| 摘要 |
The present invention provides a method for heating a target zone (3) of a subject of interest (1) according to pre-defined heating requirements using ultrasonic irradiation, comprising the steps of providing an ultrasonic irradiation device comprising a set of individually controllable transducer elements in vicinity of the target zone (3), defining at least one sensitive zone (2) within an area (4) covered by ultrasonic irradiation device, and controlling the ultrasonic irradiation device to apply sonications of ultrasonic energy to the target zone (3) to achieve the desired heating thereof, wherein the transducer elements are individually controlled in phase and amplitude to provide the sonications as a beam (5) directed towards the target zone (3), wherein the beam (5) has a energy distribution so that the pre-defined heating requirements of the target zone (3) are met and the exposure of the at least one sensitive zone (2) is minimized The present invention further provides an ultrasonic irradiation device adapted to perform the above method. By individually controlling the transducer elements, beam shaping of the ultrasonic irradiation can be applied over sensitive zones like scars, bones, bowels, spines or others without associating an intensity limit or energy exposure limit thereto. Such a configuration of active elements is sought, that the exposure on the sensitive zone is minimized, without compromising focal properties or violating restrictions on the number of active elements. |
| 主权项 |
1. An ultrasonic irradiation device for heating a target zone of a subject of interest using ultrasonic irradiation according to pre-defined heating requirements, comprising:
a set of individually controllable transducer elements a deflection unit for deflecting the ultrasonic irradiation a control unit for controlling the application of sonications of ultrasonic energy to the target zone to achieve a desired heating of the target zone, wherein the control unit is adapted to receive a definition of at least one sensitive zone within an area covered by ultrasonic irradiation device, and the control unit is further adapted to individually control the transducer elements in phase and amplitude to provide the sonications as a beam directed towards the target zone, wherein the beam has an internal inhomogeneous energy distribution that is controlled by the phase and amplitude of the transducer elements, so that pre-defined heating requirements of the target zone are met and the exposure of the at least one sensitive zone is minimized and the control unit is adapted to perform a control of the deflection unit and/or the transducer elements to deflect the sonications of ultrasonic energy from the ultrasonic irradiation device to the target zone to minimize the heating of the at least one sensitive zone. |
