A method and apparatus for performing human and animal surgery in which the tissue field including all soft tissue fluid space interfaces can be visualized along with other soft tissue features by appropriate ultrasonic visualization means such as transmitting a scanning ultrasonic beam and receiving echoes from the desired areas and presenting a picture of said areas on a suitable display monitor such as a cathode ray tube for two-dimensional presentation where the presentation may be compared with standard atlases of normal tissue. Means and apparatus for transmitting ultrasonic energy at substantially higher level than that used for visualizing the area are provided so as to selectively destroy tissue without requiring a surgical incision. The extent of the surgery may be observed with the visualizing apparatus and the surgery may be performed and monitored by the visualizing apparatus. The visualizing and the tissue destructing means are under the control of a computer which is suitably programmed for the particular operation being performed.
An ultrasonic transducer assembly is provided with transducers for both therapeutic and diagnostic ultrasonic radiation. A moveable seal permits adjustment and alignment of the two transducer units in a fluid medium. In addition, there is provided a light beam directed along the axis of the ultrasonic radiation. The transducer assembly is particularly useful for ophthalmic therapy.
A process and device for treating pathological neoformations. The process is carried out by thrombosis formation in blood vessels by means of shock waves. The method is particularly effective for treating the neoformations with minimal effect upon healthy tissue.
An extracorporeal ultra-high-speed ultrasound hyperthermia treatment method consisting in transmitting and focussing on the tumor ultrasound wave trains at frequencies between 0.5 and 10 MHz with peak electric powers which may reach 20 Kw or more, the parameters which define the concentration of the treatment beam in the focal spot and the power being determined so that, irrespective of the depth and the nature of the tissue, the treatment time is in the order of that enabling significant destruction, preferably total destruction, of the target during the linear part of a curve showing the temperature increase as a function of time.
Method for destroying selected cells in a host without damage to non-selected cells comprises selecting a transmission path from an energy source (12) to the selected cells (30); determining one or more of the resonant frequencies of the selected cells (30); selecting as a destructive frequency one of the resonant frequencies at which the transmissibility of the selected cells (30) is higher than the transmissibility of the non-selected cells in the transmission path; and transmitting energy from the source (12) at the destructive frequency along the path with sufficient intensity to destroy the selected cells (30) without destroying the non-selected cells. Apparatus for practicing the method is also disclosed.
A method and apparatus for destroying calculuses with a human body which detects an expiration end period of the human body by a detector. A pulse generator generates a first drive pulse to drive destroying energy radiation in synchronism with a start point of the detected expiration end period. Succeeding the first pulse, another pulse generator generates a train of pulses at a rate as set by a pulse rate setting circuit. By utilizing the pulse train, the energy is repeatedly radiated to the location of the calculus during the detected expiration end period.
