JPH0563177B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Technical field of invention] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic treatment device.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

Regarding the treatment of malignant neoplasms, so-called cancer, surgical therapy, chemical therapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy have traditionally been carried out under the name of multimodality therapy, but in addition to these therapies, there are also treatments that have recently received attention. One method that has been used is heat therapy (hypathermia). This treatment uses heating to take advantage of the fact that the lethal temperature of tumor cells is lower than that of normal cells, and as it is a non-invasive method, it is suitable for treating unresectable lesions. It is considered extremely effective. Thermal therapy is classified into whole body heating, local heating, and regional heating, and among these, ultrasound therapy is focused and irradiated to the deep tumor to selectively heat the tumor site for treatment. Local heating methods that perform this are seen as promising.

However, hyperthermia treatment using local heating methods has traditionally been carried out without confirmation that the tumor is being selectively heated, so the treatment is not effective and the evaluation of its effectiveness is unclear. There was a problem.

[Purpose of the invention]

An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic treatment device that can perform treatment while checking the treatment site.

[Summary of the invention]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an imaging ultrasound probe that transmits and receives ultrasound waves to obtain tomographic images inside a living body, and a therapeutic ultrasound probe that focuses and irradiates ultrasound waves on a desired site inside a living body. a probe, a position detection means for detecting the respective positions and relative positions of the imaging ultrasound probe and the therapeutic ultrasound probe, and the imaging ultrasound probe and the therapeutic ultrasound probe from the position detection means. From the information on each position and the information on the relative position,
a focal point detection means for detecting a focal point of ultrasound by the therapeutic ultrasound probe; and information indicating the position of the focal point detected by the focal point detection means based on the output signal of the imaging ultrasound probe. and means for displaying the image on the tomographic image obtained.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to this invention, thermotherapy can be performed while confirming the focal point of the heating ultrasonic waves, that is, the region to be heated, on a tomographic image of the inside of the living body. Therefore, it is possible to perform appropriate treatment with the heating ultrasonic waves correctly focused on the tumor site, and it is also easy to judge the therapeutic effect. In addition, in this invention, the position of the focal point of ultrasound by the therapeutic ultrasound probe is detected from the relative position of both the imaging and therapeutic ultrasound probes, so the relative positions of both probes change. Also, accurate detection is always possible.

[Embodiments of the invention]

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an ultrasonic thermotherapy device according to an embodiment of the present invention. A water bath 2 is provided in contact with the body surface of a living body 1, and an imaging ultrasonic probe 3 and a heating ultrasonic probe 4 are disposed within the water bath 2. The water bath 2 is used to match the acoustic impedance between the ultrasound probes 3 and 4 and the living body 1 and to suppress the temperature rise of the living body 1.

The imaging ultrasound probe 3 is a B-mode system 5
At the same time, sector-type electronic scanning is performed to obtain tomographic image information inside the living body 1. Sector-type electronic scanning is a scanning method that is already well known in ultrasound diagnostic equipment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted. For example, when the imaging ultrasound probe 3 is composed of an array transducer, Specifically, the scanning circuit performs focusing and deflection scanning of ultrasound by driving each transducer through a delay circuit, and the signal from each transducer of the probe 3 is transmitted through the delay circuit. After extraction, processing such as amplification and detection is performed to obtain a B-mode image signal (tomographic image signal) 6
It is composed of a signal processing circuit that obtains the following.

On the other hand, the heating ultrasonic probe 4 is driven by the drive circuit 7, and focuses and irradiates continuous waves with relatively high energy as heating ultrasonic waves onto a desired site within the living body 1, that is, a tumor site. That is, the heating ultrasonic probe 4 has an acoustic lens attached to its tip, or has a concave tip shape, and the focal point of the emitted ultrasonic waves is determined by its position. There is.

The imaging ultrasound probe 3 and the heating ultrasound probe 4 are supported by a probe position control device 8, and their positional states, for example, the living body 1
The angle with respect to the body surface, etc. is controlled. A position detector 9 is connected to the probe position control device 8 . The position detector 9 includes, for example, each ultrasonic probe 3,
4, each position of each probe 3, 4,
Detect mutual positional relationship (relative position).

The signal from the position detector 8 is applied to a hot spot detection circuit 10. This detection circuit 10 is a circuit that detects a hot spot within the living body 1, that is, a focal point (heating site) of the heating ultrasonic waves. As described above, the heating ultrasonic probe 4 is provided with an acoustic lens at its tip, or has a lens effect depending on the shape of the tip, so the focal point of the emitted ultrasonic waves depends on the position of the probe 4. Once determined, it is uniquely determined. Therefore, the hot spot detection circuit 10 calculates the hot spot based on the position information of the heating ultrasonic probe 4 from the position detector 9 and the relative position information of both the imaging and heating ultrasonic probes 3 and 4. When a hot spot is detected, a predetermined detection signal 11 (for example, a pulse signal with a constant pulse width) is generated.

This hot spot detection signal 11 is sent to an adder 12.
and is combined with the tomographic image signal 6 from the B-mode system 5. The output signal of the adder 12 is converted into a television video signal by the digital scan converter 13 in this example, and then
The signal is supplied to a CRT display (television monitor) 14. As a result, on the screen of the CRT display 14, if FIG.
along with the tomographic image containing the hot spot image 22.
is displayed. The hot spot image 22 may be displayed, for example, as a bright spot that is brighter than a normal image, or as a special color or a special symbol.

As described above, according to the present invention, information indicating the position of the hot spot, that is, the focal point of the heating ultrasound waves, is displayed on the tomographic image. Therefore, it is possible to perform thermal treatment while checking the area to be heated, and the therapeutic effect can be significantly improved.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments; for example, although sector-type electronic scanning was used to obtain tomographic images in the embodiment, other scanning methods such as linear-type electronic scanning or mechanical scanning may also be used. It's okay.
Further, as for the method of focusing the ultrasonic waves from the heating ultrasonic probe, a method other than the method using an acoustic lens or the like may be used, and the hot spot detection means can be changed accordingly. In addition, the present invention can be modified and implemented in various ways without departing from the scope of the invention.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic thermotherapy device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2a and 2b are diagrams showing examples of displays on a display in the same embodiment. 1... Living body, 2... Water bath, 3... Ultrasonic probe for imaging, 4... Ultrasonic probe for heating, 5... B mode system, 6... Tomographic image signal, 7... For heating Ultrasonic probe drive circuit, 8...
...Probe position control device, 9...Position detector, 1
0... Hot spot detection circuit (focal point detection means for heating ultrasonic waves), 11... Hot spot detection signal, 12... Adder, 13... Digital scan converter, 14... CRT display.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An imaging ultrasound probe that transmits and receives ultrasound to obtain tomographic images inside a living body; A therapeutic ultrasound probe that focuses and irradiates ultrasound to a desired site within a living body; a position detection means for detecting the respective positions and relative positions of the imaging ultrasound probe and the therapeutic ultrasound probe; and position detection means for detecting the positions of the imaging ultrasound probe and the therapeutic ultrasound probe from the position detection means. a focusing point detecting means for detecting a focusing point of ultrasound by the therapeutic ultrasound probe from the information and the relative position information; 1. An ultrasonic treatment apparatus comprising: means for displaying on a tomographic image obtained based on an output signal of an imaging ultrasonic probe.