Ultrasound Array Phase Modulation for Uniform Tissue Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultrasound therapies for treating cancer and other diseases often cause damage to non-target tissues due to pressure spikes and variability, particularly in sensitive areas like the brain, and require precise imaging for focused energy delivery, limiting their applicability in office-based treatments.
Innovation Solution
The use of ultrasound transducer arrays that generate incoherent acoustic pressure fields with controlled parameters, such as phase and frequency, and a coupling with a cooling system, to normalize and modulate the ultrasound therapy to generate a normalized, randomized, and/or incoherent acoustic pressure field, using a combination of phase and frequency modulation to reduce pressure extremes, combined with a cooling system and alignment devices, for uniform treatment delivery without focused ultrasound.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If focused ultrasound is used to deliver therapeutic energy to target tissue, then treatment efficacy is improved, but pressure spikes and variability cause damage to non-target tissues
Solution Approach 1:
The ultrasound field is segmented into multiple independent transducer elements that can be individually controlled. By dividing the array into sub-apertures and applying different phase patterns to different segments, the system creates multiple overlapping incoherent fields that collectively cover the treatment volume without requiring high peak pressures from any single element, thereby reducing damage to non-target tissues while maintaining treatment efficacy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the fundamental parameter of acoustic coherence from coherent (focused) to incoherent (defocused) ultrasound delivery. By randomizing or modulating the phase of individual elements and using defocused transducer designs, the system transforms the pressure field from having sharp peaks to having normalized, distributed pressure levels throughout the treatment volume, eliminating hot spots while maintaining therapeutic effect.
2Manufacturing precision
If focused ultrasound is used for precise energy delivery, then treatment precision is improved, but the need for precise imaging and complex alignment increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using focused ultrasound that requires precise imaging and alignment to deliver energy to a small target, the system inverts the approach by using defocused, incoherent ultrasound that naturally distributes energy uniformly across a larger volume. This eliminates the need for complex real-time imaging guidance and precise alignment procedures, making the system simpler and suitable for office-based treatments while maintaining adequate treatment precision through volumetric coverage.
3Use of energy by moving object
If coherent focused ultrasound is used, then energy concentration at target is improved, but pressure variability creates hot spots that limit treatment volume
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies dynamic phase modulation to the ultrasound elements, where the phase of each element is continuously varied or randomized during treatment. This dynamic approach prevents the formation of stable hot spots while maintaining adequate energy delivery to the entire treatment volume, allowing for larger treatment volumes without sacrificing energy concentration effectiveness through multiple overlapping patterns.
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 approach minimizes damage to healthy tissues by normalizing the pressure field, and maximizes the treatment volume, effectively treating conditions such as cancer, neurological diseases, mood conditions, sleep apnea, inflammation, and orthopedic diseases, and opening the blood brain barrier, while reducing the need for precise imaging and focused energy delivery.
Implementation Method 1
at least one ultrasound array, the at least one ultrasound array comprising a plurality of piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer elements
Implementation Method 2
drive the plurality of piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer elements with a modulated electrical drive signal at a frequency to produce a modulated acoustic wave in a treatment region at an acoustic intensity sufficient to heat and activate a sonosensitizer
Data Source
AI summary
Ultrasound transducer arrays are provided to for example, initiate and enhance therapeutic treatments with a normalized, randomized, and/or incoherent acoustic pressure field. Optimizing pressure uniformity (peak and average pressures) throughout the incoherent pressure field, and maximizing volume of that incoherent field may be achieved through controller filtering steps to assign unique element waveform phases for each element in the array. Ultrasound may be used alone, to activate a drug, pro drug, sonosensitizer, and/or microbubble additives, and can be combined with other energy (e.g., radiation, magnetism), for treatments including cancer, neurological disease, mood condition, sleep apnea, inflammation, and/or orthopedic diseases, and opening the blood brain barrier to improve access to the drugs and additives. Ultrasound transducer systems may used with a cooling system, an alignment device a monitoring system an authorization system (e.g., identification bar code, key) and/or a treatment planning system.