Patent ID: 7753944
Filing Date: 2010-07-13
Classification: A61B,A61N

Abstract:
1. A treatment probe for coagulating a target by applying focused ultrasound at the target, comprising: a probe body mounted for rotation about a rotation axis, the probe body carrying a treatment transducer and an imaging transducer; wherein the treatment transducer coagulates the target by emitting focused ultrasound along an acoustic axis towards a focus, in which the focused ultrasound forms a cone having an apex, said apex being the focus and the cone having an angle at the apex which is less open in a first direction of the treatment transducer than in a second direction of the treatment transducer; and wherein the imaging transducer that is capable of obtaining an image of the target; wherein the treatment probe has a treatment mode in which the acoustic axis of the treatment transducer is substantially the same as the rotation axis to allow the probe body to turn about the rotation axis without causing the focus to move relative to the target; wherein the treatment probe has an imaging mode in which the imaging transducer has an imaging plane that contains the acoustic axis of the treatment transducer as located in the treatment mode to allow the probe body to turn about the rotation axis while the target remains in the imaging plane; and wherein the treatment probe is arranged to allow moving the probe body exclusively by rotation around the rotation axis.