Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080243036 | Spinal treatment method and associated apparatus - Spinal pain is treated non-invasively by operating a scanning apparatus to locate a spinal disc afflicted with cracks or fissures, and applying waveform energy to the afflicted spinal disc to heat the spinal disc sufficiently to modify collagen fibers of the spinal disc and destroy pain receptors in the spinal disc. The scanning apparatus may be an ultrasound scanner, while the treatment waveform energy may be ultrasonic waveform energy. The applying of the waveform energy includes generating ultrasonic pressure waves in the spinal disc. | 10-02-2008 |
20080281200 | Elevated coupling liquid temperature during HIFU treatment method and hardware - A medical procedure utilizes a high-intensity focused ultrasound instrument having an applicator surface, a liquid-containing bolus or expandable chamber acting as a heat sink, and a source of ultrasonic vibrations, the applicator surface being a surface of a flexible wall of the bolus, the source of ultrasonic vibrations being in operative contact with the bolus. The applicator surface is placed in contact with an organ surface of a patient, the source is energized to produce ultrasonic vibrations focused at a predetermined focal region inside the organ, and a temperature of liquid in the bolus is controlled while the applicator surface is in contact with the organ surface to control temperature elevation in tissues of the organ between the focal region and the organ surface to necrose the tissues to within a desired distance from the organ surface. | 11-13-2008 |
20080294044 | Treatment of breast disease with vibrating device - An elongate probe, with a suction channel extending longitudinally along the probe, is inserted into a patient so that a distal tip of the probe is in contact with a fibroid mass inside the patient. Thereafter the probe is ultrasonically vibrated so that the distal tip has an excursion amplitude or distance greater than 275 microns. During probe vibration, suction is applied to the channel at a vacuum level greater than 24″ Hg to thereby maintain the target tissue mass in engagement with the distal tip during the vibrating of the probe and enable ablation of at least a selectable portion of the target tissue mass. | 11-27-2008 |
20080300591 | Ultrasonic spinal surgery method - In a discectomy method one removes at least a substantial portion of a spinal disc. Thereafter one operates an ultrasonic instrument to level opposing faces of vertebrae on opposite sides of the removed spinal disc. Graft or synthetic disc material is inserted between the vertebrae so that the graft or synthetic disc material is in contact with the leveled opposing faces. In an associated nucleotomy, a cannulated probe is inserted into a spinal disc and used to remove the nucleus pulposus. A synthetic or substitute nucleus material may then be inserted into the evacuated annulus. | 12-04-2008 |
20090126741 | Atomized-fluid shield for surgery and method of use - A surgical shield includes an at least partially rigid shield member extending in at least two spatial dimensions, at least one flexible sheet member, and a coupling element. The shield member has an aperture traversable by a surgical instrument, while the coupling element is provided on the shield member for releasably connecting the shield member to the instrument. The flexible sheet member is attached to the shield member so as to define, with the shield member, an enclosure having one open side opposing the shield member. | 05-21-2009 |
20100036293 | HIFU treatment probe - A high-intensity focused ultrasound device with a translatory dive assembly and a rotary drive assembly mounted to a single-piece frame and disposed therewith inside a handle casing includes a focused ultrasound transducer driven by the drive assemblies via a pair of transducer shafts surrounded by an inner sleeve and outer sleeve that sandwich a bolus tube, the outer sleeve being slidably removable from atop the inner sleeve. | 02-11-2010 |
20110201976 | LAPAROSCOPIC HIFU PROBE - A high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation of tissue using minimally invasive medical procedures is provided. | 08-18-2011 |
20130231528 | PROTECTIVE SLEEVE AND ASSOCIATED SURGICAL METHOD - An ultrasonic surgical instrument includes an elongate substantially rigid probe and an elongate tubular sheath member. The probe is operatively connected at a proximal end to a source of ultrasonic mechanical vibrations and has a distal tip configured for transmitting ultrasonic vibration energy into organic tissues. The probe longitudinally traverses the sheath member. The sheath member has a distal edge with a first portion on one side of the probe and a second portion on an opposite side of the probe. The first portion of the distal edge of the sheath member is disposed substantially closer than the second portion of the sheath's distal edge to the distal tip of the probe. The second portion of the distal edge is so spaced from the distal tip as to permit effective visualization of the distal tip during use of the instrument. | 09-05-2013 |
20140107412 | PROTECTIVE SLEEVE AND ASSOCIATED SURGICAL METHOD - An ultrasonic surgical instrument includes an elongate substantially rigid probe and an elongate tubular sheath member. The probe is operatively connected at a proximal end to a source of ultrasonic mechanical vibrations and has a distal tip configured for transmitting ultrasonic vibration energy into organic tissues. The probe longitudinally traverses the sheath member. The sheath member has a distal edge with a first portion on one side of the probe and a second portion on an opposite side of the probe. The first portion of the distal edge of the sheath member is disposed substantially closer than the second portion of the sheath's distal edge to the distal tip of the probe. The second portion of the distal edge is so spaced from the distal tip as to permit effective visualization of the distal tip during use of the instrument. | 04-17-2014 |
20140180002 | PROTECTIVE SLEEVE AND ASSOCIATED SURGICAL METHOD - An ultrasonic surgical instrument includes an elongate substantially rigid probe and an elongate tubular sheath member. The probe is operatively connected at a proximal end to a source of ultrasonic mechanical vibrations and has a distal tip configured for transmitting ultrasonic vibration energy into organic tissues. The probe longitudinally traverses the sheath member. The sheath member has a distal edge with a first portion on one side of the probe and a second portion on an opposite side of the probe. The first portion of the distal edge of the sheath member is disposed substantially closer than the second portion of the sheath's distal edge to the distal tip of the probe. The second portion of the distal edge is so spaced from the distal tip as to permit effective visualization of the distal tip during use of the instrument. | 06-26-2014 |
20140276849 | METHOD FOR ULTRASONIC TISSUE EXCISION WITH TISSUE SELECTIVITY - A surgical method utilizes a cutting blade having a thickness along a cutting edge of between about 0.0005 inch and about 0.020 inch and preferably between about 0.001 inch and 0.010 inch. The blade is moved in contact with relatively hardly tissues which are disposed adjacent to softer tissues at a surgical site in a patient. The blade is ultrasonically vibrated during the moving of the blade, whereby the hard tissue is cut with a modicum of damage being inflicted on the soft tissue. | 09-18-2014 |
20140277028 | Ultrasonic Surgical Drill and Associated Surgical Method - An ultrasonic surgical drill or drill bit includes a tubular member having a longitudinal axis of symmetry and a plurality of fins extending in longitudinal planes each containing the axis. In a surgical method utilizing the drill bit, one places a distal tip of the drill bit in contact with bone, presses the drill bit against the bone, and during that pressing of the drill bit, conducts ultrasonic vibrations into the drill bit. With the fins in contact with the bone, the drill bit is oscillated or angularly reciprocated about a longitudinal axis, so that the fins fragment bone material located between the fins. | 09-18-2014 |
20150057692 | ULTRASONIC INSTRUMENT ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME - An ultrasonic surgical instrument assembly has a base, a rigid probe shaft coupled at a proximal end to the base, a probe head at a distal end of the shaft, and a sheath having a rigid distal end portion surrounding the shaft. The shaft has a longitudinal axis and is operatively connectable to a source of ultrasonic vibrational energy. The head extends eccentrically in a transverse direction to one side of the shaft, the head having an operative tip or surface spaced laterally from the axis. The distal end portion of the sheath is provided in a side wall with an aperture, and the probe head is aligned with the aperture. The sheath is coupled at a proximal end to the base and is provided with a partially flexible section between the distal end portion of the sheath and the instrument assembly base, so that the distal end portion is pivotably deflectable transversely to the axis in response to a lateral force applied to the distal end portion, to enable an increased protrusion of the head through the aperture. | 02-26-2015 |
20150088179 | ULTRASONIC INSTRUMENT AND METHOD USING SAME - An ultrasonic medical instrument includes a probe shaft having a threaded coupling at a proximal end and an end effector or head at a distal end. The coupling is configured for operative attachment to a source of ultrasonic mechanical vibratory energy, while the head has an operative surface configured for engagement with organic tissues of a patient. The probe shaft, the coupling, and the head are made of a metal or metal alloy. At least one end-of-life indicator element is affixed to the probe shaft or head, the indicator element being made of a material that gradually disintegrates or degrades with use of the instrument so as to provide a visible indicator of degree of use and remaining useful life of the instrument. | 03-26-2015 |