Medical diagnostic ultrasound-aided drug delivery system and method

摘要

A method and system is provided for delivering drugs carried by microspheres. A medical diagnostic ultrasound system destroys microspheres in a specific localized area or at a specific time. A region of interest that is a subset of an imaged area is identified for destroying drug-carrying microspheres. The transmit beamformer is configured to transmit acoustic energy for destroying microspheres within that area while minimizing the destruction of microspheres outside of the region of interest. A multidimensional transducer array may provide focusing in three-dimensions for accurately destroying microspheres in the specific region while minimizing the destruction of microspheres outside that region. A trigger responsive to a heart or breathing cycle may control when microspheres are destroyed, providing delivery of drugs at the most opportune time in the cycle.