Patent ID: 6221014
Filing Date: 2001-04-24
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
An apparatus for tracking a target mark for a therapy device for providing therapy to an object in a patient's body via a sound source positioned at a focus position corresponding to a location of the object, the sound source having an axis of symmetry, the therapy device being coupled to an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus having a display screen and a scanning unit for scanning the object of the therapy device in a scanning plane, wherein in any position of the scanning unit relative to the axis of symmetry, the scanning plane intersects the focus position, and wherein the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus generates a video signal representative of an image of the object in the scanning plane for display on the display screen, which image has a plurality of portions, the apparatus comprising:tracking means for generating a first signal representative of a position of the scanning unit relative to the axis of symmetry; andcontrol means, operatively coupled to said tracking means, for:receiving said first signal,generating from the video signal a second signal representative of at least one of a current zoom setting and a current sector displacement of the image generated by the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, anddetermining a desired coordinate position of a target mark image in accordance with said first and second signals, such that said coordinate position of said target mark image corresponds to the focus position, the control means including means for determining one of a change in the zoom setting and a sector displacement of the image displayed on the display screen, and for tracking the target mark to the current focus position based on this change.