Hyperthermia apparatus

Abstract: In a hyperthermia apparatus, ultrasonic waves obtained by using an ultrasonic vibrator are focused in a living body through an acoustic lens (5) and degassed water to form a heating region. In this case, the ultrasonic vibrator is not required to be divided, and the surface of the acoustic lens in contact with the ultrasonic vibrator and the opposite surface are formed in a concave surface, and hills and valleys (5e and d) spreading alternatively in the radial direction are formed on this concave surface, and the portion between these hill and valley are formed in a plane or a curved surface. In accordance with this acoustic lens, the ultrasonic waves are focused on the heating region, and a phase difference is produced by a difference in thickness between the hill part and the valley part, and thereby no undesirable hot spots are produced behind the heating region.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a hyperthermia apparatus or thermotherapy instrument of an ultrasonic heating system, and specifically relates to an improvement in an acoustic lens disposed in front of an ultrasonic vibrator In curing an affected body part having abnormal cellular tissue such as cancer or other tumor, is clinically well known that heat treatment (hyperthermia) comprising heating the affected part in a temperature range of 43 to 45 °C for a dozen to several dozen minutes is effective as a treatment. Conventionally, the heating is applied in a manner such that an ultrasonic heating region 7a is formed in the patient's body by controlling the phase using an annular vibrator (annular array) 4a as shown in Fig. 9. However, as shown in Fig. 9, undesirable hot spots 7b are produced behind the heating region 7a by these prior art devices. To eliminate such undesirable hot spots, an annular vibrator 4b (Fig. 10) is further divided in the radial direction as disclosed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 42773/1987. In this arrangement undesirable hot spots are eliminated by dividing the heating region 7a into two parts and the phases of converged ultrasonic waves are inverse to each other at the position behind the heating region 7a where the undesirable hot spots are produced. However, this proposed vibrator divided in the radial direction has deficiencies in that the structure of the vibrator is very complicated and the control apparatus whereto a delay circuit is added becomes complicated, resulting in high cost. FR-A-1022047 describes an acoustic lens which has segments bounded by hill and edge lines, but this lens suffers from the hot spot problem. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a hyperthermia apparatus wherein the shape of the acoustic lens used together with a vibrator is improved so as not to produce the hot spot behind the heating region, and thereby a uniform heating region is obtainable. According to the present invention there is provided an acoustic lens (5) suitable for use in a hyperthermia apparatus of the type in which an ultrasonic wave obtained by using an ultrasonic vibrator (4) is focused in a patient's body (7) through the acoustic lens (5) and degassed water (6) to form a heating region, the acoustic lens (5) comprising: a lens body (15) which is substantially circular in cross-section having one planar circular surface and a second surface defining a plurality of alternating hill (5c) and valley (5d) lines, each hill line (5c) and adjacent valley line (5d) bounding a surface portion (5e) therebetween, characterised in that: said second surface which comprises the plurality of surface portions (5e) is concave; said hill (5c) and valley lines (5d) extend radially outwardly relative to the centre of the lens body (5), the surface portions (5e) being equal in size and arranged symmetrically about the centre of the body, each surface portion being formed by a plane or curved surface and being obliquely oriented with respect to the plane of the planar circular surface of the lens body, the thickness of the lens varying by at least one wavelength between adjacent hill lines (5c) and valley lines (5d), the arrangement being such that the phases of the waves leaving any surface portion (5e) vary continuously in the circumferential direction so that the waves cancel at the focal point of the lens thereby preventing any undesirable hot spots being produced behind the heating region. Another feature of the present invention is to provide a hyperthermia apparatus wherein to obtain a uniform heating region, the acoustic lens is rotatable around the center together with the vibrator in the state that the portion in contact with a part to be examined is fixed. As a means for focusing ultrasonic waves, an acoustic lens is used, and on the concave surface part thereof, oblique planes or curved surfaces are formed which continuously give portions where deviation of at least one wavelength is provided. Also, in this case, no discontinuous portion is produced between the oblique planes. In addition, the concave surface of the acoustic lens constituted as described above is not spherical, and therefore a uniform warming region is obtainable by rotating the lens. Other and further detailes of the present invention are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a configuration illustrating view of a major part showing one embodiment in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a semi-cross-sectional front view showing one example of an acoustic lens in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 3 is a bottom surface view or a development view of a concave surface part of the same. Fig. 4 is an explanatory view showing a relationship between the acoustic lens and the focal point thereof. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of another preferred major part. Fig. 6 are an isothermal line distribution graph by Fig. 5 embodiment and a temperature distribution graph along line A-A′ in that graph. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a major part like the case of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is an isothermal line distribution graph by the Fig. 7 embodiment. Fig. 9 is a plan view, cross-sectional view and operation explanatory view of a conventional example. Fig. 10 is a plan view of another conventional example. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Description is made on preferred embodiments in accordance with the present invention in reference to Fig. 1 through Fig. 4. Fig. 1 is a configuration illustrating view of a one embodiment of the present invention. In this view, a high frequency wave produced by an oscillator 1 is amplified by an amplifier 2 and sent to an ultrasonic vibrator 4 through a matching circuit 3. An ultrasonic wave obtained from the ultrasonic vibrator 4 is sent to a patient's body 7 through an acoustic lens 5 and degassed water 6 in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 4 is an explanatory view showing a relationship between the acoustic lens in accordance with the present invention and the focal point thereof. A focal length F of an acoustic lens (curvature = R) made of aluminium is given by F = R/(1-VW/VA) , where Vw is the velocity of sound in water (about 1530 m/S) and VA is the velocity of sound in aluminum (about R/0.76). As shown in Fig. 4, to vary the thickness of the lens by L without varying this point of focus O, the following equations have to hold. F' = R' /0.76, F = F' + L Consequently, if F > > L, when viewed at the focal point O, the difference between a lens having a radius of R and a lens having a radius of R' is only the phase difference attending on the thickness difference L. In addition, to produce a phase difference of one wavelength, L has only to be set as L = λ 1- VW VA Where λ is the wavelength of the ultrasonic wave in the degassed water. Accordingly, by using the lens having the thickness difference as described above, an acoustic field similar to the acoustic field obtained by using the vibrator as shown in Fig. 10 is obtainable. Fig. 2 is a semi-cross-sectional front view showing one example of an acoustic lens in accordance with the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a bottom surface view or a development view of the concave surface part of that lens. As shown in Fig. 2, the acoustic lens has a thickness difference of L. R is a radius of curvature, and Z is a distance between the bottom surface of the lens and the position of center of curvature. Numeral 5a designates a center recess, and numeral 5b designates a stepped part, and these portions are required for working in fabricating the acoustic lens with metal such as aluminum. Numeral 5c designates hill edge lines, and numeral 5d designates valley edge lines. The respective plural edge lines 5c and 5d are formed in an equi-interval fashion in the azimuthal direction, and an oblique plane part 5e is formed between two edge lines 5c and 5d. Next, description is made on one oblique plane part 5e. In Fig. 3, a hill edge line 5c and an imaginary line 5f extending in the radial direction and bisecting an oblique plane part 5e have phases inverse to each other at focusing. Also, a radial line 5g making an angle of α with the hill edge line 5c and a radial line 5h making the same angle α with the line 5f similarly have phases inverse to each other. When the whole oblique plane 5e is formed as described above, deviation of one wavelength is produced continuously in the circumferential direction to make the state of phases inverse to one another and the ultrasonic waves cancel one another. Accordingly, by using such an acoustic lens, an acoustic field is formed wherein no undesirable hot spots are produced at the position of focus. In addition, the material for the acoustic lens is selected from among materials having a sound velocity higher than that of water such as acrylate resin, polystyrene resin or aluminum. Also, where the acoustic lens is fabricated with aluminum, machine work by numeric control is effective, and in this case, the work is performed by evaluating the work conditions for every angle in the circumferential direction from the reference line in the azimuthal direction, for example, with the radius of curvature R, the position of center of curvature Z and the like taken as parameters. In Fig. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a wave generator employing an acoustic lens 5 of the same configuration as described above. The ultrasonic wave generated by the vibrator 4 is focused by the acoustic lens 5, and is projected through the degassed water 6 and a porous wall 9 to the patient. Numeral 10 designates an inlet for the degassed water. The degassed water 6 is passed through a circulation-cooling apparatus (not illustrated) through the inlet 10 so as to circulate & maintain, the temperature of the water at a constant value, Fig. 8 illustrates the temperature distribution obtained using an applicator as described above. This view shows isothermal lines on the cross-section at a right angle with the center axis (z direction) of the applicator. The temperature distribution spreads in a deformed circumferential shape, and particularly spot-shaped high-temperature regions are produced on a circumference in an isolated fashion, and the temperature distribution is uneven over the whole area. Fig. 5 illustrates an embodiment for eliminating such unevenness of the temperature distribution. In Fig. 5 an O-ring 11 the portion where the vibrator 4 and acoustic lens 5 are held is made rotatable relative to the porous wall 9 (portion of contact with the part to be examined). Fig. 6a is an isothermal line distribution graph illustrating the thermal distribution obtained by rotating the vibrator 4 and the acoustic lens 5 of Fig. 5 and Fig. 6b is a temperature distribution graph along line A-A' of Fig. 6a. As illustrated, the isothermal distribution of heating region spreads in a concentric circumference fashion, and the heating region is heated uniformly, and this uniform distribution is effective when applied to the heating treatment. In addition, the direction of rotating the acoustic lens together with the vibrator is not limited to one direction, and a method of reverse rotation on a one revolution basis may be applied. Also, the means of rotation is not illustrated particularly, but is used by selecting from among various publicly known mechanisms. In accordance with the present invention, the vibrator is not required to be divided, and therefore the vibrator and the drive circuit thereof are simplified, and by using this acoustic lens, an ultrasonic heating apparatus can be provided at a low price wherein no undesirable hot spots are produced and the heating region is obtained in uniform warming.

Claims: An acoustic lens (5) suitable for use in a hyperthermia apparatus of the type in which an ultrasonic wave obtained by using an ultrasonic vibrator (4) is focused in a patient's body (7) through the acoustic lens (5) and degassed water (6) to form a heating region, the acoustic lens (5) comprising: a lens body (15) which is substantially circular in cross-section having one planar circular surface and a second surface defining a plurality of alternating hill (5c) and valley (5d) lines, each hill line (5c) and adjacent valley line (5d) bounding a surface portion (5e) therebetween, characterised in that: said second surface which comprises the plurality of surface portions (5e) is concave; said hill (5c) and valley lines (5d) extend radially outwardly relative to the centre of the lens body (5), the surface portions (5e) being equal in size and arranged symmetrically about the centre of the body, each surface portion being formed by a plane or curved surface and being obliquely oriented with respect to the plane of the planar circular surface of the lens body, the thickness of the lens varying by at least one wavelength between adjacent hill lines (5c) and valley lines (5d), the arrangement being such that the phases of the waves leaving any surface portion (5e) vary continuously in the circumferential direction so that the waves cancel at the focal point of the lens thereby preventing any undesirable hot spots being produced behind the heating region. An acoustic lens according to claim 1, wherein the difference in thickness between adjacent hill lines and valley lines is given by L = λ 1- VW VA where L is the said difference in thickness, λ is the wavelength of the ultrasonic wave in the degassed water, VW is the velocity of the ultrasonic wave in the water and VA is the velocity of the ultrasonic wave in the material of the lens. A hyperthermia apparatus comprising an ultrasonic vibrator (4), an acoustic lens (5) according to any preceding claim, wherein the lens body is so mounted with respect to the vibrator (4) that an acoustic wave produced by the vibrator (4) is focused through the acoustic lens (5) and degassed water (6) to form a heating region. A hyperthermia apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the acoustic lens (5), and vibrator (4) are rotatable about their centre relative to a part of the apparatus which is in contact with a patient's body, the arrangement being such that rotation of the lens and vibrator produces a uniform heating region.

Inventors: TAKAYAMA NAOHIKO, TAKAYAMA, NAOHIKO
Applicants: SHIMADZU CORP, SHIMADZU CORPORATION
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A61F7
IPC codes: A61N7, G10K11, A61F7