Ultrasonic irradiation device

Abstract

Provided is a novel ultrasonic irradiation device that makes it possible to achieve easy operability and that can be used in the treatment of cardiac disease. An ultrasonic irradiation device 100 according to the present invention is a sheet-like member that is flexible and that can be attached to the body surface of the chest of a person, said ultrasonic irradiation device 100 comprising: a probe 10 that is capable of at least transmitting ultrasonic waves; and a control unit 11 or control device 1 that controls the probe 10 so as to cause the probe 10 to transmit ultrasonic waves at a prescribed intensity and prescribed intervals. The width dimension in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the probe 10 spans two intercostal spaces and is not less than 50 mm.

Description

Ultrasonic irradiation device

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasound irradiation device for irradiating ultrasound into, for example, the human body.

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Ultrasound diagnostic devices are known that transmit ultrasound waves into the body of a subject using an ultrasound probe and generate diagnostic ultrasound images based on signals obtained from ultrasound echoes received by reflection of the ultrasound waves.

[0003] For example, cardiac ultrasound (echocardiography), which generates diagnostic ultrasound images by transmitting and receiving ultrasound waves to and from the heart (chest), is a commonly used method for diagnosing heart disease because it is non-invasive for the subject.

[0004] However, the general use of ultrasound irradiation technology for the heart (chest) is limited to generating diagnostic ultrasound images, i.e., diagnostic applications. Furthermore, because ultrasound waves are reflected by bones, handling conventional ultrasound probes requires highly advanced skills. For these reasons, in the technical field of irradiating ultrasound into the human body, ultrasound irradiation devices have not been widely used for therapeutic purposes.

[0005] JP 2024-076243 A

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel ultrasound irradiation device that can be easily operated and can be used to treat heart diseases.

[0007] This invention is characterized by an ultrasound irradiation device that is a flexible sheet-like member that can be attached to the surface of a person's chest, and that includes a probe that is capable of transmitting at least ultrasound waves, and a control unit that controls the probe to transmit ultrasound waves from the probe at a predetermined intensity and interval, and the width dimension of the probe in one direction is 50 mm or more.

[0008] This invention provides a novel ultrasound irradiation device that can be easily operated and used to treat heart disease.

[0009] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an ultrasound irradiation device of the present invention; 2 is a plan view showing the contour shape of a probe; 3 is a side view showing the configuration of a probe; 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the installation position of a probe relative to a human body; 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the installation position of a probe relative to a rib; 6 is a flow diagram showing the processing of a treatment method of an embodiment using an ultrasound irradiation device; 7 is a flow diagram showing the processing of a treatment method of a modified embodiment using an ultrasound irradiation device; 8 is a plan view showing the contour shape of a probe of a modified embodiment;

[0010] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an ultrasonic irradiation device 100. As shown in Fig. 1, the ultrasonic irradiation device 100 includes a control device 1, a probe (ultrasonic probe) 10, and a switch (operation switch) 19.

[0012] The ultrasound irradiation device 100 of this embodiment is provided for, for example, irradiating ultrasound onto the chest of a person who has received intravascular administration of a contrast agent (microbubble contrast agent) containing microbubbles (microbubbles or nanobubbles), thereby collapsing the microbubbles. The microbubble contrast agent is, for example, administered into the veins of the person receiving the ultrasound (the subject). The ultrasound irradiation device 100 is used to treat people by utilizing the effects of ultrasound on microbubbles, such as the mechanical action of the microbubbles vibrating when exposed to ultrasound or the mechanical action of the microbubbles collapsing. Note that the type of microbubble contrast agent is not particularly limited. For example, a contrast agent such as perflutren fat microsphere contrast agent can be used.

[0013] The probe 10 is a member that can be brought into contact with the body surface of the chest (front of the chest) of the irradiation subject and is capable of transmitting at least ultrasonic waves. In this specification, based on the case where the probe 10 is attached to the chest, the head side of the irradiation subject is defined as the upper side, the foot side of the irradiation subject is defined as the lower side, the right hand side when the irradiation subject faces forward is defined as the right direction, and the left hand side when the irradiation subject faces forward is defined as the left direction.

[0014] The probe 10 is provided with a plurality of transducers (ultrasound transducers). Each transducer transmits ultrasound waves upon receiving a drive signal (voltage pulse) transmitted from the control device 1. This allows the probe 10 to transmit and receive ultrasound waves (wave reception), i.e., transmit and receive (transmit and receive). For example, ultrasound waves can be transmitted toward the inside of the subject's body, thereby irradiating microbubbles in blood vessels with the ultrasound waves. Each transducer of the probe 10 according to the present invention also has the function of receiving ultrasound waves. Specifically, each transducer of the probe 10 receives ultrasound waves (reflected waves) including backscattered waves backscattered within the body of the subject (irradiation subject) to be irradiated with ultrasound waves, converts them into a predetermined signal (received signal), and transmits the signal to the control device 1.

[0015] The control device 1 is a device for controlling the operation of the probe 10. The control device 1 includes a control unit 11, a transmission processing unit 12, a reception processing unit 13, a luminance change detection unit 14, a luminance change output unit 15, a power supply control unit 16, an operation input unit 17, and an auxiliary storage unit 18. The transmission processing unit 12, the reception processing unit 13, the luminance change detection unit 14, the luminance change output unit 15, the power supply control unit 16, the operation input unit 17, and the auxiliary storage unit 18 are each electrically connected to the control unit 11 (so that signals that can be processed by a computer can be transmitted and received between them).

[0016] The control unit 11 includes a calculation unit 11a and a main memory unit 11b, and executes various calculations and control operations in the control device 1 (ultrasound irradiation device 100). The calculation unit 11a is an arithmetic processing unit having a CPU or an MPU, etc. The main memory unit 11b has a RAM (DRAM) and a ROM, etc. The RAM is used as a work area and buffer area for the calculation unit 11a. Program data stored in the auxiliary memory unit 18 and data required for program execution, etc., are appropriately expanded in the RAM. The ROM stores the startup program of the control device 1, the operating program for operating the probe 10, default values ​​for various information, etc.

[0017] The transmission processing unit 12 generates a drive signal (voltage pulse) and outputs it to each transducer of the probe 10. For example, the transmission processing unit 12 includes a fundamental wave generating circuit, a drive circuit, etc. The fundamental wave generating circuit generates a fundamental wave for each transducer to form a transmission ultrasound wave under the control of the control unit 11 or a dedicated control circuit. The drive circuit applies a drive signal to each transducer of the probe 10 based on the fundamental wave.

[0018] The reception processing unit 13 receives reception signals generated by receiving reflected waves from each transducer of the probe 10. For example, the reception processing unit 13 has an amplifier, an A / D conversion circuit, a filter processing circuit, etc., and performs various processes such as amplification processing, A / D conversion processing, and filtering processing on the received echo signals.

[0019] The luminance change detection unit 14 detects a temporal change in the intensity of the backscattered waves (intensity change: luminance change) from the received signal corresponding to the reflected wave received by the reception processing unit 13. That is, the luminance change detection unit 14 detects a change in the intensity of the entire backscattered waves by integrating the intensity of the backscattered waves using an ultrasonic backscatter signal (integrated backscatter: IBS) corresponding to the backscattered waves.

[0020] The luminance change output unit 15 outputs the intensity change (luminance change) of the backscattered wave generated by the luminance change detection unit 14. In other words, the luminance change output unit 15 presents (visualizes) the intensity change (luminance change) of the backscattered wave to a user of the control device 1 (ultrasound irradiation device 100). For example, the luminance change output unit 15 is connected to a display (indicator) and causes the luminance change generated by the luminance change detection unit 14 to be displayed on the display. The display may be provided in the control device 1 or may be an external display provided separately from the control device 1.

[0021] The power supply control unit 16 receives power from a battery provided in the ultrasonic irradiation device 100 or an external power supply, and supplies the necessary power to each unit of the control device 1 or the ultrasonic irradiation device 100.

[0022] The operation input unit 17 includes an input component that accepts an operation input from the user of the control device 1, and an input detection circuit interposed between the input component and the calculation unit 11a. In this embodiment, the input component has, for example, a switch (start switch) 19 for receiving an operation input to start ultrasonic irradiation. The switch 19 may be a hardware operation key (hardware key) or a software key provided on a touch panel (touch input means). The control device 1 may also have input components other than the switch 19 (for example, an end switch for receiving an operation input to end ultrasonic irradiation). The input detection circuit outputs an operation signal or operation data corresponding to the operation (operation input) of each input component such as the switch 19 to the calculation unit 11a.

[0023] The auxiliary storage unit 18 is composed of other non-volatile memories such as an HDD, an SSD, a flash memory, an EEPROM, etc. The auxiliary storage unit 18 stores a control program 20 for executing various operations of the control device 1 and control data 21 necessary for the operation of the control device 1.

[0024] The control program 20 and the control data 21 are read from the auxiliary storage unit 18 as needed and stored (expanded) in the main storage unit 11b (RAM). The operation of the control device 1 is realized by the calculation unit 11a executing the control program 20 expanded in the main storage unit 11b (RAM).

[0025] The control program 20 includes programs for executing various operations of the control device 1. For example, the control program 20 includes a program for transmitting ultrasound using the probe 10 (transmission program), a program for receiving ultrasound using the probe 10 (reception program), a program for detecting luminance changes according to received signals (luminance change detection program), a program for outputting (visualizing) luminance changes (luminance change output program), and a program for supplying power required for each unit of the control device 1 (power supply control program). Note that the transmission program, reception program, luminance change detection program, and luminance change output program may be omitted if the transmission processing unit 12, the reception processing unit 13, the luminance change detection unit 14, the luminance change output unit 15, and the power supply control unit 16 are each designed as a dedicated circuit, and are stored in the auxiliary storage unit 18 as needed.

[0026] The control data 21 includes data for generating a voltage pulse which is a drive signal (drive signal generation data), data for a received signal (received signal data), data for detecting a change in brightness (brightness change detection data), data for outputting a change in brightness (brightness change output data), and other data necessary for the operation of the control device 1.

[0027] The configuration of the control device 1 and ultrasonic irradiation device 100 shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and is not limited to this, and can be changed as appropriate according to the specifications of the control device 1 and other requirements.

[0028] Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the contour shape of the probe 10. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the configuration of the probe 10. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the installation position of the probe 10 relative to the human body. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the installation position of the probe relative to the ribs. The configuration of the probe 10 of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 2 to 5.

[0029] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the probe 10 is formed in a sheet shape (thin plate shape). The thickness of the probe 10 is approximately 2 mm to 3 mm. The probe 10 is flexible and can be bent freely in the thickness direction. A plurality of vibrators are arranged on one of the main surfaces of the probe 10. The plurality of vibrators may be arranged in a plane by being aligned in one direction, or may be arranged in a plane by being aligned in a matrix.

[0030] One of the main surfaces of the probe 10 (the surface on which multiple transducers are arranged) serves as the contact surface that contacts (makes contact with) the body surface of the subject. The contact surface of the probe 10 may be provided with a matching layer to improve the passage of ultrasound into the subject's body. A flexible resin material with an acoustic impedance value relatively close to that of the human body may be used as a material for the matching layer. Furthermore, a protective layer made of rubber or a resin material may be provided on the main surface of the probe 10 facing the contact surface (the non-contact surface). In the present invention, multiple transducers are arranged over the entire contact surface of the probe 10. In other words, ultrasound can be transmitted and received over the entire area of ​​the contact surface of the probe 10. In the present invention, if a sheet-like portion is continuous with or connected to the probe 10, it is not treated as part of the probe 10 itself, but as a portion attached to the probe 10.

[0031] 3, an adhesive layer 30 for adhering the probe 10 to the body surface is provided on the contact surface of the probe 10 (on the body surface side of the subject relative to the matching layer, if one is provided). The material for the adhesive layer 30 is not particularly limited as long as it has sufficient adhesive strength to prevent the probe 10 from peeling off under its own weight even if the subject moves, but preferably, an acrylic resin or urethane gel with excellent ultrasonic transparency can be used.

[0032] Returning to FIG. 2 , the contour shape of the probe 10 when viewed in the thickness direction is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, it is rectangular. The size of the probe 10 is set so that ultrasound can be reliably applied to the blood vessels in the chest (particularly the heart). Here, although the position and size of the human heart vary from person to person, it is often located near the third and fourth intercostal spaces on the left side of the chest. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , if ultrasound is to be applied to the heart and cardiac blood vessels, it is preferable to attach the probe 10 near the third and fourth intercostal spaces. In this case, to efficiently apply ultrasound to the heart and cardiac blood vessels, the size of the probe 10 is set so that it spans at least two intercostal spaces (particularly the third and fourth intercostal spaces).

[0033] In a typical person, the intercostal distance (the dimension between the ribs, particularly the dimension between the third and fourth intercostal spaces) is about 20 mm, and the rib thickness (the dimension between the ribs) is about 15 mm. In other words, the width dimension of the probe 10 in one direction (the dimension in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the probe 10) needs to be at least 35 mm or more in order to cover (straddle) one intercostal space and one rib from top to bottom.

[0034] Note that the width dimension of the probe 10 in one direction can be either the width dimension W or the length dimension L when the probe 10 is rectangular as in this embodiment. When the probe 10 is rectangular as in this embodiment, the width dimension of the probe 10 in one direction can also be the diagonal dimension. Furthermore, the width dimension of the probe 10 in one direction refers to the minimum width dimension of the probe 10 that is ensured, i.e., the minimum required dimension. Hereinafter, the width dimension of the probe 10 in one direction will be referred to as the "required dimension." For example, the required dimension of the probe 10 may be the maximum width dimension of the probe 10. On the other hand, the maximum width dimension of the probe 10 may be larger than the required dimension of the probe 10. In other words, it is sufficient that the maximum width dimension of the probe 10 is equal to or larger than the required dimension. Furthermore, the required dimension in one direction can be the direction of the arrangement of a person's ribs or the direction of a person's trunk.

[0035] The required dimension of the probe 10 can be 50 mm or more, preferably 55 mm or more, more preferably 60 mm or more, even more preferably 90 mm or more, more preferably 100 mm or more, even more preferably 125 mm or more, and even more preferably 130 mm or more. Specifically, in order for the probe 10 to span two intercostal spaces, the lower limit of the required dimension of the probe 10 can be 50 mm. Furthermore, the lower limit of the required dimension of the probe 10 can be 55 mm. In this way, when the probe 10 is attached in a position that fits from the upper end of the third intercostal space to the lower end of the fourth intercostal space, it can completely cover the two intercostal spaces in the vertical direction.

[0036] Furthermore, the minimum required dimension of the probe 10 can be set to 60 mm. In this way, even if the attachment position of the probe 10 is shifted by a few millimeters, ultrasound can be irradiated onto the heart and cardiac blood vessels. Furthermore, the minimum required dimension of the probe 10 can be set to 90 mm to span three intercostal spaces, or 125 mm to span four intercostal spaces. In this way, ultrasound can be irradiated stably even on large subjects, and ultrasound can be irradiated onto the heart and cardiac blood vessels even if the attachment position of the probe 10 is shifted slightly.

[0037] The required dimensions of the probe 10 can be 130 mm or less, or 100 mm or less. Specifically, the upper limit of the required dimensions of the probe 10 is not particularly limited in terms of its ultrasound irradiation function, but can be set to 130 mm in consideration of ease of attachment to the subject. Furthermore, the upper limit of the required dimensions of the probe 10 can be set to 100 mm in consideration of portability so that it can be used at emergency scenes.

[0038] 6 is a flow chart showing the processing of a treatment method (ultrasound irradiation processing or ultrasonic treatment processing) of one embodiment using the ultrasound irradiation device 100. Hereinafter, the flow of the treatment method using the ultrasound irradiation device 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0039] In the ultrasound irradiation treatment (ultrasound treatment treatment) of the present invention, a microbubble contrast agent containing microbubbles is first administered into the blood vessel (e.g., vein) of a subject (step S1). For example, in step S1, the microbubble contrast agent is diluted with physiological saline or the like and introduced into the subject's blood vessel as an injection or infusion.

[0040] Next, it is determined whether the switch 19 for starting ultrasonic irradiation has been operated (step S2). If the switch 19 has not been operated (step S2: NO), the process returns to step 2. On the other hand, if the switch 19 has been operated (step S2: YES), the control device 1 (controller 11) controls the probe 10 to start ultrasonic irradiation (step S3).

[0041] In step S3, the control unit 11 (control device 1) controls the probe 10 to alternate between a wave-transmitting state in which a predetermined number of waves are continuously transmitted from the probe 10 and a pause state in which no ultrasonic waves are transmitted from the probe 10. The interval between the wave-transmitting states (the length of the pause state) is the recirculation time of microbubbles in the blood from the viewpoint of the efficiency of treating cardiac disease. For example, the interval between the wave-transmitting states can be 30 ms or more, 100 ms or less, and preferably 50 ms.

[0042] Furthermore, the number of waves transmitted in one wave-transmitting state (the number of waves transmitted within the period of one wave-transmitting state) can be 2 or more. For example, from the viewpoint of the efficiency of treating heart disease, the number of waves transmitted in one wave-transmitting state can be 8 or more, 20 or less, and preferably 12. Note that since the wave-transmitting time for one wave is 0.4 μs, if 8 waves are transmitted in one wave-transmitting state, the period of the wave-transmitting state is 3.2 μs, if 12 waves are transmitted in one wave-transmitting state, the period of the wave-transmitting state is 4.8 μs, and if 20 waves are transmitted in one wave-transmitting state, the period of the wave-transmitting state is 8.0 μs.

[0043] Furthermore, the lower limit of the frequency of the ultrasound transmitted in step S3 can be set to 2 MHz or more so that even large people can obtain the desired effect, and the upper limit of the frequency can be set to 3.5 MHz or less from the viewpoint of safety. Furthermore, the frequency of the ultrasound is preferably set to 2.5 MHz from the viewpoints of penetration depth and efficient action on microbubbles.

[0044] Furthermore, the lower limit of the intensity (indicated by the MI (Mechanical Index) value) of the ultrasonic waves transmitted in step S3 can be set to 1.1 or more in order to efficiently crush the microbubbles (to efficiently act on the microbubbles), and the upper limit of the ultrasonic intensity can be set to 1.5 from the standpoint of safety. Furthermore, it is preferable that the ultrasonic intensity be set to 1.3 from the standpoints of both efficient action on the microbubbles and safety.

[0045] Next, when ultrasonic irradiation is started in step S3, it is determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of ultrasonic irradiation (step S4). If the predetermined time has not elapsed (step S4: NO), the process returns to step 4. That is, ultrasonic irradiation continues. On the other hand, if the predetermined time has elapsed (step S2: YES), ultrasonic irradiation is automatically terminated (step S5), and the ultrasonic irradiation process (ultrasonic treatment process) is terminated.

[0046] The predetermined time in step S4 can be referred to as the irradiation time for ultrasonic irradiation, and is set to a length of time necessary and sufficient for treating cardiac disease by applying ultrasonic waves to microbubbles. For example, the lower limit of the predetermined time can be 15 minutes, and the upper limit can be 60 minutes. Alternatively, the predetermined time can be 30 minutes.

[0047] According to the present invention, the probe 10 is formed in a flexible sheet shape and has a required dimension of 50 mm or more. Therefore, when the probe 10 is attached to the surface of a person's chest, it spans two intercostal spaces, allowing ultrasound to be reliably applied to the blood vessels of the chest (particularly the heart) through the two intercostal spaces. Therefore, microbubbles (microbubbles or nanobubbles) in the contrast agent administered into the patient's blood vessels can be reliably crushed, thereby achieving an appropriate therapeutic effect. Furthermore, because the probe 10 is sufficiently large relative to the ribs, it can cover the intercostal spaces even if it is slightly misaligned, allowing for easy operation. For example, the ultrasound irradiation device 100 of the present invention can be used by emergency medical technicians and emergency personnel other than cardiologists with short training periods. Therefore, the ultrasound irradiation device 100 of the present invention provides easy operation and is suitable for use in the treatment of cardiac diseases.

[0048] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the contact surface of the probe 10 is provided with an adhesive layer 30 for adhering the probe 10 to the body surface. This allows the probe 10 to be easily attached to the body surface of a person's chest. Furthermore, even if the person moves during ultrasound irradiation, the probe 10 maintains its position and the therapeutic effect can be obtained. With this configuration, the probe 10 can be adhered to the body surface and the therapeutic effect can be obtained even in a turbulent environment, such as inside an ambulance or a helicopter.

[0049] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the control unit 11 (control device 1) automatically terminates ultrasonic irradiation when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of ultrasonic irradiation. Therefore, simply operating the switch 19 at the start automatically terminates ultrasonic irradiation after the predetermined time has elapsed, resulting in excellent workability and operability. In particular, it is possible to prevent the ultrasonic irradiation device 100 from continuing to operate while forgetting to terminate ultrasonic irradiation.

[0050] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the control unit 11 (control device 1) controls the probe 10 to alternate between a wave transmission state in which a predetermined number of waves are transmitted continuously from the probe 10 and a pause state in which no ultrasound waves are transmitted from the probe 10, thereby improving the efficiency of treating heart disease.

[0051] The ultrasonic irradiation device in this invention corresponds to the ultrasonic irradiation device 100, and similarly hereinafter, the probe corresponds to the probe 10, the control unit corresponds to the control unit 11 or the control device 1, and the adhesive layer corresponds to the adhesive layer 30, but this invention is not limited to this embodiment and can be embodied in various other ways. Furthermore, the specific configurations etc. given in the above-mentioned embodiment are examples and can be changed as appropriate depending on the actual product.

[0052] For example, the ultrasound irradiation process (ultrasonic treatment process) is not limited to the above-described embodiment and may be modified. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the process of a treatment method using an ultrasound irradiation device according to a modified embodiment. Note that steps S1 to S5 (other than steps S11 and S12) are the same as steps S1 to S5 in the above-described embodiment, and therefore will not be described in detail. As shown in Figure 7, when ultrasound irradiation is initiated in step S3, the reception processor 13 detects a change in the brightness of the backscattered waves from the received signal corresponding to the reflected waves (step S11), outputs the brightness change and presents it to the user of the ultrasound irradiation device 100 (step S12), and determines whether to interrupt the process (step S13). Here, if the brightness (intensity of the backscattered waves) falls below a predetermined value, it is determined that many microbubbles have collapsed, and the process is interrupted. If the process is to be interrupted, i.e., if it is determined that many microbubbles have collapsed, the process proceeds to step S5. On the other hand, if the process is not to be interrupted, i.e., if it is determined that many microbubbles have not collapsed, the process proceeds to step S4. In this way, the user of the ultrasound irradiation device 100 can determine whether microbubbles have flowed into the irradiation area (increased brightness) or whether they have collapsed (decreased brightness). The user can recognize whether the microbubbles have circulated by the change in brightness, and can then decide whether to continue or interrupt ultrasound irradiation. This embodiment can be further developed by switching to low-power mode (MI value of 1.0 or less) immediately after starting ultrasound irradiation in step S3 to observe whether microbubbles have flowed into the irradiation area, and then, if the microbubbles have flowed into the irradiation area, switching to high-power mode (MI value of approximately 1.1 to 1.5) to apply the action of ultrasound to the microbubbles and observe whether the microbubbles have collapsed. This allows for more appropriate treatment of heart disease.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the probe 10 has a rectangular contour when viewed in the thickness direction, but the shape is not limited to this and may be any shape that is easy to place on a human chest. For example, the contour of the probe 10 may be circular or elliptical, or may be an arc-shaped contour as shown in FIG. 8 , or any other shape. In particular, the arc-shaped contour of the probe 10 makes it easy to place on the chest of an adult woman, etc., and is therefore suitable for use in treating heart disease.

[0054] Furthermore, the present invention can be provided not only as an ultrasound irradiation device, but also as an ultrasound irradiation method and an ultrasound treatment method including ultrasound irradiation treatment (ultrasound treatment treatment) using the ultrasound irradiation device. Furthermore, the ultrasound irradiation device 100 can also be used in conjunction with an instrument or device for administering a contrast agent containing microbubbles into a human blood vessel to form an ultrasound treatment system.

[0055] The present invention can be applied to industries that manufacture and use ultrasonic irradiation devices.

[0056] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100: Ultrasonic irradiation device 1: Control device 10: Probe 11: Control unit 12: Transmission processing unit 13: Reception processing unit 14: Brightness change detection unit 15: Brightness change output unit 16: Power supply control unit 17: Operation input unit 18: Auxiliary memory unit 19: Switch

Claims

1. An ultrasound irradiation device comprising: a probe that is a flexible sheet-like member that can be attached to the surface of a person's chest and is capable of transmitting at least ultrasound; and a control unit that controls the probe to transmit ultrasound from the probe at a predetermined intensity and interval, wherein the width of the probe in one direction is 50 mm or more.

2. An ultrasound irradiation device according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the probe that comes into contact with the body surface of the human chest is provided with an adhesive layer for adhering the probe to the body surface.

3. The ultrasonic irradiation device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit stops the transmission of ultrasonic waves from the probe when a predetermined time has elapsed since the transmission of ultrasonic waves from the probe began.

4. An ultrasonic irradiation device as described in claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the probe to alternate between a wave transmitting state in which a predetermined number of waves are transmitted continuously from the probe and a pause state in which no ultrasonic waves are transmitted from the probe.

5. The ultrasonic irradiation device according to claim 4, wherein the number of waves transmitted in one wave transmission state is 8 waves or more and 20 waves or less.

6. The ultrasonic irradiation device according to claim 5, wherein the number of waves transmitted in one wave transmission state is 12 waves.

7. The ultrasonic irradiation device according to claim 6, wherein the MI value of the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the probe is 1.1 or more and 1.5 or less.

8. The ultrasonic irradiation device according to claim 7, wherein the MI value of the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the probe is 1.3.

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