Hexapod Platform Shock Wave Source for Respiratory Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing extracorporeal ultrasound and shock wave therapy systems, such as lithotripters, face challenges in maintaining effective treatment of moving organs like kidneys due to respiratory and heartbeat movements, which cause stones to move out of the focal volume, limiting treatment duration and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A hexapod drive mechanism is used to support and adjust the ultrasound and/or shockwave source, allowing movement in six degrees of freedom, enabling precise compensation for patient movements and maintaining the focal volume's position and orientation relative to the body, synchronized with respiration and heartbeat signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a stationary shock wave source is used, then the device structure is simple, but the treatment effectiveness deteriorates due to organ movement during respiration
Solution Approach 1:
The shock wave source is mounted on a hexapod platform that enables dynamic positioning in six degrees of freedom (three translations and three rotations). This dynamic capability allows the source to track and compensate for organ movements caused by respiration, heartbeat, and patient positioning, thereby maintaining treatment effectiveness without requiring complex real-time tracking systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the positional parameters of the shock wave source by adjusting the hexapod platform's six degrees of freedom. By varying these parameters in response to detected organ movement, the system maintains optimal focus on the target organ throughout the treatment procedure.
2Duration of action of moving object
If the shock wave source is fixed orthogonal to the patient table, then the alignment is simple, but the treatment duration is limited due to organ displacement during respiration
Solution Approach 1:
The hexapod platform enables the shock wave source to dynamically adjust its position and orientation in six degrees of freedom, allowing continuous tracking of organ movement during respiration. This extends treatment duration by eliminating the need to pause for respiratory cycles, as the source automatically maintains focus on the moving organ.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback from respiratory monitoring and imaging systems to continuously adjust the hexapod platform's positioning. This closed-loop control ensures the shock wave source remains aligned with the target organ throughout the entire treatment procedure.
3Productivity
If respiratory synchronization is used, then the treatment can proceed, but the repetition frequency is limited to respiration frequency
Solution Approach 1:
By using the hexapod platform to dynamically track organ movement, the system decouples treatment repetition frequency from respiration frequency. The source can deliver shock waves at high repetition rates while continuously adjusting its position to compensate for respiratory movements, thereby increasing productivity without extending treatment time.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for continuous and efficient treatment independent of respiration or heartbeat movements, ensuring high energy coupling into the stone and improved treatment efficiency by maintaining the focal volume's alignment with the stone throughout the procedure.
Implementation Method 1
an ultrasound and/or shockwave source (120) is supported by and/or suspended by a hexapod drive (180)
Implementation Method 2
a shock wave generator and/or transducer, which may include at least one of a coil, a spark gap or a Piezo transducer
Implementation Method 3
using acoustic pulses
Implementation Method 4
an ultrasound and/or shockwave source (120) may have a focal volume
Implementation Method 5
The shock wave generator/transducer may be partially enclosed by a reflector. Depending on the type of transducer, the reflector may have a parabolic or half-elliptic shape
Data Source
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AI summary
A wave and/or ultrasound device, e.g., a lithotripter comprises a patient table and an ultrasound and/or shockwave source below the patient table, the table defining a table plane. The ultrasound and/or shockwave source is coupled to a hexapod drive and configured for a 6 degrees of freedom movement.