US 12,246,194 B2
Method and system for detecting a fault in acoustic coupling between an ultrasonic device and a tissue to be treated
Guillaume Bouchoux, Villeurbanne (FR); Matthieu Cholvy, Peage de Roussillon (FR); and Cyril Martin, Lyons (FR)
Assigned to CARTHERA, Lyons (FR)
Appl. No. 17/908,846
Filed by CARTHERA, Lyons (FR)
PCT Filed Mar. 2, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/055140
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 1, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/175828, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 10, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2002062 (FR), filed on Mar. 2, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0149743 A1, May 18, 2023
Int. Cl. A61N 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61N 7/00 (2013.01) [A61N 2007/0043 (2013.01); A61N 2007/0052 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for treating a pathology comprising:
an ultrasonic device including at least one transducer configured to generate ultrasonic waves, the at least one transducer having a front face facing a target medium,
a remote control unit configured to determine and monitor operating parameters of the ultrasonic device, and to supply said ultrasonic device with electricity during at least one treatment cycle, wherein each treatment cycle is preceded by a wait cycle, and
electrical connection means between the ultrasonic device and the control unit,
wherein the control unit is programmed to implement an estimation phase of the quality of an acoustic coupling between the ultrasonic device and the target medium, said estimation phase comprising:
the emission, by the control unit, of at least one monitoring signal, each monitoring signal having a respective frequency,
the measurement, by the control unit, of at least one reflected signal, each reflected signal corresponding to a respective monitoring signal, and
the processing of the reflected signal to detect:
either the presence of a liquid in the ultrasonic device,
or the presence of a reflective material, such as a gas bubble, between the at least one transducer and the target medium.