US 12,290,403 B2
Systems and methods for performing transcranial ultrasound therapeutic and imaging procedures
Kullervo Hynynen, Toronto (CA); Alec Hughes, Mississauga (CA); Lulu Deng, Toronto (CA); and Meaghan O'Reilly, Scarborough (CA)
Assigned to SUNNYBROOK RESEARCH INSTITUTE, Toronto (CA)
Filed by SUNNYBROOK RESEARCH INSTITUTE, Toronto (CA)
Filed on Oct. 6, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/377,460.
Application 18/377,460 is a continuation of application No. 17/367,745, filed on Jul. 6, 2021, granted, now 11,793,490.
Application 17/367,745 is a continuation of application No. 15/852,862, filed on Dec. 22, 2017, granted, now 11,071,522, issued on Jul. 27, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/438,283, filed on Dec. 22, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2024/0041429 A1, Feb. 8, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 8/00 (2006.01); A61B 8/08 (2006.01); A61B 34/10 (2016.01); A61B 90/50 (2016.01); A61N 7/00 (2006.01); A61N 7/02 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/4494 (2013.01) [A61B 8/0808 (2013.01); A61B 8/4477 (2013.01); A61B 8/5207 (2013.01); A61B 34/10 (2016.02); A61B 90/50 (2016.02); A61N 7/00 (2013.01); A61B 8/54 (2013.01); A61B 2034/108 (2016.02); A61B 2090/502 (2016.02); A61N 2007/0021 (2013.01); A61N 2007/0052 (2013.01); A61N 2007/0073 (2013.01); A61N 2007/0078 (2013.01); A61N 2007/0095 (2013.01); A61N 2007/027 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for performing diagnostic or therapeutic transcranial ultrasound procedures, the system comprising:
a support frame configured for placement around a head of a patient, said support frame comprising a plurality of transcranial ultrasound transducer array elements; and
control and processing hardware operably connected to said plurality of transcranial ultrasound transducer array elements, said control and processing hardware comprising at least one processor and associated memory, said memory comprising instructions executable by said at least one processor for performing operations comprising:
controlling said plurality of transcranial ultrasound transducer array elements, such that:
each transcranial ultrasound transducer array element generates and focuses a respective ultrasound pulse at a respective primary focus, the respective primary foci of said plurality of transcranial ultrasound transducer array elements being spatially separated from one another; and
far field regions respectively associated with said plurality of transcranial ultrasound transducer array elements spatially overlap within a far field overlap region located within a brain of the patient, the far field overlap region residing beyond each of the primary foci;
wherein a timing of the ultrasound pulses is controlled, based on registration data spatially registering positions and orientations of said plurality of transcranial ultrasound transducer array elements with volumetric image data associated with the patient, such that the ultrasound energy from the plurality of ultrasound pulses is collectively focused at a secondary focus residing within the far field overlap region via spatial and temporal alignment of the ultrasound pulses.