US5301660A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Therapy apparatus for treating a subject with focused acoustic waves
Assignee: Siemens AG
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Filing: 1993-03-24
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Granted: 1994-04-12
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Expires: 2013-03-24
Abstract
Abstract A therapy apparatus for treating a patient with focused acoustic waves has a source of focused acoustic waves which converge in a focus zone, and a locating system for locating a therapeutically relevant region of the body of the patient. The locating system has a graphic display for displaying an image of the therapeutically relevant region (S). The apparatus also includes control and circuitry mixing a properly scaled contour (C) of the focus zone within the respective image defining a boundary within which the acoustic waves do not fall below a threshold with respect to an acoustic characteristic. The controls can be used to set the size of the contour directly, or to set the size with respect to one or more selected acoustic parameters.
Inventors
- 👤 Manfred Rattner
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 07:26
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/22; A61B17/225; A61B17/2256; A61B17/2258; A61B34/00; A61B34/70; A61B34/74; A61B2034/742
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
154 words
A therapy apparatus for treating a subject with focused acoustic waves comprising: means for generating acoustic waves exhibiting acoustic characteristics; means for focusing said acoustic waves to a focus zone; said means for generating and said means for focusing, in combination, having a plurality of parameters associated therewith which influence said acoustic characteristics of said acoustic waves; locating means for locating a therapeutically relevant region in a subject, including graphic display means for visually protraying an image of a portion of said subject containing said therapeutically relevant region; means for mixing a positionally correct and properly scaled contour into said image, said contour representing the boundary of a selected, displaced focus zone within said image outside of which said acoustic waves fall below a threshold of an acoustic characteristic; and setting means for setting the size of said selected displayed focus zone mixed into said image by varying at least one of said parameters.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
154 words
A therapy apparatus for treating a subject with focused acoustic waves comprising: means for generating acoustic waves exhibiting acoustic characteristics; means for focusing said acoustic waves to a focus zone; said means for generating and said means for focusing, in combination, having a plurality of parameters associated therewith which influence said acoustic characteristics of said acoustic waves; locating means for locating a therapeutically relevant region in a subject, including graphic display means for visually protraying an image of a portion of said subject containing said therapeutically relevant region; means for mixing a positionally correct and properly scaled contour into said image, said contour representing the boundary of a selected, displaced focus zone within said image outside of which said acoustic waves fall below a threshold of an acoustic characteristic; and setting means for setting the size of said selected displayed focus zone mixed into said image by varying at least one of said parameters.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
A therapy apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said parameters is a parameter defining the peak pressure of said acoustic waves, and wherein said setting means comprises means for varying said parameter defining the peak pressure of said acoustic waves.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
A therapy apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said parameters is a parameter defining the wavelength of said acoustic waves, and wherein said setting means comprises means for varying said parameter defining the wavelength of said acoustic waves.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
A therapy apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said parameters in the focusing effect of said means for focusing, and wherein said setting means comprises means for varying said focusing effect.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
A therapy apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for mixing includes means for setting a threshold of an acoustic characteristic selected from the group consisting of pressure, energy density and wavelength.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
A therapy apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for mixing includes means for setting a threshold of an acoustic characteristic selected from the group consisting of peak pressure, energy density and wavelength.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
A therapy apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for adjusting said threshold.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
A therapy apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for selecting a desired size of said contour of said focus zone within said image, and wherein said setting means includes means for setting a size of said contour corresponding to said desired size.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
A therapy apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said means for selecting a desired size of said contour within said image comprise input means for entering said desired size of said contour by interacting with said graphic display means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
A therapy apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said setting means comprises means for setting the size of said focus zone mixed into said image by varying a plurality of said parameters.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
49 words
A therapy apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said setting means comprises means for setting the size of said focus zone mixed into said image by varying a plurality of said parameters with a maximum value of a selected acoustic characteristic exceeding said threshold as little as possible.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5065741A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-04-11 | 1997-10-11 | 1998-04-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-04-11 | 2001-10-11 | 2002-04-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-04-11 | 2005-10-11 | 2006-04-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |