US6135971A — Apparatus for deposition of ultrasound energy in …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 69 words

An apparatus for ultrasonic energy deposition in body tissue comprising: an array of elements having at least two different sizes, at least one element being aperiodically spaced with the respect to other elements; and an excitation means coupled to said plurality of elements for providing said elements with electrical excitations, whereby excitation of said elements produces a beam of ultrasonic energy having reduced grating lobes in said body tissue.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 69 words

An apparatus for ultrasonic energy deposition in body tissue comprising: an array of elements having at least two different sizes, at least one element being aperiodically spaced with the respect to other elements; and an excitation means coupled to said plurality of elements for providing said elements with electrical excitations, whereby excitation of said elements produces a beam of ultrasonic energy having reduced grating lobes in said body tissue.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 26 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one element among all elements having the same size is aperiodically spaced with the respect to other elements.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 33 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said elements include a first element size and a second element size, said first element size being at least five percent smaller than said second element size.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 34 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein at least one element of said first element size and at least one element of said second element size is aperiodically spaced with the respect to other elements.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 22 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein at least ten percent of said elements are aperiodically spaced with the respect to other elements.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 22 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein at least twenty-five percent of said elements are aperiodically spaced with the respect to other elements.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 21 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein approximately one half of said elements are periodically spaced with the respect to other elements.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 29 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein an average center of mass-to-center of mass spacing of adjacent elements is greater than a half of a wavelength of said ultrasonic energy.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 15 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said array includes a single row of said elements.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 16 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said array is a two dimensional arrangement of said elements.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 20 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said array is two dimensional and includes at least two rows of said elements.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 16 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said array is a three dimensional arrangement of said elements.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 20 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said arrangement is three dimensional and includes at least two rows of said elements.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 13 words

The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a spacer located between adjacent elements.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 25 words

The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said spacer size is uniform such that edges of said elements are evenly spaced from edges of adjacent elements.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 25 words

The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said spacer size is non-uniform such that edges of said elements are non-evenly spaced from edges of adjacent elements.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 23 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein an arrangement of said elements in said array is derived from a method of optimized random distribution.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 54 words

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said method of optimized random distribution comprises steps of deriving a cost function and calculating a value of said cost function for a plurality of random element sizes and positions, thereby obtaining a random distribution of cost function values from which to optimize said arrangement of said elements.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 24 words

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said cost function includes a quotient of a maximum focusing power and a maximum corresponding grating lobe power.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 47 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said elements include a first element size and a second element size, a top surface of an element of said first element size being at least five percent smaller than a top surface of an element of said second element size.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 19 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said at least two elements are aperiodically spaced with respect to other elements.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 22 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ultrasonic energy emitted from said elements has a frequency of approximately 0.1 to 100 MHz.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 39 words

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a phase shifting means coupled to said excitation means for providing said elements with electrical excitations having adjustable phases in order to apply said beam to a region of said body tissue.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 20 words

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said phase shifting means steers said beam through an angle up to ninety degrees.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 26 words

The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said phase shifting means steers said beam to at least two distinct focal positions within said region of body tissue.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 31 words

The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said excitation means includes an apodization means for independently controlling an amplitude, a phase and a frequency of said electrical excitations provided to each element.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 31 words

The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said apodization means includes a profile optimization method for controlling said beam to provide a substantially uniform temperature profile within said region of body tissue.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 27 words

The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said profile optimization method includes steps of selecting foci weighing factors and calculating a cost function for said foci weighing factors.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 46 words

The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising an magnetic resonance imaging means for providing an image of said body tissue coupled to said excitation means and said phase shifting means whereby said excitation means and said phase shifting means are controllable in response to said image.

Claim 31

Independent Claim 93 words

An apparatus for producing localized energy deposition in body tissue comprising: a plurality of radiating elements of at least two different sizes each having a center of mass and at least one of said elements being oriented such that a center of mass-to-center of mass distance between said at least one element and adjacent elements is irregular; and an excitation mechanism coupled to said plurality of elements for providing said elements with electrical excitations, whereby excitation of said elements produces a beam of ultrasonic energy having reduced grating lobes in said body tissue.

Claim 32

Independent Claim 93 words

An apparatus for producing localized energy deposition in body tissue comprising: a plurality of radiating elements of at least two different sizes each having a center of mass and at least one of said elements being oriented such that a center of mass-to-center of mass distance between said at least one element and adjacent elements is irregular; and an excitation mechanism coupled to said plurality of elements for providing said elements with electrical excitations, whereby excitation of said elements produces a beam of ultrasonic energy having reduced grating lobes in said body tissue.

Claim 33

Independent Claim 92 words

An apparatus for producing localized energy deposition in body tissue comprising: a plurality of radiating elements each element having one of two or more different sizes; an array of said plurality of elements having spacers between adjacent elements wherein among elements of substantially the same size at least one of said same-size elements is aperiodically spaced; and an excitation mechanism coupled to said plurality of elements for providing said elements with electrical excitations, whereby excitation of said elements produces a beam of ultrasonic energy having reduced grating lobes in said body tissue.

Claim 34

Independent Claim 92 words

An apparatus for producing localized energy deposition in body tissue comprising: a plurality of radiating elements each element having one of two or more different sizes; an array of said plurality of elements having spacers between adjacent elements wherein among elements of substantially the same size at least one of said same-size elements is aperiodically spaced; and an excitation mechanism coupled to said plurality of elements for providing said elements with electrical excitations, whereby excitation of said elements produces a beam of ultrasonic energy having reduced grating lobes in said body tissue.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 23 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said excitation means comprises an excitation mechanism that independently controls said electrical excitations provided to each element.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 35 words

The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said excitation mechanism includes an apodization means for independently controlling at least one of an amplitude, a phase and a frequency of said electrical excitations provided to each element.

Claim 37

Independent Claim 107 words

An apparatus for ultrasonic energy deposition in body tissue comprising: an array of elements having parallelepiped geometry with at least two different sizes, at least one element being aperiodically spaced with the respect to other elements; an excitation mechanism independently coupled to said plurality of elements for providing each of said elements with electrical excitations; and an phase shifting mechanism coupled to said excitation mechanism for independently controlling at least one of an amplitude, a phase and a frequency of said electrical excitations provided to each element, whereby electrical excitation of said elements produces a beam of ultrasonic energy having reduced grating lobes in said body tissue.

Claim 38

Independent Claim 107 words

An apparatus for ultrasonic energy deposition in body tissue comprising: an array of elements having parallelepiped geometry with at least two different sizes, at least one element being aperiodically spaced with the respect to other elements; an excitation mechanism independently coupled to said plurality of elements for providing each of said elements with electrical excitations; and an phase shifting mechanism coupled to said excitation mechanism for independently controlling at least one of an amplitude, a phase and a frequency of said electrical excitations provided to each element, whereby electrical excitation of said elements produces a beam of ultrasonic energy having reduced grating lobes in said body tissue.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 12 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said elements have a parallelepiped geometry.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2003-10-24	2004-04-24	2004-10-24	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2007-10-24	2008-04-24	2008-10-24	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2011-10-24	2012-04-24	2012-10-24	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Apparatus for deposition of ultrasound energy in body tissue

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