Patent ID: 11957937
Assignee: PROFOUND MEDICAL INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A method for determining a position of ultrasound transducers disposed in a thermal therapy applicator, the method comprising:
with a controller in communication with said thermal therapy applicator, rotating said thermal therapy applicator, disposed in a subject, such that an acoustic window in said thermal therapy applicator is oriented in a predetermined direction;
acquiring a three-dimensional image of said subject, including said rotated thermal therapy applicator, with a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus;
with said controller, automatically identifying at least first and second fiducial markers in a first plane, said ultrasound transducers between said first and second fiducial markers;
with said controller, automatically identifying at least a third fiducial marker in a second plane, the second plane orthogonal to the first plane,
wherein:
said at least a third fiducial marker comprises a length of said acoustic window, said defined in a tube disposed in a cylindrical shaft of said thermal therapy applicator,
said tube is opaque to ultrasound,
said ultrasound transducer are disposed in the tube, and
said third fiducial marker is different than said first and second fiducial markers; and

with said controller, using said at least first, second, and third fiducial markers to automatically determine said position of said ultrasound transducers, said ultrasound transducers coupled to a printed circuit board disposed in said tube.