| 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 |
