Ultrasonic applicator with direct acoustical coupling for interstitial heating

在这项提议中，我们提出开发一种可能用于加热具有治疗目的的组织的装置。为了达到这个目的，提议的装置将直接将超声波沉积到组织中。与周围体积相互作用的超声波能量被转化为热。尽管目前有类似原理的装置，但有了这些设备，超声波从组织外部的源转移到组织中。大多数现有设备使用聚焦的超声束，指向异常组织。如果它们将异常组织的温度提高到很高的值，从而导致异常细胞死亡。如果异常细胞位于骨质结构的后面或周围，例如头骨或充满气体的器官后面，则使用上述程序存在困难，肺。在这种情况下，超声波必须直接沉积到有异常细胞的体积中。他们说，我们已经研究了一种能够直接沉积超声波的设备。然而，我们发现，该设备相当复杂和笨重。这一直是它的严重限制。我们还注意到，它的使用需要非常好地了解其操作原理，因此它只适用于非常熟练的操作员。我们希望该设备用于治疗，它必须易于由具有典型技术和/或科学能力的人员操作。*我们相信，拟议的仪器满足上述要求。我们还认为，在开发新设备方面获得的经验可能会对其他从事生物医学超声工作的研究人员有所帮助。

In this proposal, we offer to develop a device that may be useful for heating in tissues with therapeutic goal.  For that purpose, the proposed device will deposit ultrasound directly into the tissue.  Ultrasound energy on interaction with the surrounding volume is converted into heat.  Currently there are devices that work on similar principle, but with these devices ultrasound is transferred into the tissue from a source external to the tissue.  Majority of the existing devices use focused ultrasound beams that are directed towards abnormal tissue.  They raise the temperature of the abnormal tissue to a high value which leads to abnormal cells death.  There are difficulties in using the above procedure if the abnormal cells are behind or around boney structures, e.g., skull or behind organs filled with gases, e.g., lungs.  In case like that ultrasound must be deposited directly into the volume with abnormal cells.        We have already worked on a device capable of direct deposition of ultrasound.  We found, however, that the device was quite complicated and bulky.  That has been its serious limitation.  We noticed also that its use required very good understanding of its principle of operation and thus it worked only for very skillful operators.  For the device to be useful for therapy, it must be easy to operate by personnel with typical technical and/or scientific abilities.  We believe that the proposed instrumentation satisfies the above requirements. We think also that experience gained in development of the new device may be helpful to other researchers who work in biomedical ultrasound.