Magnetic resonance surgery using heat waves produced with focussed ultrasound

Claim 1

A magnetic resonance (MR) surgery system that comprises: a) a pulsed heat means adapted for providing pulsed energy of an intensity and rate to a patient. The pulsed heat means including adjustment means adapted for causing the pulsed heat means to be pulsed at a frequency f and amplitude Q at an application point of a heated region to create the temperature distribution T(r,t) around the application point described by: T(r,t)=[Q/ρcExp[-kr]cos(2πft-kr )]/r where Q is the amplitude of heat provided; ρ is density of the heated region; c is specific heat of the heated region; and k=Sqrt[ω/2D], where D is the thermal diffusity of the tissue in the heated region; b) MR compatible positioning means adapted for positioning the pulsed heat means and the application point to cause a selected tissue within the patient to have the desired temperature distribution t(r,t) where r is the radius from the application point and t is time; c) an MR imaging means adapted for creating fast scan MR images of the temperature distribution T(r,t) around the application point during surgery using a temperature sensitive pulse sequence; and d) display means adapted for interactively displaying the temperature sensitive images to an operator to allow the operator to control the temperature distribution T(r,t).

Claim 6

A method of performing heat surgery on a patient, as guided by a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging apparatus capable of producing temperature sensitive MR images, comprising the steps of: a) determining the position of a selected tissue to be destroyed in said patient with said MR imaging apparatus, b) applying pulsed heat of an amplitude Q at a pulse frequency f to an application point to create the desired temperature distribution T(r,t) around the application point where r is the radius from the application point and t is time by;

Claim 7

A method of performing heat surgery on a patient, as guided by a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging apparatus capable of producing temperature sensitive MR images, comprising the steps of: a) determining the position of a selected tissue to be destroyed in said patient with said MR imaging apparatus, b) applying pulsed heat of an amplitude Q at a pulse frequency f to an application point to create the desired temperature distribution T(r,t) around the application point where r is the radius from the application point and t is time by;