Urethra-insertable ultrasound device for prostate treatment

Abstract

A urethra-insertable ultrasound device for prostate treatment, which is configured to treat prostate by emitting ultrasound waves while inserted into the urethra, comprises: an ultrasound probe comprising one or more ultrasound transducers for emitting focused ultrasound waves; an imaging device installed on the ultrasound probe to obtain an image of the prostate; and a controller for controlling the operation of the ultrasound transducers by using the prostate image obtained by the imaging device. The controller controls the operation of the ultrasound transducers such that the focal positions of the focused ultrasound waves are not located outside a boundary of the prostate obtained from the prostate image.

Description

Urethral implantable prostate treatment ultrasound device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device configured to perform prostate treatment by irradiating ultrasound while inserted into the urethra.

[0002] Technologies are being used to treat diseases using the thermal energy of ultrasound, and one example is a technology being developed to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia using the thermal energy of ultrasound.

[0003] A device for prostate treatment using an ultrasound probe designed to be inserted into the urethra has been introduced. However, there is a need for methods to improve the safety and effectiveness of the procedure. In particular, a solution is needed to address the problem of focused ultrasound being directed outside the prostate, potentially causing unnecessary damage to surrounding tissue.

[0004] The matters described in the technical background of this invention are written to enhance understanding of the background of the invention and may include matters that are not already known prior art in the field to which this technology belongs.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device that can efficiently perform prostate treatment without damaging surrounding tissue.

[0006] The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0007] A urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device configured to perform prostate treatment by irradiating ultrasound while inserted into the urethra according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: an ultrasound probe including one or more ultrasound transducers irradiating focused ultrasound; an imaging device installed on the ultrasound probe and configured to acquire an image of the prostate; and a controller configured to control the operation of the ultrasound transducer using the prostate image acquired by the imaging device. The controller controls the operation of the ultrasound transducer such that the focus position of the focused ultrasound is not located outside the boundary of the prostate acquired from the prostate image.

[0008] The above ultrasonic transducer may be configured to enable at least one of a linear motion along the longitudinal direction and a rotational motion about the longitudinal direction with respect to the prostate.

[0009] The controller may be configured to stop the operation of the ultrasonic transducer when the focused ultrasound's focus position during the linear motion and / or rotational motion of the ultrasonic transducer goes beyond the boundary of the prostate.

[0010] The above controller may be configured to continuously irradiate ultrasound during linear and / or rotational motion of the ultrasonic transducer to generate a linear thermal lesion.

[0011] The above ultrasonic probe may include a plurality of ultrasonic transducers having different focus depths.

[0012] The above controller can be configured to control the movement speed and operation of the ultrasonic transducer through duty control.

[0013] The transurethral implantable prostate treatment ultrasound device may further include a user interface configured to allow a user to input the boundaries of the prostate. The controller may be configured to control the operation of the ultrasound transducer using information regarding the boundaries of the prostate input by the user.

[0014] The boundary of the prostate may be configured to be acquired by the imaging device and selected by the user on an image displayed on the user interface.

[0015] A urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device configured to perform prostate treatment by irradiating ultrasound while inserted into the urethra according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: an ultrasound probe including one or more ultrasound transducers irradiating focused ultrasound; an imaging device installed on the ultrasound probe and configured to acquire an image of the prostate; a user interface configured to display the image of the prostate acquired by the imaging device; and a controller configured to control the operation of the ultrasound transducer. The controller may be configured to control the operation of the ultrasound transducer by using a boundary of the prostate set by a user on a commercial user interface.

[0016] The above controller can control the operation of the ultrasound transducer so that the focused position of the focused ultrasound is not located outside the boundary of the prostate.

[0017] The above ultrasonic transducer may be configured to enable at least one of a linear motion along the longitudinal direction and a rotational motion about the longitudinal direction with respect to the prostate.

[0018] A prostate ultrasound treatment method for performing ultrasound treatment on the prostate according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: inserting a distal end of an ultrasound probe including one or more ultrasound transducers that irradiate focused ultrasound into the urethra; acquiring an image of the prostate using an imaging device; and controlling the operation of the ultrasound transducer using the image of the prostate acquired by the imaging device. In the step of controlling the operation of the ultrasound transducer, the operation of the ultrasound transducer is controlled such that the focus position of the focused ultrasound is not located outside the boundary of the prostate.

[0019] A method for performing ultrasound treatment on the prostate according to another embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: inserting a distal end of an ultrasound probe including one or more ultrasound transducers that irradiate focused ultrasound into the urethra; acquiring an image of the prostate using an imaging device; setting a boundary of the prostate on the image of the prostate; and controlling the operation of the ultrasound transducer using the boundary of the prostate. In the step of controlling the operation of the ultrasound transducer, the operation of the ultrasound transducer is controlled such that a focus position of the focused ultrasound is not located outside the boundary of the prostate.

[0020] According to the present invention, by ensuring that the focused position of the focused ultrasound is not located outside the boundary of the prostate, prostate treatment can be performed efficiently without damage to surrounding tissue.

[0021] In addition, various effects that can be obtained or expected due to embodiments of the present invention are disclosed directly or implicitly in the detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a urethral insertion type prostate treatment ultrasound device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a urethral insertion type prostate treatment ultrasound device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing the treatment state of a urethral insertion type prostate treatment ultrasound device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining selection of a prostate boundary by a user in a urethral insertion type prostate treatment ultrasound device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 5 is a drawing for explaining ultrasound irradiation control during rotation of an ultrasound probe of a urethral insertion type prostate treatment ultrasound device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining ultrasound irradiation control during linear movement of an ultrasound probe of a urethral insertion type prostate treatment ultrasound device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the described embodiments.

[0029] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising," as used herein, indicate the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The term "coupled" indicates a physical relationship between two components in which the components are directly connected to one another or are indirectly connected through one or more intervening components.

[0030] In describing the components of the present invention, when it is described that a component is “connected,” “coupled,” or “connected” to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly connected, coupled, or connected to the other component, but another component may also be “connected,” “coupled,” or “connected” between each component.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 1, a urethral insertion type prostate treatment ultrasound device (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a main body (11) and an ultrasound probe (12). The main body (11) may have a shape that can be held by a user's hand, and the ultrasound probe (12) is configured to irradiate focused ultrasound to the prostate (2) with the distal end inserted into the urethra (1), as illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0032] The ultrasonic probe (12) may include a support bar (13) having a long tube shape that can be inserted into the urethra (1) and one or more ultrasonic transducers (21, 22, 23) installed at the distal end of the support bar (13). A case in which three ultrasonic transducers (21, 22, 23) are provided is described as an example, but the number of ultrasonic transducers is not limited thereto.

[0033] As is known, the ultrasonic transducers (21, 22, 23) can be implemented as piezoelectric elements, and although not explicitly shown in the drawing, a power line for applying power to the piezoelectric elements can be connected to the piezoelectric elements. Ultrasonic waves can be generated by pulse power applied to the piezoelectric elements, and the generated ultrasonic waves can be irradiated to the surrounding prostate tissue. As is known, an ultrasonic transmission medium such as water can be filled in front of the piezoelectric elements to enable propagation of ultrasonic waves, and a sealing cover surrounding the portion where the ultrasonic transducers (21, 22, 23) are placed can be provided to seal the ultrasonic transmission medium. The sealing cover is formed of a material capable of transmitting ultrasonic waves, and the ultrasonic waves generated thereby pass through the sealing cover and are propagated to the surrounding prostate tissue.

[0034] In addition, a controller (31) for controlling the operation of the ultrasonic transducers (21, 22, 23) may be provided. The controller (24) may control the operation of the ultrasonic transducers (21, 22, 23) by controlling the application of pulse power. The controller (24) may include a microprocessor, memory, and related hardware and software, and is configured to control the operation of the ultrasonic transducers (21, 22, 23).

[0035] The ultrasonic transducers (21, 22, 23) can be configured to focus ultrasonic waves (U1, U2, U3) at a desired location. The ultrasonic transducers (21, 22, 23) can be configured to have different focal lengths, i.e., focusing depths. For example, the ultrasonic transducers (21, 22, 23) can be formed to have various shapes that can generate focused ultrasonic waves, such as a concave curved surface, a concave cylindrical curved surface, a sphere, a sphere with parts of both sides removed, etc.

[0036] The ultrasonic transducer (21, 22, 23) is configured to be rotatable and linearly moved when inserted into the urethra (1). For example, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, the support bar (13) may be fastened to the main body (11) so as to be rotatable and linearly moved with respect to the main body (11), and may be configured to be rotatable and linearly moved, for example, through a structure such as a motor, a step motor, or a gear. Since such a rotational and linear movement structure can be easily implemented by a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0037] Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 2, the urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an imaging device (41) for acquiring an image of the prostate. The imaging device (31) may include an ultrasound transducer (42) for acquiring an image, and the ultrasound transducer (42) for acquiring an image may be a general ultrasound transducer used for ultrasound diagnosis. The ultrasound transducer (42) for acquiring an image may irradiate ultrasound (U4) for acquiring an image and acquire an ultrasound image based on the ultrasound. The ultrasound transducer (42) for acquiring an image may include elements for generating an ultrasound image using data acquired by the ultrasound transducer (42) for acquiring an image, and a display for displaying the generated ultrasound image may be provided. The user may perform an ultrasound treatment while viewing the ultrasound image displayed on the display.

[0038] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing the treatment state of a urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the distal end of the ultrasound probe (12) is inserted into the urethra (1) so that the ultrasound transducer (21, 22, 23) is positioned within the prostate (2). In this state, with the distal end of the ultrasound probe (12) inserted into the urethra (1), an image of the prostate is acquired by the imaging device (41), and the controller (24) controls the operation of the ultrasound transducers (21, 22, 23) based on the acquired prostate image.

[0039] FIG. 4 illustrates an ultrasound image of the prostate displayed on a display device (43), which is a user interface. At this time, the display device (43) may be configured to allow a user to set the boundary (5) of the prostate, indicated by a dotted line. For example, the display device (43) may be configured to allow a user to set the boundary (5) of the prostate by inputting a signal for setting the boundary on the screen using a mouse or a touch pen, etc.

[0040] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining ultrasound irradiation control during rotation of an ultrasound probe of a urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining ultrasound irradiation control during linear movement of an ultrasound probe of a urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows a cross-section of a prostate with an ultrasound probe inserted, and FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal cross-section of a prostate with an ultrasound probe inserted. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the boundary (5) of the prostate (2) may be automatically acquired by an imaging device (41), or may be acquired by a user directly selecting it on a display device (43) as described above.

[0041] Referring to Fig. 5, when the ultrasonic transducers (21, 22, 23) rotate, the focusing position of the focused ultrasound moves on a circular trajectory as shown by the dotted line. At this time, the controller (24) controls the operation of the ultrasonic transducers (21, 22, 23) so that the focusing position of the focused ultrasound does not go beyond the boundary (5) of the prostate (2). For example, when the ultrasonic transducers (21, 22, 23) in Fig. 5 rotate clockwise, the operation of the corresponding ultrasonic transducers (21, 22, 23) can be stopped in the lower section where the focusing position of the focused ultrasound is located between the boundary points (P1, P2). This can prevent the focusing position of the focused ultrasound from being located outside the prostate (2) and damaging tissues other than the prostate.

[0042] Referring to Fig. 6, when the ultrasonic transducers (21, 22, 23) move linearly, the focusing position of the focused ultrasound generated by each ultrasonic transducer (21, 22, 23) moves linearly, and during this process, if the focusing position of the focused ultrasound goes beyond the boundary (5) of the prostate (2), the operation of the corresponding ultrasonic transducer (21, 22, 23) can be stopped. In Fig. 6, the focusing area of ​​the focused ultrasound generated by the ultrasonic transducers (21, 22, 23) is indicated in an oval shape. In Fig. 6, when the ultrasonic transducers (21, 22, 23) move further to the right and the focusing position of the focused ultrasound generated by the ultrasonic transducer (23) located at the far right goes beyond the boundary of the prostate (2), the operation of the corresponding ultrasonic transducer (23) can be stopped.

[0043] In FIGS. 5 and 6, the ultrasonic transducers (21, 22, 23) can continuously irradiate focused ultrasound while rotating or moving linearly, thereby generating continuous thermal lesions by the focused ultrasound within the prostate (2). In addition, the controller (24) can be configured to control the movement speed and operation of the ultrasonic transducers through duty control.

[0044] Meanwhile, a prostate ultrasound treatment method for performing ultrasound treatment on the prostate according to an embodiment of the present invention can be performed using the prostate treatment ultrasound device described above. The prostate ultrasound treatment method includes the steps of: inserting a distal end of an ultrasound probe including one or more ultrasound transducers that irradiate focused ultrasound into the urethra; obtaining an image of the prostate using an imaging device; and controlling the operation of the ultrasound transducer using the image of the prostate obtained by the imaging device. At this time, in the step of controlling the operation of the ultrasound transducer, the operation of the ultrasound transducer can be controlled so that the focus position of the focused ultrasound is not located outside the boundary of the prostate.

[0045] A prostate ultrasound treatment method for performing ultrasound treatment on the prostate according to another embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: inserting a distal end of an ultrasound probe including one or more ultrasound transducers that irradiate focused ultrasound into the urethra; acquiring an image of the prostate using an imaging device; setting a boundary of the prostate on the image of the prostate; and controlling the operation of the ultrasound transducer using the boundary of the prostate. At this time, in the step of controlling the operation of the ultrasound transducer, the operation of the ultrasound transducer is controlled so that the focus position of the focused ultrasound is not located outside the boundary of the prostate.

[0046] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims also fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device configured to perform prostate treatment by irradiating ultrasound while inserted into the urethra, An ultrasonic probe comprising one or more ultrasonic transducers for irradiating focused ultrasound; An imaging device installed on the ultrasound probe and configured to obtain an image of the prostate; and A controller configured to control the operation of the ultrasound transducer using a prostate image obtained by the imaging device, A urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device wherein the controller controls the operation of the ultrasound transducer so that the focused position of the focused ultrasound is not located outside the boundary of the prostate obtained from the prostate image.

2. In paragraph 1, A urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device, wherein the ultrasound transducer is configured to enable at least one of a linear motion along the longitudinal direction and a rotational motion centered around the longitudinal direction with respect to the prostate.

3. In paragraph 2, A urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device, wherein the controller is configured to stop the operation of the ultrasound transducer when the focused position of the focused ultrasound goes beyond the boundary of the prostate during the linear motion and / or rotational motion of the ultrasound transducer.

4. In paragraph 2, A urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device, wherein the controller is configured to continuously irradiate ultrasound during linear and / or rotational motions of the ultrasound transducer to generate linear thermal lesions.

5. In paragraph 1, The above ultrasound probe is a urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device comprising a plurality of ultrasound transducers having different focus depths.

6. In paragraph 1, A urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device, wherein the controller is configured to control the movement speed and operation of the ultrasound transducer through duty control.

7. In paragraph 1, Further comprising a user interface configured to enable a user to input the boundaries of said prostate, A urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device, wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of the ultrasound transducer using information about the boundary of the prostate input by the user.

8. In paragraph 7, A transurethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device configured such that the boundary of the prostate is acquired by the imaging device and can be selected by the user on an image displayed on the user interface.

9. A urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device configured to perform prostate treatment by irradiating ultrasound while inserted into the urethra, An ultrasonic probe comprising one or more ultrasonic transducers for irradiating focused ultrasound; An imaging device installed on the ultrasound probe and configured to obtain an image of the prostate; a user interface configured to display an image of the prostate obtained by the imaging device; and A controller configured to control the operation of the above ultrasonic transducer is included, A urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device, wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of the ultrasound transducer using the boundary of the prostate set by the user on the commercial user interface.

10. In paragraph 9, A urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device wherein the controller controls the operation of the ultrasound transducer so that the focused position of the focused ultrasound is not located outside the boundary of the prostate.

11. In paragraph 10, A urethral insertable prostate treatment ultrasound device, wherein the ultrasound transducer is configured to enable at least one of a linear motion along the longitudinal direction and a rotational motion centered around the longitudinal direction with respect to the prostate.

12. In a prostate ultrasound treatment method for performing ultrasound treatment on the prostate, A step of inserting a distal end of an ultrasound probe including one or more ultrasound transducers that emit focused ultrasound into the urethra; A step of obtaining an image of the prostate using an imaging device; and A step of controlling the operation of the ultrasound transducer using the image of the prostate acquired by the imaging device, A prostate ultrasound treatment method, wherein the operation of the ultrasound transducer is controlled so that the focused position of the focused ultrasound is not located outside the boundary of the prostate in the step of controlling the operation of the ultrasound transducer.

13. In a prostate ultrasound treatment method for performing ultrasound treatment on the prostate, A step of inserting a distal end of an ultrasound probe including one or more ultrasound transducers that emit focused ultrasound into the urethra; A step of acquiring an image of the prostate using an imaging device; A step of setting the boundary of the prostate on the image of the prostate; and A step of controlling the operation of the ultrasound transducer by using the boundary of the prostate, A prostate ultrasound treatment method, wherein the operation of the ultrasound transducer is controlled so that the focused position of the focused ultrasound is not located outside the boundary of the prostate in the step of controlling the operation of the ultrasound transducer.

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