US 12,005,275 B2
Method and system for ultrasound induced hyperthermia with microwave thermometry feedback
Miriam Sara Boer, Baltimore, MD (US); and Daniel Jordan Rogers, Baltimore, MD (US)
Assigned to Sonify Biosciences, LLC, Baltimore, MD (US)
Filed by Sonify Biosciences, LLC, Baltimore, MD (US)
Filed on Mar. 31, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/129,817.
Application 18/129,817 is a continuation of application No. 17/466,789, filed on Sep. 3, 2021, abandoned.
Application 17/466,789 is a continuation of application No. 16/324,702, abandoned, previously published as PCT/US2017/046530, filed on Aug. 11, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/373,609, filed on Aug. 11, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2023/0233879 A1, Jul. 27, 2023
Int. Cl. A61N 7/02 (2006.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/01 (2006.01); A61B 5/0507 (2021.01); A61B 18/00 (2006.01); A61B 18/04 (2006.01); A61K 41/00 (2020.01); A61N 1/40 (2006.01); A61N 5/02 (2006.01)
CPC A61N 7/02 (2013.01) [A61B 5/01 (2013.01); A61B 5/0507 (2013.01); A61B 5/4836 (2013.01); A61B 18/04 (2013.01); A61K 41/0052 (2013.01); A61N 1/403 (2013.01); A61N 5/02 (2013.01); A61N 5/022 (2013.01); A61N 5/025 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00791 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
6. A method of providing ultrasound based heating to produce hyperthermia, the method comprising:
generating, via an ultrasound generator, a low intensity ultrasound signal in a form of an arbitrary ultrasound waveform, the low intensity ultrasound signal inducing hyperthermia in a tissue for a treatment duration, the arbitrary ultrasound waveform having an adjustable amplitude at a predefined frequency in a range of 0.5-5.0 Megahertz (MHz);
amplifying, via an amplifier, the ultrasound signal into an amplified ultrasound signal;
matching, via an impedance matching network, capacitive loads of the amplified ultrasound signal for maximizing power transfer;
producing, via a piezoelectric ultrasound transducer, ultrasonic energy at the predefined frequency and a predefined intensity in a range of 0.1-3.0 Watts per cubic centimeter (W/cm2);
based on the ultrasonic energy, inducing heating of the tissue at a target site to bring the tissue to a predefined temperature, the ultrasonic energy inducing the heating remotely from a source external surface of the piezoelectric ultrasound transducer, a focal distance separating the source external surface and the target site;
focusing the ultrasonic energy, via a water-filled cone, on the target site to heat the tissue;
recirculating and degassing chilled water flowing through the water-filled cone;
passively determining, via a microwave radiometer, temperature of the tissue via received microwaves, the microwave radiometer having a radiometer external surface that is in contact with the target site;
detecting, via a microwave antenna of the microwave radiometer, a microwave signal caused by the ultrasonic energy heating the tissue, the microwave antenna being attached confocally to the piezoelectric ultrasound transducer;
determining, via an internal calibrated temperature source of the microwave radiometer, an absolute temperature;
detecting, based on the microwave signal and via a Radio Frequency (RF) switch of the microwave radiometer, a tissue temperature relative to the absolute temperature;
producing, via a local oscillator of the microwave radiometer, a baseband signal of 1-6 Gigahertz (GHz);
filtering and mixing down, via a RF mixer of the microwave radiometer, background noise in the microwave signal;
integrating, via a digital signal processor of the microwave radiometer, the baseband signal for a period of time to determine a baseband energy of the microwave signal;
determining, via the digital signal processor, an actual temperature by comparing the absolute temperature with the tissue temperature;
feeding back, via the digital signal processor, the actual temperature to the ultrasound generator; and
adjusting, via the digital signal processor, the predefined frequency and the predefined intensity from initial values to adjusted values within a respective ranges.