by the reflection of the ultrasound waves on the upper boundary of the thermal damage denaturation region, and the lower boundary interface reflection signal generated by the reflection of the ultrasound waves on the lower boundary of the thermal damage denaturation region. Generally, when the sound wave passes through two media with different acoustic impedances, reflection of the sound wave occurs at the interface of the two media. The greater the difference between the acoustic impedances of the two media, the more obvious the reflection. The reflected waveform at the interface is the interface reflection signal. Because the human body tissue is not a homogeneous medium, when the sound wave transmits in the same kind of tissue, there are also some reflections with small amplitudes.

[0061] In one specific embodiment of controlling the ultrasound transducer to stop emitting ultrasound waves, further comprising: determining the first reflection time of the tissue surface interface reflection signal in the interface reflection signal; and if the second reflection time difference between the second reflection time of the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the first reflection time is less than a preset time threshold, controlling the ultrasound transducer to stop emitting ultrasound waves. In one specific case, the ultrasound waves emitted by the ultrasound transducer reach the tissue surface, the upper boundary of the thermal damage denaturation region, and the lower boundary of the thermal damage denaturation region in turn, for example, a specific thermal damage denaturation region change diagram shown in FIG. 2. During the process of the power ultrasound acting on the deep tissue from the tissue surface, due to the accumulation of ultrasonic heat effect, with the increase of the action time, the thermal damage denaturation region gradually forms and increases in the tissue corresponding to the focal position. The distance from the lower boundary of the thermal damage denaturation region to the tissue surface does not change significantly with time, while the distance from the upper boundary of the thermal damage denaturation region to the tissue surface gradually decreases, that is, the second reflection time difference Δt2 between the first reflection time t1 of the tissue surface interface reflection signal and the second reflection time t2 of the upper boundary interface reflection signal gradually decreases. Therefore, when the second reflection time difference is less than the preset time threshold, the ultrasound transducer should be controlled to stop emitting ultrasound waves, that is, to stop outputting ultrasonic energy, to prevent the focal position from generating a thermal damage denaturation region that is too large, resulting in damage to the epidermis, that is, to reasonably control the emission and stop of the ultrasound waves.

[0062] In another specific embodiment of controlling the ultrasound transducer to stop emitting ultrasound waves, further comprising: if the size of the thermal damage denaturation region meets a preset condition, controlling the ultrasound transducer to stop emitting ultrasound waves. With the increase of the action time of the ultrasound waves, the thermal damage denaturation region continuously expands. When the size of the thermal damage denaturation region is greater than a threshold value, it can be determined that the size of the thermal damage denaturation region meets the preset condition, and therefore the ultrasound transducer can be controlled to stop emitting ultrasound waves to accurately control the size of the thermal damage denaturation region.

[0063] In an embodiment, when the second reflection time difference is less than the preset time threshold, and / or the size of the thermal denaturation region meets the preset condition, the ultrasonic transducer can be controlled to stop emitting ultrasonic waves based on a user-issued ultrasonic wave stop-emitting instruction, or can be automatically controlled to stop emitting ultrasonic waves. Both methods can achieve the control of the ultrasonic transducer to stop emitting ultrasonic waves, which can be pre-set according to specific use scenarios.

[0064] In this embodiment, the control of the ultrasonic transducer to emit ultrasonic waves to the focal region position includes: if the ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transducer is a single ultrasonic wave, the first pulse interval is used to control the ultrasonic transducer to emit the single ultrasonic wave to the focal region position; and if the ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transducer includes at least two ultrasonic waves, the second pulse interval is used to control the ultrasonic transducer to alternately emit the at least two ultrasonic waves to the focal region position.

[0065] If the ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transducer is a single ultrasonic wave, the first pulse interval is used to control the ultrasonic transducer to emit the single ultrasonic wave to the focal region position, for example, the single ultrasonic wave is emitted to the focal region position every 0.1 ms. It should be noted that the single ultrasonic wave is distinguished by function in this embodiment, that is, the function of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transducer is only one, that is, the single ultrasonic wave.

[0066] If the ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transducer includes at least two ultrasonic waves, the second pulse interval is used to control the ultrasonic transducer to alternately emit the at least two ultrasonic waves to the focal region position, that is, the first ultrasonic wave and the second ultrasonic wave are emitted in a loop, for example, the sequence of the emitted ultrasonic waves is the first ultrasonic wave A1, the second ultrasonic wave B1, the first ultrasonic wave A2, the second ultrasonic wave B2, …, the first ultrasonic wave An-1, the second ultrasonic wave Bn-1, the first ultrasonic wave An, and the second ultrasonic wave Bn, wherein the pulse interval PI1 between the first ultrasonic wave An-1 and the second ultrasonic wave Bn-1 and the pulse interval PI2 between the second ultrasonic wave Bn-1 and the first ultrasonic wave An can be the same or different, which can be set according to specific use scenarios.

[0067] The ultrasonic device includes a therapeutic instrument, the therapeutic instrument includes a handle, the handle is installed with a treatment head including an ultrasonic transducer, the ultrasonic transducer includes a module for emitting ultrasonic waves. In order to control the ultrasonic transducer to emit at least two ultrasonic waves, if the therapeutic instrument includes two handles, the first handle emits ultrasonic waves for treatment through the first ultrasonic transducer of the first handle, and the second handle emits ultrasonic waves for detection through the second ultrasonic transducer of the second handle. In actual operation, the first handle and the second handle can be alternately used, or the first handle and the second handle can be used in a non-fixed order. After treatment by the first handle, the treatment effect is detected by the second handle.

[0068] In one embodiment of the present application, the treatment instrument comprises a diagnosis and treatment integrated handle, and the emission of treatment ultrasound and the detection of ultrasound can be realized by a single handle. When the ultrasound transducer module in the diagnosis and treatment integrated handle is a single module, the diagnosis and treatment integrated handle can emit ultrasound for treatment or emit ultrasound for detection by the single ultrasound transducer module itself. When the ultrasound transducer module in the diagnosis and treatment integrated handle is a double module, the diagnosis and treatment integrated handle can also emit ultrasound for treatment by the first ultrasound transducer module itself and emit ultrasound for detection by the second ultrasound transducer module itself.

[0069] In the present embodiment, the at least two kinds of ultrasound include ultrasound for treatment and ultrasound for detection, and the single ultrasound is ultrasound for treatment or ultrasound for detection. The at least two kinds of ultrasound include ultrasound for treatment and ultrasound for detection, that is, the first kind of ultrasound is ultrasound for treatment, and the second kind of ultrasound is ultrasound for detection. If the ultrasound emitted by the ultrasound transducer includes at least two kinds of ultrasound, the current echo signal received can be set to be a signal reflected by ultrasound for treatment and a signal reflected by ultrasound for detection, that is, the current echo signal includes two kinds of echo signals, the current echo signal Ea includes respective interface reflection signals reflected by ultrasound for treatment when reaching the tissue surface, the upper boundary of the thermal damage denaturation region and the lower boundary of the thermal damage denaturation region, and the current echo signal Eb includes respective interface reflection signals reflected by ultrasound for treatment when reaching the tissue surface, the upper boundary of the thermal damage denaturation region and the lower boundary of the thermal damage denaturation region. The single ultrasound is ultrasound for treatment or ultrasound for detection, so that the current echo signal received is only one kind, and the current echo signal E includes respective interface reflection signals reflected by ultrasound for treatment, or the current echo signal E is respective interface reflection signals reflected by ultrasound for detection. The user can make specific settings according to the specific use scene.

[0070] In the present embodiment, it also includes determining the corresponding pulse interval based on the preset ultrasound transmission depth and the propagation speed of ultrasound in soft tissue; wherein the preset ultrasound transmission depth is the depth of the pre-configured transmission of ultrasound in the tissue corresponding to the focal region position. The pulse interval of ultrasound can be determined according to the preset ultrasound transmission depth x and the propagation speed v of ultrasound in soft tissue. The preset ultrasound transmission depth is the depth x of the pre-configured transmission of ultrasound in the tissue corresponding to the focal region position by the user according to the specific use scene. The specific pulse interval PI is determined according to the following formula:

[0071] PI≥2x / v;

[0072] For example, in the field of ultrasonic beauty or ultrasonic fat reduction, the distance from the transducer to the deepest layer of the tissue where the ultrasound wave acts is set to 7 cm, so the preset ultrasound transmission depth x is 0.07 m, and the propagation speed v of the ultrasound wave in soft tissue is 1540 m / s, so the treatment pulse interval PI is greater than or equal to 100 μs.

[0073] In this embodiment, it is also determined whether the thermal damage denaturation region exists at the focal region position according to the number of interface reflection signals in the current echo signal. When the ultrasound wave propagates from one medium to another medium, due to the existence of the interface, part of the ultrasound wave will be reflected, and part of the ultrasound wave will be refracted. For example, in a specific ultrasonic emission diagram shown in FIG. 3, when the ultrasound wave vertically irradiates the tissue surface at the focal region position, the reflected wave propagates in the opposite direction along the original direction, that is, the echo signal is generated, and the refracted wave propagates along the original direction of the ultrasound wave, that is, even if the thermal damage denaturation region does not exist, the received echo signal also includes the tissue surface interface reflection signal generated by the reflection of the ultrasound wave on the tissue surface, and when the thermal damage denaturation region exists, the current echo signal includes the tissue surface interface reflection signal generated by the reflection of the ultrasound wave on the tissue surface, the upper boundary interface reflection signal generated by the reflection of the ultrasound wave on the upper boundary of the thermal damage denaturation region, and the lower boundary interface reflection signal generated by the reflection of the ultrasound wave on the lower boundary of the thermal damage denaturation region, so in this way, whether the thermal damage denaturation region exists at the focal region position can be determined according to the number of interface reflection signals in the current echo signal.

[0074] In the embodiment, the determining whether the thermal lesion denaturation region exists in the focus region position according to the number of interface reflection signals in the current echo signal comprises: determining the number of interface reflection signals in the current echo signal, and judging whether the number of interface reflection signals is greater than a preset number threshold; if the number of interface reflection signals is greater than the preset number threshold, it is determined that the thermal lesion denaturation region exists in the tissue corresponding to the focus region position; if the number of interface reflection signals is not greater than the preset number threshold, it is determined that the thermal lesion denaturation region does not exist in the tissue corresponding to the focus region position, and the next echo signal generated between the ultrasonic transducer and the focus region position is received. It can be understood that when the thermal lesion denaturation region does not exist in the tissue corresponding to the focus region position, the current echo signal received does not contain the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the lower boundary interface reflection signal, and may contain the tissue surface interface reflection signal, which is the tissue surface interface reflection signal reflected when the ultrasonic wave is emitted to the tissue surface of the focus region position. When the thermal lesion denaturation region exists in the tissue corresponding to the focus region position, the current echo signal received should contain the tissue surface interface reflection signal, the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the lower boundary interface reflection signal. For example, a specific interface reflection signal diagram shown in FIG. 4, wherein FIG. 4(a) and (b) are respectively ultrasonic detection echo signal diagrams before and during skin cosmetic treatment, and FIG. 4(c) and (d) are respectively ultrasonic detection echo diagrams before and during fat reduction treatment, the horizontal axis t represents the time of receiving the signal, and the vertical axis A represents the amplitude intensity. As can be seen from FIG. 4(a) and (c), in the ultrasonic echo signal of the skin before treatment, the interface reflection signals mainly include the interface reflection signals of the ultrasonic treatment head emission window and the skin tissue layer structure (such as the interface reflection signals of the tissue epidermis, the dermis layer and the subcutaneous tissue, etc.). It can be understood that in the implementation of skin cosmetic treatment, the interface reflection below the dermis layer is not shown because the deeper tissue is not involved. For FIG. 4(b), in the skin cosmetic treatment, the thermal lesion denaturation region (mainly solidification) is generated, and the echo signal increases the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the lower boundary interface reflection signal of the thermal lesion denaturation region. For FIG. 4(d), in the fat reduction treatment, the thermal lesion denaturation region (mainly liquefaction) is generated, and the echo signal increases the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the lower boundary interface reflection signal of the thermal lesion denaturation region. The reflection signal between the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the lower boundary interface reflection signal is weakened and shows a downward trend.Therefore, the number of interface reflection signals after treatment is greater than that before treatment, i.e., whether the thermal damage denaturation region exists in the tissue corresponding to the focal position can be determined according to the size relationship between the number of interface reflection signals in the current echo signal and the preset number threshold, wherein the preset number threshold can be determined according to the number of signals obtained by ultrasonic detection on the focal position before treatment, i.e., the preset number threshold is determined according to the number of background signals. For example, the number of interface reflection signals of the background signal before treatment is 2, the preset number threshold is set to 2, the number of interface reflection signals in the current echo signal is 4, and it is indicated that the thermal damage denaturation region is generated. In an embodiment of the present application, whether the fat reduction treatment is normally performed can be further determined by judging whether the signal sagging region between the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the lower boundary interface reflection signal of the thermal damage appears.

[0075] In the embodiment, the interface reflection signals in the current echo signal are compared with the background signal to determine each current newly added interface reflection signal from the interface reflection signals, wherein the background signal is a signal obtained by ultrasonic detection on the focal position before treatment; the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the lower boundary interface reflection signal of the thermal damage denaturation region are determined from the current newly added interface reflection signal. The background signal is obtained by ultrasonic detection on the focal position before treatment, i.e., the signal before treatment in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(c). It can be understood that because the thermal damage denaturation region does not exist in the focal position before treatment, the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the lower boundary interface reflection signal should not exist in the background signal, and then after the treatment starts, the current newly added interface reflection signal in the current echo signal relative to the background signal is the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the lower boundary interface reflection signal, as shown in FIGS. 4(b) and 4(d). The upper boundary interface reflection signal is a signal reflected by the upper boundary of the thermal damage denaturation region of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transducer, and the lower boundary interface reflection signal is a signal reflected by the lower boundary of the thermal damage denaturation region of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transducer. Therefore, the reflection time of the upper boundary interface reflection signal is earlier than that of the lower boundary interface reflection signal, so the signal with the earliest reflection time in the current newly added interface reflection signal is the upper boundary interface reflection signal of the thermal damage denaturation region, and the signal with the latest reflection time in the current newly added interface reflection signal is the lower boundary interface reflection signal of the thermal damage denaturation region.

[0076] In the embodiment, the first reflection time difference between the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the lower boundary interface reflection signal in the interface reflection signal of the current echo signal is used to determine the size of the thermal damage denaturation region at the focal region position, which comprises: determining the second reflection time of the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the third reflection time of the lower boundary interface reflection signal in the interface reflection signal of the current echo signal; and using the first reflection time difference between the second reflection time and the third reflection time and the propagation speed of the ultrasonic wave in the soft tissue to determine the size of the thermal damage denaturation region. As shown in FIG. 4(b) and FIG. 4(d), the second reflection time of the upper boundary interface reflection signal is t2 / t2', and the third reflection time of the lower boundary interface reflection signal is t3 / t3', the first reflection time difference between the second reflection time t2 / t2' and the third reflection time t3 / t3' is Δt1 / Δt1', because the treatment instrument can be continuously manually slid or treated at multiple points on the skin, in these cases, the denaturation regions are connected due to thermal diffusion, therefore, the size of the denaturation region can be determined based on the depth of the denaturation region, wherein the depth of the denaturation region can be determined by using the first reflection time difference Δt1 / Δt1' and the propagation speed of the ultrasonic wave in the soft tissue, and then the size of the thermal damage denaturation region is determined, that is, a first mapping relationship between the first reflection time difference and the size of the thermal damage denaturation region can be directly set, then when the first reflection time difference is determined, the size of the thermal damage denaturation region can be determined, and a second mapping relationship between the depth of the thermal damage denaturation region and the size of the thermal damage denaturation region can also be set, that is, when the first reflection time difference is determined, the depth of the thermal damage denaturation region needs to be determined according to the first reflection time difference and the propagation speed of the ultrasonic wave in the soft tissue, and then the size of the thermal damage denaturation region is determined, which provides direct feedback on the treatment effect for the doctor and the patient, enhances the transparency and trustworthiness of the treatment process, and through real-time monitoring, the size of the treatment region can be more accurately controlled, unnecessary energy waste is avoided, and the treatment efficiency is improved.

[0077] For the fat reduction treatment scheme as shown in FIG. 4(c) and FIG. 4(d), it is generally desired to limit the fat reduction region to the subcutaneous fat layer, in this embodiment, the interface reflection signal includes the first reflection time t1' of the interface reflection signal of the tissue surface between the dermis layer and the subcutaneous tissue, as the treatment time increases, the thermal damage upper boundary gradually moves forward, the second reflection time difference Δt2' between the second reflection time t2' of the interface reflection signal of the thermal damage upper boundary and the second reflection time t1' gradually decreases, when the second reflection time difference Δt2' is less than a preset time threshold, it is considered that the treatment is completed, and the ultrasonic transducer stops emitting ultrasonic waves.

[0078] The application has the advantages that the target tissue containing a potential thermal damage denaturation region is determined, the position corresponding to the target tissue is determined as a focal region position, the ultrasonic transducer is controlled to emit ultrasonic waves to the focal region position and receive a corresponding current echo signal, so that the size of the thermal damage denaturation region on the focal region position is determined by using a first reflection time difference between an upper boundary interface reflection signal and a lower boundary interface reflection signal in the interface reflection signal of the current echo signal. As can be seen, the ultrasonic transducer is controlled to emit ultrasonic waves to the focal region position, because reflection occurs when the ultrasonic waves are conducted to the tissue surface, the upper boundary of the thermal damage denaturation region and the lower boundary of the thermal damage denaturation region, that is, a plurality of interface reflection signals are generated, and there is a time difference when the ultrasonic waves are conducted from the upper boundary to the lower boundary of the thermal damage denaturation region, so there is a time difference between the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the lower boundary interface reflection signal in the current echo signal. Therefore, the size of the thermal damage denaturation region is accurately determined by using the first reflection time difference between the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the lower boundary interface reflection signal, so that the ultrasonic transducer is reasonably controlled to accurately control the size of the thermal damage denaturation region, ensure treatment safety, and improve treatment transparency and credibility.

[0079] In an embodiment, the application also provides an ultrasonic device. The ultrasonic device can specifically include a treatment instrument configured with a handle, and the handle is installed with a treatment head containing an ultrasonic transducer. The ultrasonic device can specifically include a treatment instrument, and the treatment instrument includes a single handle or double handles. When the single handle is used, the handle is a handle integrating diagnosis and treatment. When the double handles are used, each handle is used for treatment and detection respectively. The handle includes a handle body and a treatment head, and the treatment head is installed with an ultrasonic transducer containing a module for emitting ultrasonic waves.

[0080] In a specific embodiment, the handle includes a first handle and a second handle, the first handle emits ultrasonic waves for treatment through a first ultrasonic transducer of the first handle, and the second handle emits ultrasonic waves for detection through a second ultrasonic transducer of the second handle. The handle in the treatment instrument includes double handles (i.e. the first handle and the second handle), one of the handles emits ultrasonic waves for treatment through a module of an ultrasonic transducer of the handle, and the other handle emits ultrasonic waves for detection through a module of an ultrasonic transducer of the handle.

[0081] In another specific embodiment, the handle is a diagnosis and treatment integrated handle; wherein the diagnosis and treatment integrated handle transmits ultrasonic waves for treatment or transmits ultrasonic waves for detection through a single ultrasonic transducer module of the handle; or the diagnosis and treatment integrated handle transmits ultrasonic waves for treatment through a first ultrasonic transducer module of the handle and transmits ultrasonic waves for detection through a second ultrasonic transducer module of the handle. The handle of the therapeutic instrument is a diagnosis and treatment integrated handle, that is, a handle integrating detection and treatment, which is more convenient to operate. The handle can transmit ultrasonic waves for treatment or transmit ultrasonic waves for detection through a single ultrasonic transducer module to realize the alternate transmission of ultrasonic waves for treatment and ultrasonic waves for detection. Alternatively, the handle can realize the alternate transmission of ultrasonic waves for treatment and ultrasonic waves for detection through a double ultrasonic transducer module of the handle, that is, the handle can transmit ultrasonic waves for treatment through a first ultrasonic transducer module and transmit ultrasonic waves for detection through a second ultrasonic transducer module of the handle.

[0082] Fig. 5 is a structure diagram of the therapeutic instrument 20 according to an exemplary embodiment, and the content in the figure should not be considered as any limitation on the use range of the present application.

[0083] Fig. 5 is a structure diagram of the therapeutic instrument according to an embodiment of the present application. The therapeutic instrument further comprises at least one processor 21, at least one memory 22, a power supply 23, a communication interface 24, an input / output interface 25 and a communication bus 26. The memory 22 is configured to store a computer program, and the processor 21 is configured to load and execute the computer program to implement the related steps in the method disclosed in any of the preceding embodiments.

[0084] In the embodiment, the power supply 23 is configured to provide working voltage for each hardware device on the therapeutic instrument; the communication interface 24 is configured to create a data transmission channel between the therapeutic instrument and external devices, and the communication protocol followed by the communication interface 24 is any communication protocol applicable to the technical solution of the present application, which is not limited in detail herein; the input / output interface 25 is configured to obtain external input data or output data to the outside, and the specific interface type can be selected according to the specific application needs, which is not limited in detail herein.

[0085] The processor 21 can include one or more processing cores, such as a 4-core processor, an 8-core processor, etc. The processor 21 can be implemented in at least one of a hardware form of a DSP (Digital Signal Processing), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a PLA (Programmable Logic Array). The processor 21 can also include a main processor and a coprocessor, the main processor being a processor for processing data in an awake state, also known as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and the coprocessor being a low-power processor for processing data in a standby state. In some embodiments, the processor 21 can be integrated with a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) that is responsible for rendering and drawing the content required to be displayed by the display screen. In some embodiments, the processor 21 can further include an AI (Artificial Intelligence) processor for processing machine learning-related computing operations.

[0086] In addition, the memory 22, as a carrier for storing resources, can be a read-only memory, a random access memory, a magnetic disk or an optical disk, etc., and the resources stored thereon include an operating system 221, a computer program 222 and data 223, etc., and the storage mode can be temporary storage or permanent storage.

[0087] The operating system 221 is used to manage and control various hardware devices on the therapeutic instrument and the computer program 222 to realize the operation and processing of the processor 21 on the mass data 223 in the memory 22, and can be Windows, Unix, Linux, etc. The computer program 222 can further include computer programs for completing other specific work in addition to the computer programs for completing the method disclosed by the therapeutic instrument in any of the foregoing embodiments. The data 223 can include data received by the therapeutic instrument from external devices and data collected by the self input / output interface 25, etc.

[0088] In an embodiment, the application also discloses a treatment head, which is the treatment head in the above-mentioned ultrasonic device. The ultrasonic device includes the treatment head, the treatment head includes an ultrasonic transducer, and the ultrasonic transducer is installed with a module for emitting ultrasonic waves. The module is used for emitting ultrasonic waves for treatment and ultrasonic waves for detection to a focal region position, forming a thermal damage denaturation area in the corresponding tissue on the focal region position, and completing ultrasonic ablation according to the size of the thermal damage denaturation area.

[0089] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. For the ultrasound equipment and treatment head disclosed in the embodiments, since they correspond to the methods disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the method section.

[0090] Finally, it should be noted that in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0091] The solution provided in this application has been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic transducer control method, wherein, The method comprises: determining a target tissue containing a potential thermal lesion denaturation region; determining a position corresponding to the target tissue as a focal region position, controlling the ultrasonic transducer to emit ultrasonic waves to the focal region position and receive a corresponding current echo signal, so as to determine a size of the thermal lesion denaturation region on the focal region position by using a first reflection time difference between an upper boundary interface reflection signal and a lower boundary interface reflection signal in the interface reflection signal of the current echo signal.

2. The ultrasonic transducer control method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: determining a first reflection time of a tissue surface interface reflection signal in the interface reflection signal; if a second reflection time difference between the second reflection time of the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the first reflection time is less than a preset time threshold, controlling the ultrasonic transducer to stop emitting ultrasonic waves.

3. The ultrasonic transducer control method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: if the size of the thermal lesion denaturation region meets a preset condition, controlling the ultrasonic transducer to stop emitting ultrasonic waves.

4. The ultrasonic transducer control method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: if the ultrasonic waves emitted by the ultrasonic transducer are single ultrasonic waves, controlling the ultrasonic transducer to emit the single ultrasonic waves to the focal region position according to a first pulse interval; if the ultrasonic waves emitted by the ultrasonic transducer include at least two kinds of ultrasonic waves, controlling the ultrasonic transducer to alternately emit the at least two kinds of ultrasonic waves to the focal region position according to a second pulse interval.

5. The ultrasonic transducer control method of claim 4, wherein, The at least two kinds of ultrasonic waves include ultrasonic waves for treatment and ultrasonic waves for detection, and the single ultrasonic waves are ultrasonic waves for treatment or ultrasonic waves for detection.

6. The ultrasonic transducer control method of claim 4, wherein, The method further comprises: determining a corresponding pulse interval based on a preset ultrasonic wave transmission depth and a propagation speed of ultrasonic waves in soft tissue; wherein the preset ultrasonic wave transmission depth is a depth of transmission of ultrasonic waves in a tissue corresponding to the focal region position.

7. The ultrasonic transducer control method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The method further comprises: determining whether the thermal lesion denaturation region exists on the focal region position according to a number of interface reflection signals in the current echo signal.

8. The ultrasonic transducer control method of claim 7, wherein, The method of determining whether the thermal lesion denaturation region exists on the focal region position according to the number of interface reflection signals in the current echo signal comprises: determining the number of interface reflection signals in the current echo signal, and judging whether the number of interface reflection signals is greater than a preset number threshold; if the number of interface reflection signals is greater than the preset number threshold, determining that the thermal lesion denaturation region exists in the tissue corresponding to the focal region position; if the number of interface reflection signals is not greater than the preset number threshold, determining that the thermal lesion denaturation region does not exist in the tissue corresponding to the focal region position, and receiving a next echo signal generated between the ultrasonic transducer and the focal region position.

9. The ultrasonic transducer control method of claim 8, wherein, The method further comprises: comparing the interface reflection signals in the current echo signal with a background signal to determine each current newly added interface reflection signal from the interface reflection signals; wherein the background signal is a signal obtained by ultrasonic detection on the focal region position before treatment. The upper boundary interface reflection signal and the lower boundary interface reflection signal of the thermal damage denaturation region are determined from the current newly added interface reflection signal.

10. The ultrasonic transducer control method of claim 1, wherein, The size of the thermal damage denaturation region at the focal region position is determined by using the first reflection time difference between the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the lower boundary interface reflection signal in the interface reflection signal of the current echo signal, and the method comprises the following steps: The second reflection time of the upper boundary interface reflection signal and the third reflection time of the lower boundary interface reflection signal in the interface reflection signal of the current echo signal are determined. The size of the thermal damage denaturation region is determined by using the first reflection time difference between the second reflection time and the third reflection time and the propagation speed of the ultrasonic wave in the soft tissue.

11. An ultrasound device, wherein, The ultrasonic device comprises a treatment instrument configured with a handle, and the handle is installed with a treatment head comprising an ultrasonic transducer; and the treatment instrument further comprises: a memory for saving a computer program; a processor for executing the computer program to realize the method of any one of claims 1 to 10 to complete the control of the ultrasonic transducer.

12. The ultrasound device of claim 11, wherein, The handle comprises a first handle and a second handle, the first handle emits ultrasonic waves for treatment through its own first ultrasonic transducer, and the second handle emits ultrasonic waves for detection through its own second ultrasonic transducer.

13. The ultrasound device of claim 11, wherein, The handle is a diagnosis and treatment integrated handle; wherein the diagnosis and treatment integrated handle alternately emits ultrasonic waves for treatment or emits ultrasonic waves for detection through its own single ultrasonic transducer module.

14. The ultrasound device of claim 11, wherein, The handle is a diagnosis and treatment integrated handle; wherein the diagnosis and treatment integrated handle emits ultrasonic waves for treatment through its own first ultrasonic transducer module and emits ultrasonic waves for detection through its own second ultrasonic transducer module.

15. A treatment head, wherein, The treatment head is the treatment head in the ultrasonic device of any one of claims 11 to 14. The treatment head is the treatment head in the ultrasonic device of any one of claims 11 to 14.

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