Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B06—GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL
  • B06B—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, e.g. FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL
  • B06B3/00—Methods or apparatus specially adapted for transmitting mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency
  • B06B3/04—Methods or apparatus specially adapted for transmitting mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency involving focusing or reflecting
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N7/00—Ultrasound therapy
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B17/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods
  • A61B17/22—Implements for squeezing-off ulcers or the like on inner organs of the body; Implements for scraping-out cavities of body organs, e.g. bones; for invasive removal or destruction of calculus using mechanical vibrations; for removing obstructions in blood vessels, not otherwise provided for
  • A61B17/22004—Implements for squeezing-off ulcers or the like on inner organs of the body; Implements for scraping-out cavities of body organs, e.g. bones; for invasive removal or destruction of calculus using mechanical vibrations; for removing obstructions in blood vessels, not otherwise provided for using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic shock waves
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/08—Clinical applications
  • A61B8/0833—Clinical applications involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures
  • A61B8/085—Clinical applications involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures for locating body or organic structures, e.g. tumours, calculi, blood vessels, nodules
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N7/00—Ultrasound therapy
  • A61N7/02—Localised ultrasound hyperthermia
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
  • G10K—SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G10K11/00—Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound in general; Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general
  • G10K11/18—Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound
  • G10K11/26—Sound-focusing or directing, e.g. scanning
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
  • G10K—SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G10K15/00—Acoustics not otherwise provided for
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B17/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods
  • A61B17/22—Implements for squeezing-off ulcers or the like on inner organs of the body; Implements for scraping-out cavities of body organs, e.g. bones; for invasive removal or destruction of calculus using mechanical vibrations; for removing obstructions in blood vessels, not otherwise provided for
  • A61B17/22004—Implements for squeezing-off ulcers or the like on inner organs of the body; Implements for scraping-out cavities of body organs, e.g. bones; for invasive removal or destruction of calculus using mechanical vibrations; for removing obstructions in blood vessels, not otherwise provided for using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic shock waves
  • A61B2017/22005—Effects, e.g. on tissue
  • A61B2017/22007—Cavitation or pseudocavitation, i.e. creation of gas bubbles generating a secondary shock wave when collapsing
  • A61B2017/22008—Cavitation or pseudocavitation, i.e. creation of gas bubbles generating a secondary shock wave when collapsing used or promoted
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B17/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods
  • A61B17/22—Implements for squeezing-off ulcers or the like on inner organs of the body; Implements for scraping-out cavities of body organs, e.g. bones; for invasive removal or destruction of calculus using mechanical vibrations; for removing obstructions in blood vessels, not otherwise provided for
  • A61B17/22004—Implements for squeezing-off ulcers or the like on inner organs of the body; Implements for scraping-out cavities of body organs, e.g. bones; for invasive removal or destruction of calculus using mechanical vibrations; for removing obstructions in blood vessels, not otherwise provided for using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic shock waves
  • A61B17/22012—Implements for squeezing-off ulcers or the like on inner organs of the body; Implements for scraping-out cavities of body organs, e.g. bones; for invasive removal or destruction of calculus using mechanical vibrations; for removing obstructions in blood vessels, not otherwise provided for using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic shock waves in direct contact with, or very close to, the obstruction or concrement
  • A61B2017/22014—Implements for squeezing-off ulcers or the like on inner organs of the body; Implements for scraping-out cavities of body organs, e.g. bones; for invasive removal or destruction of calculus using mechanical vibrations; for removing obstructions in blood vessels, not otherwise provided for using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic shock waves in direct contact with, or very close to, the obstruction or concrement the ultrasound transducer being outside patient's body; with an ultrasound transmission member; with a wave guide; with a vibrated guide wire
  • A61B2017/22015—Implements for squeezing-off ulcers or the like on inner organs of the body; Implements for scraping-out cavities of body organs, e.g. bones; for invasive removal or destruction of calculus using mechanical vibrations; for removing obstructions in blood vessels, not otherwise provided for using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic shock waves in direct contact with, or very close to, the obstruction or concrement the ultrasound transducer being outside patient's body; with an ultrasound transmission member; with a wave guide; with a vibrated guide wire with details of the transmission member
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B17/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods
  • A61B17/22—Implements for squeezing-off ulcers or the like on inner organs of the body; Implements for scraping-out cavities of body organs, e.g. bones; for invasive removal or destruction of calculus using mechanical vibrations; for removing obstructions in blood vessels, not otherwise provided for
  • A61B17/22004—Implements for squeezing-off ulcers or the like on inner organs of the body; Implements for scraping-out cavities of body organs, e.g. bones; for invasive removal or destruction of calculus using mechanical vibrations; for removing obstructions in blood vessels, not otherwise provided for using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic shock waves
  • A61B2017/22027—Features of transducers
  • A61B2017/22028—Features of transducers arrays, e.g. phased arrays
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N7/00—Ultrasound therapy
  • A61N2007/0052—Ultrasound therapy using the same transducer for therapy and imaging
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N7/00—Ultrasound therapy
  • A61N2007/0056—Beam shaping elements
  • A61N2007/006—Lenses

Definitions

• the present invention relates to methods and devices for focusing waves. More specifically, it relates to methods and devices for generating high intensity waves at a target point of a target medium, for example acoustic waves for medical applications.
• the invention relates to a pulse focusing device comprising at least transmission means comprising an array of transducers, said transmission means being adapted to cause the array of transducers to transmit into a reflecting cavity, at least one wave focused in at least one target point of a target medium.
• HIFU devices English acronym for High Intensity Focused Ultrasound
• lithotripsy devices have disadvantages because their focal point can not be moved quickly and over a large distance by simple means.
• the document US 2009/0216128 describes an example of a device seeking to solve this problem, the device comprising a reflective cavity of random surface in which it is possible to generate and control waves whose focal point is movable.
• the cavity is further filled with water and provided with a window placed in contact with the target medium to improve the transmission of acoustic waves to the target medium.
• the cavity forms a resonator with a low quality factor and significant losses.
• the intensity of the wave at the target point is therefore low.
• the present invention is intended to overcome these disadvantages.
• a pulse focusing device of the kind in question is characterized in that the reflecting cavity comprises a multi-diffuser medium adapted to cause a multiple diffusion of said wave.
• the quality factor of the resonator formed by the cavity is important while maintaining a high transmission factor between the cavity and the medium.
• This multi-diffuser medium can be considered as an effective medium with adjustable transmission coefficient.
• the position of the target point is easily movable on a large volume.
• the losses of the resonator formed by the cavity are low and the characteristics of this resonator are easily adjustable by the choice of the multi-diffuser medium.
• the transducers used may be of low power and generate high intensity waves at the target point due to the high quality factor of the resonator.
• the number of transducers used can be reduced by generating virtual sources.
• the multi-diffuser medium comprises a plurality of diffusers
• the diffusers are substantially identical to each other;
• each diffuser has at least one transverse dimension substantially between 0.1 and 5 times the wavelength of the wave in the reflective cavity;
• each diffuser has at least one dimension transverse substantially between 0.5 and 1 times the wavelength of the wave in the reflective cavity;
• the diffusers are distributed in the multi-diffuser medium in a non-periodic manner
• the diffusers are distributed in the multi-diffuser medium so that their surface density on a section of the reflective cavity is substantially between 2 and 30 diffusers per area equivalent to a square of side equal to ten times the length of wave of the wave in the reflective cavity;
• the acoustic diffusers are distributed in the multi-diffuser medium so that their filling density density is between 1% and 30%;
• each acoustic diffuser has a length to width ratio greater than 5;
• the wave is an acoustic wave
• the reflecting cavity contains a liquid
• the reflecting cavity comprises a window at at least one of its ends
• the multi-diffuser medium is placed close to said end;
• the target medium comprises a living tissue;
• the device further comprises a lens placed between the reflecting cavity and the target medium;
• the transmission means are adapted to cause the wave s (t) to transmit to a number K at least equal to 1 of predetermined target points k belonging to the target medium, causing each transducer i of the network to transmit a signal of program :
• the signals ei k (t) are predetermined elementary transmission signals adapted so that, when the transducers i emit signals ei k (t), an impulse wave is generated at the target point k; the transmission means are adapted to emit a wave adapted to generate cavitation bubbles at a target point.
• the subject of the invention is also a method for focusing pulses comprising at least one transmission step during which at least one focused wave is emitted by a transducer array into at least one target point of a target medium. and said wave is passed through a reflective cavity before reaching the target medium, the method being characterized in that during the transmitting step a multiple scattering of said wave is caused by a multi-scattering medium located in the reflective cavity.
• signals ei k (t) are predetermined elementary transmission signals adapted so that, when the transducers i emit signals ei k (t), an impulse wave is generated at the target point k;
• the signals ei k (t) are coded on a number of bits between 1 and 64;
• the signals ei k (t) are coded on 1 bit; the elementary emission signals ei k (t) are determined experimentally during a learning step prior to said transmitting step;
• an ultrasonic pulse signal is transmitted successively at each predetermined target point k, the signals ri k (t) received by each transducer i of the array are sensed from the emission of said ultrasonic pulse signal, and the elementary emission signals ei k (t ) by time reversal of the received signals r ik (t):
• a liquid medium distinct from the target medium, is placed in contact with the reflecting cavity, and said pulsed signal is emitted from said liquid medium;
• an ultrasonic pulse signal is emitted successively at each transducer i of the grating, the signals ri k (t) received at the target point k are picked up from the emission of said ultrasonic pulse signal , and the elementary emission signals ei k (t) are determined by time reversal of the received signals ri k (t):
• a liquid medium distinct from the target medium, is placed in contact with the reflecting cavity, and the signals ri k (t) are picked up in said liquid medium;
• the liquid medium, used during the learning step essentially comprises water, and during the emission step, the target medium in which the wave is focused comprises a living tissue;
• a wave is emitted adapted to generate cavitation bubbles at the target point
• the wave is an acoustic wave
• the emission step is repeated at least once with a rate of between 10 Hz and 1000 Hz.
• Figure 1 is a schematic view illustrating a pulse focusing device according to one embodiment of the invention, for example an acoustic pulse focusing device.
• the waves and pulses mentioned may be waves and / or acoustic, optical or electromagnetic pulses.
• the electromagnetic waves and / or pulses are, for example, waves and / or radio-frequency or terahertz pulses, for example having a central frequency between a few megahertz and a few terahertz.
• the acoustic waves may for example be ultrasonic waves, for example waves and / or pulses having a central frequency which may be between 200 kHz and 100 MHz, for example between 0.5 MHz and 10 MHz.
• All the elements of the pulse focusing device 1 are adapted and chosen by those skilled in the art according to the type and frequency of the waves and / or pulses in question.
• Pulse focusing 1 and focusing method are respectively adapted to the type and frequency of waves and / or pulses chosen by those skilled in the art.
• the pulse focusing device 1 FIG. 1 is intended, for example, to focus pulses in a target medium 2, for example living tissues that can be part of the body of a patient in histotripsy applications, a part of an industrial object in applications. industrial, or other.
• a target medium 2 for example living tissues that can be part of the body of a patient in histotripsy applications, a part of an industrial object in applications. industrial, or other.
• the pulse focusing device 1 is intended to focus pulses in a target region 3 in the target medium 2, this region 3 possibly being three-dimensional.
• the device 1 is adapted to emit waves focused on one or more predetermined target points 4 belonging to the target zone 3.
• the waves are emitted by transmitting and receiving elements, for example an array of transducers 6, which are placed in or attached to a reflecting cavity 7.
• the transducers 6 may be in any number, ranging from 1 to several hundred, for example a few tens.
• the grating 5 may be a linear array, the transducers being juxtaposed along a longitudinal axis of the grating as on known ultrasound probes.
• the network 5 can also be a two-dimensional network so as to emit three-dimensional focused waves.
• the reflective cavity 7 may be filled with a liquid 10, for example water.
• the reflecting cavity 7 may also be filled with a gas, for example a weakly absorbing gas for the waves and / or the pulses generated by the transducers 6.
• a gas for example a weakly absorbing gas for the waves and / or the pulses generated by the transducers 6.
• the reflective cavity has walls made of a material forming a very reflecting for the waves.
• the walls of the reflecting cavity 7 may for example be made of a metal plate, an optical or electromagnetic mirror or a thin film separating the liquid contained in the cavity of the air outside the cavity so as to realize a very reflective liquid-air interface for waves and / or acoustic pulses.
• the reflective cavity 7 is in contact at one of its ends 7a with the target medium 2, directly or via a lens 9, for example an acoustic, optical or electromagnetic lens. It may for example be provided with a window 7b at said end 7a, the window 7b having a wall transmitting the waves with little loss.
• the reflective cavity 7 may have a general rectangular parallelepiped shape, the transducers 6 of the array being for example located on or near an end 7b of the reflecting cavity 7 which is located opposite the end 7a in contact with the target medium 2.
• the reflective cavity may more generally be in the form of a cylinder, for example a cylinder of revolution or another type of cylinder, extending in a direction of Y cavity extension and having a planar face on the side opposite to the end 7a in contact with the target medium 2.
• the reflective cavity 7 may be irregularly shaped, for example by depressions or bumps in its walls.
• the reflecting cavity 7 further contains a multi-diffuser medium 8 adapted to be traversed by the wave before it arrives at the target medium 2 and to cause a multiple diffusion of the wave.
• the multi-diffuser medium 8 may for example be located near the end 7a of the reflecting cavity 7 in contact with the target medium 2.
• the multi-diffuser medium 8 may for example cover the entirety of a section of the reflective cavity 7, taken perpendicularly to the direction of cavity extension Y.
• the multi-diffuser medium 8 may comprise any number of diffusers 8a, ranging from a few tens to several thousands, for example a few hundred.
• the diffusers 8a are adapted to broadcast the acoustic wave.
• the diffusers 8a are advantageously distributed randomly, or non-periodically, in the multi-diffuser medium, that is to say so that their distribution does not have a periodic structure.
• the extension directions of the acoustic diffusers 8a may for example be parallel to each other and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transducer array and to the direction of extension of the cavity Y.
• the diffusers can be held by frames or be attached to the walls of the reflecting cavity 7 at their ends.
• they may have the shape of balls, grains, cylinders, or any three-dimensional solid and be maintained by a foam, an elastomer or three-dimensional reinforcement so as to be distributed in the three dimensions of the space and form the multi-diffuser medium 8.
• the shape and density of the diffusers 8a as well as the dimensions of the multi-diffuser medium 8 are chosen to allow a maximum multiple diffusion of the wave as well as a good transmission.
• the diffusers 8a may have a surface adapted to strongly reflect the wave, for example a metal, an optical or electromagnetic mirror or a surface having a significant difference in impedance with the middle of the reflective cavity.
• the diffusers 8a may for example have a cross section, substantially between 0.1 and 5 times the wavelength of the wave in the reflective cavity, for example between 0.5 and 1 times said wavelength.
• Said cross section is understood to be a section taken perpendicular to their direction of extension, for example perpendicular to their direction of greatest extension.
• the average free diffusion path the average distance between two waves diffusion events
• the average free path of transport the average distance over which the wave loses its initial direction
• the diffusers 8a may for example have a cross section, taken perpendicularly to their direction of extension or according to their smallest section transverse, included in a circle of about 0.8 mm in diameter, and a length of 9 cm, for example in their direction of extension.
• the diffusers 8a can be distributed in the multi-diffuser medium 8 so that their surface density in a cross section of the multi-diffuser medium 8 is substantially between 2 and 30 diffusers per area equivalent to a square of the side equal to ten times the wavelength of the wave in the reflective cavity 7.
• Said cross section is understood to be a section taken perpendicular to the extension direction of the diffusers 8a and / or to a direction of greater extension of the multi-diffuser medium 8.
• the diffusers 8a can be distributed in the multi-diffuser medium 8 so that their surface density, according to a section of the multi-diffuser medium 8 transverse to the extension direction Z of the diffusers 8a, or, for an acoustic wave having a central frequency of the order of 1 MHz, about ten diffusers 8a per square centimeter, for example eighteen acoustic diffusers 8a per square centimeter.
• the diffusers 8a can be distributed in the multi-diffuser medium 8 so that their volume density of filling of the multi-diffuser medium 8 is between 1% and 30%.
• the length of the multi-diffuser medium 8 taken along the direction of propagation of the wave may be a few centimeters, for example two centimeters for an acoustic wave.
• the density of the diffusers 8a may be, for example, about ten diffusers 8a per cubic centimeter and the dimensions of the multi-diffuser medium 8 according to the three directions of space may be a few centimeters.
• a lens 9 can also be placed between the target medium 4 and the reflecting cavity 7.
• the lens 9 may be an acoustic, optical or electromagnetic lens adapted to focus the waves and / or pulses in one or two directions.
• the reflective cavity 7 and the multi-diffuser medium 8 can therefore be adapted to form a resonator with a high quality factor.
• the pressure of the acoustic wave generated by the transducer array can thus be amplified by more than 20 dB by the resonator formed by the reflecting cavity 7 and the multi-wave medium. diffuser 8.
• the power of the pulse generated at the focal point will also be greatly amplified.
• the transducers 6 of the network may be placed on one face of the reflecting cavity 7 opposite the target medium 2 or on a lateral face of the cavity 7c.
• they may be placed on a side face 7c and oriented to emit waves towards the multi-diffuser medium at an angle to the cavity extension direction Y, for example 60 °.
• the transducers 6 are controlled independently of each other by a microcomputer 12 (conventionally provided with user interfaces such as a screen 12a and a keyboard 12b), possibly via a central processing unit CPU and / or a unit equipped with GPU graphics processor which is contained for example in an electronic rack 11 connected by a flexible cable to the transducers 6.
• a microcomputer 12 conventionally provided with user interfaces such as a screen 12a and a keyboard 12b
• CPU and / or a unit equipped with GPU graphics processor which is contained for example in an electronic rack 11 connected by a flexible cable to the transducers 6.
• This electronic rack 11 may comprise, for example
• a memory M1-M6 connected to the analog / digital converter of each transducer 6 and the CPU and / or the unit provided with GPU graphics processor;
• the device may also comprise a digital signal processor or "DSP" (acronym for “digital signal processor”) connected to the CPU.
• DSP digital signal processor
• the device that has just been described operates as follows.
• a matrix of elementary emission signals ei k (t) are first determined such that, to generate a wave s (t) at a target point k, each transducer transmits i of the network 5 an emission signal:
• These elementary emission signals can optionally be determined by calculation (for example by a spatio-temporal inverse filter method), or they can be determined experimentally during a preliminary learning step.
• the target medium 2 is a liquid medium, it may possibly be possible to proceed to the preliminary learning step by successively positioning the ultrasonic wave emitter on the different target points 4 of the target zone 3.
• the medium 2 is a living tissue, for example a body part of a patient or a similar medium comprising a large amount of water, it may be possible to proceed to the learning phase by replacing the medium 2 with a volume of liquid , preferably comprising a majority of water, by successively positioning the ultrasonic wave transmitter at the locations of the different target points 4, identified with respect to the reflecting cavity 7.
• each transducer i of the network sends a signal d 'program
• the waves thus emitted by the transducers 6 of the network have a central frequency which may be in particular between 200 kHz and 100 MHz, for example between 0.5 MHz and 10 MHz.
• the emission step can be repeated with a rate of between 10 Hz and 1000 Hz.
• a depression greater than the cavitation threshold for example -15 MPa, can be generated at the target point 4 by emitting a wave.
• ultrasonic acoustic s (t) (continuous or not).
• the device 1 has been previously described as a pulse focusing device, this device can optionally be used, in addition to focusing or independently thereof, to perform imaging, for example ultrasound imaging as this will now be described.
• the echoes emitted by the target medium 2 are captured. by means of the transducers 6 of the network.
• the signals thus captured are digitized by the C1-C5 samplers and stored in the Ml-M6 memories, then processed by a conventional channel formation technique which achieves reception focusing on the targeted target point (s) 4 during transmission. .
• the processing in question which consists in particular in imposing different delays on the signals picked up and in capturing these signals, can be implemented by a summing circuit S connected to the memories M1-M6 or to the CPU.
• a summing circuit S connected to the memories M1-M6 or to the CPU.
• the non-linear behavior of at least one of the elements traversed by the wave that is to say the target medium 2, the cavity, can be exploited.
• 7 and / or the multi-diffuser medium 8 in practice, it is mainly the target medium 2 which will exhibit a non-linear behavior, the reflective cavity 7 and the multi-diffuser medium 8 preferably having a linear behavior).
• the wave is generated with a sufficient amplitude for harmonic waves of the central frequency fc of the wave to be generated, with a level sufficient to be able to listen to the echoes returning from the target medium 2 at a listening frequency which is an integer multiple of the central emission frequency fc.
• echoes returning from the target medium 2 are heard at a double or triple frequency of the frequency fc.
• This frequency selective listening can be obtained either by the very constitution of the transducers 6, in a manner known per se, or by a frequency filtering of the signals coming from the transducers 6.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• Surgery (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Radiology & Medical Imaging (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Medical Informatics (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Vascular Medicine (AREA)
• Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• Biophysics (AREA)
• Orthopedic Medicine & Surgery (AREA)
• Surgical Instruments (AREA)
• Investigating Or Analyzing Materials By The Use Of Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=47172750

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (9)

Families Citing this family (15)

Citations (1)

Family Cites Families (22)

• 2012
  • 2012-06-06 FR FR1255251A patent/FR2991807B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2013
  • 2013-06-04 IN IN10263DEN2014 patent/IN2014DN10263A/en unknown
  • 2013-06-04 JP JP2015515569A patent/JP6196298B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2013-06-04 WO PCT/FR2013/051259 patent/WO2013182800A2/fr active Application Filing
  • 2013-06-04 CN CN201380030191.XA patent/CN104684658A/zh active Pending
  • 2013-06-04 US US14/406,125 patent/US20150151141A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2013-06-04 EP EP13730033.1A patent/EP2858760A2/fr not_active Withdrawn
  • 2013-06-04 CA CA2874836A patent/CA2874836A1/fr not_active Abandoned
• 2014
  • 2014-12-04 IL IL236056A patent/IL236056B/en active IP Right Grant

Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events