WO2021143554A1

WO2021143554A1 - Ultrasonic resonance imaging system

Info

Publication number: WO2021143554A1
Application number: PCT/CN2021/070080
Authority: WO
Inventors: 黄晶; 熊波; 廖晴瑶; 胡天洋; 郑小宇; 钱俊; 容顺康; 姚沅清
Original assignee: 黄晶
Priority date: 2020-01-16
Filing date: 2021-01-04
Publication date: 2021-07-22
Also published as: CN111227865A

Abstract

Provided is an ultrasonic resonance imaging system, comprising: a difference-frequency vibration sound-generation mechanism, used for forming an increment or decrement difference-frequency vibration sound, and stimulating tissue in a confocal region to generate an echo signal; also comprising: a vibration and acoustic signal acquisition, analysis, and display system, used for receiving and analyzing the echo signal generated by the confocal region and obtaining the resonance frequency and resonance amplitude of the tissue in the confocal region; a resonance sonogram analysis and display system (9), used for receiving and analyzing the resonance frequency and resonance amplitude of a plurality of confocal tissues in a target area, and forming a resonance frequency and resonance amplitude distribution map of the target area. The system uses the means of detecting "resonance frequency and amplitude" to obtain the resonance peak frequency and amplitude distribution map of the target area tissue, significantly improving imaging accuracy, and more accurately reflecting the elasticity, mechanical, resonance, and other physical properties of the target area tissue.

Description

Ultrasonic resonance imaging system

This application claims the priority of a Chinese patent application filed with the Chinese Patent Office on January 16, 2020 with the application number 202010049650.0 and the invention title "An Ultrasonic Resonance Imaging System", the entire content of which is incorporated into this application by reference.

Technical field

The invention relates to the technical field of medical equipment, and specifically, to an ultrasonic resonance imaging system.

Background technique

In recent years, with the development of non-invasive ultrasound systems, the use of ultrasound systems to quickly and accurately image the deep tissues of the human body, and then to find disease treatment targets and specific treatments is the current mainstream research direction.

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), as a non-invasive, effective and safe treatment, plays an important role in the comprehensive treatment of solid tumors such as advanced liver cancer and adrenal tumors, and can significantly improve the clinical symptoms and long-term prognosis of patients. However, traditional HIFU still has the following shortcomings:

1. Unable to achieve integration, and other imaging systems such as ultrasound imaging are needed to guide positioning;

2. In some patients, the location of the lesion is deep, and the ultrasound image positioning is affected by various factors, which leads to poor positioning and imaging effects. On the one hand, it may cause incomplete ablation of the lesion tissue and affect the efficacy, on the other hand, it may also lead to excessive ablation and damage to normal tissue;

3. Traditional HIFU has a large power during ablation, which mainly exerts a therapeutic effect through thermal effects, lacks tissue specificity, and may cause damage to the acoustic conduction path and damage to important tissues and blood vessels around the lesion due to the large ablation energy.

Therefore, there is still a need to explore an ultrasound imaging system for guiding focused ultrasound ablation.

The applicant’s research group has been committed to the research of difference frequency focused ultrasound for a long time, and explored the role of difference frequency focused ultrasound in the imaging and intervention of deep tissues of the human body. The specific content is as follows: use different frequencies but have a common focus (coaxial is better) The ultrasonic transducer emits ultrasound at the same time, and the frequencies of the two sets of ultrasound (f1 and f2) have a slight difference (that is, the difference frequency ⊿f=f1-f2, ⊿f is about 1% of the dominant frequency), based on the principle of wave interference At the focal point, there will be a low-frequency vibration (or called beat frequency) radiation force working at the difference frequency ⊿f. Based on this principle, the applicant has applied for a patent (CN2019109021190) in which the stress generated by the low-frequency vibration generated by the focused ultrasound at the focal point is used as the mapping source, and the difference frequency vibration at the focal point is used to generate the stress "knocking" the focal point. The sound intensity of the detection point is distinguished by the "loudness" and vibration amplitude generated on the focus tissue, and the sound intensity of the detection point corresponds to the hardness of the detection point one-to-one, and the sound intensity of the detection point In this way, the hardness characteristics of the detection point are obtained, and the physical signals of the low-frequency vibration acting on the region of interest are picked up according to the multiple hardness characteristics to obtain the hardness distribution map; the hardness distribution map shows the anatomical structure of the region of interest and the target tissue (such as nerve fibers). ) To obtain the detection surface of the target tissue (such as nerve fiber).

The applicant's research group continued to study, aiming to design an ultrasonic resonance detection imaging system with higher imaging accuracy, including elastic, mechanical, resonance and other physical properties.

Summary of the invention

The purpose of the present invention is to address the deficiencies in the prior art and provide an ultrasonic resonance imaging system that can be applied to human internal tissues and has higher imaging accuracy.

In order to achieve the above objectives, the technical solutions adopted by the present invention are:

An ultrasonic resonance imaging system includes: an ultrasonic generating mechanism for forming a continuously variable vibration sound to stimulate the tissue in the confocal area to generate echo signals; and also includes: a vibration sound signal acquisition, analysis and display system for receiving and analyzing the The echo signal generated by the tissue in the confocal zone, and the resonance frequency and resonance amplitude of the tissue in the confocal zone are acquired; a resonance sonograph analysis display system for receiving and analyzing a plurality of consecutive tissues in the confocal zone in the target area The resonance frequency and resonance amplitude of, form the resonance frequency and resonance amplitude distribution map of the target area.

Preferably, the ultrasonic generating mechanism includes a dual-frequency ultrasonic signal generator for emitting two sets of different frequency signals, and the two sets of different frequency signals form two sets of different frequency signals through the difference frequency focused ultrasonic transducer. A confocal ultrasound beam; and a frequency sweep control system, which is associated with the main control computer, and generates a continuously increasing or decreasing difference frequency vibration sound by adjusting the frequency difference (⊿f) of the two groups of the confocal ultrasound beams.

Preferably, the vibro-acoustic signal acquisition, analysis and display system includes: a vibro-acoustic signal acquisition system for receiving the echo signal generated by the confocal area tissue; and a vibro-acoustic signal analysis and display system that analyzes the received To obtain the resonance frequency and resonance amplitude of the tissue in the confocal zone.

Preferably, the vibro-acoustic signal analysis and display system includes a vibro-acoustic signal display system and a vibro-acoustic signal analysis system, wherein the vibro-acoustic signal display system converts the echo signal into a digitized signal and displays it; the vibration The acoustic signal analysis system obtains the resonant peak of the confocal tissue by analyzing the sound pressure amplitude of the echo signal, and is associated with the frequency sweep control system to obtain the resonance frequency corresponding to the resonant peak .

Preferably, the vibro-acoustic signal display system includes: a preamplifier, a filter, and a digital display.

Preferably, it further includes a three-dimensional motion scanning system, which controls the difference frequency focused ultrasound transducer to perform three-dimensional arbitrary surface motion relative to the target area to scan any surface of the target area.

The advantages of the present invention are:

1. The ultrasonic resonance imaging system of the present invention forms a focal point with high-frequency focused ultrasound in the deep part of the body. Using the principle of difference frequency focused ultrasound interference, the mechanical stress that generates low-frequency vibration sound at the focal point forms a "percussion" force, and passes through the sweep The frequency control system adjusts the frequency difference between the two sets of focused ultrasound beams (⊿f) to adjust the mechanical stress frequency of the confocal area, and through continuous scanning of specific frequency bands to detect the resonance frequency and resonance amplitude of the tissue and perform imaging, creating Using difference frequency focused ultrasound to locate the deep tissues of the body by "resonant frequency imaging".

2. In a certain frequency band, a certain confocal tissue is scanned by ultrasound with different difference frequencies. It can be observed that the vibration amplitude of the confocal tissue increases geometrically at a specific resonance frequency, and sharp resonance appears. peak. When the size of the confocal zone is determined, the resonance frequency is related to the elastic modulus of the tissue, the ultrasonic absorption and scattering characteristics of the tissue, so different tissues have their specific resonance frequencies. The acoustic resonance system uses the method of detecting "resonant frequency and amplitude" to obtain the resonance peak frequency and amplitude distribution map of the target area tissue, which significantly improves the imaging accuracy and more accurately reflects the elasticity, mechanical, and resonance of the target area tissue And many other physical properties have formed a new imaging method characterized by tissue resonance.

3. The ablation target tissue in the target area will resonate under the effect of the difference frequency vibration sound with the same resonant frequency. Compared with other types of tissues, the vibration amplitude of the target tissue is significantly increased, and the mechanical effect is significantly enhanced. Therefore, giving lower treatment power at the resonance frequency of the target tissue can specifically intervene in the target tissue, to a greater extent, reduce the damage to other tissues caused by mechanical and thermal effects, and further improve the effectiveness and safety of focused ultrasound intervention.

4. The resonance imaging system controls the ultrasonic signal generator through the main control computer sweep control system, and adjusts the frequency difference (⊿f) of the two sets of confocal ultrasound beams to detect the resonance frequency of the tissue in the confocal zone. Among them, the mapping source is performed outside the body, and good acoustic coupling can be achieved without any electrodes or catheters entering the body. The anatomical structure and tissue distribution information of deep tissues can be obtained through resonance frequency imaging.

5. The resonance imaging system is equipped with a three-dimensional motion scanning system. When the resonance frequency and amplitude are detected, the focused ultrasound transducer is controlled to perform three-dimensional arbitrary surface motion relative to the target area, and it can perform arbitrary three-dimensional scanning of the part to be tested, so as to make the vibration sound signal The acquisition and analysis system obtains a more comprehensive resonance frequency and amplitude distribution map, so as to accurately obtain the detection surface. When performing physiological signal detection, the focus is not limited by the anatomical structure, and two-dimensional or three-dimensional scanning can be performed at any point of the solid tissue, so that the mapping and ablation treatment are in the same focus. In the traditional physiological detection, because there is no three-dimensional motion scanning system, the stimulation of the physiological detection in the blood vessel will be limited by space. For example, the nerve cannot be detected if it is farther from the blood vessel.

Description of the drawings

In order to more clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings that need to be used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. The drawings in the following description are only for the present application. For some of the embodiments described in, for those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative work.

Fig. 1 is a structural block diagram of an ultrasonic resonance imaging system according to various embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a structural block diagram of a vibration and acoustic signal analysis and display system according to various embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a structural block diagram of a physiological signal mapping system according to various embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a resonant peak diagram of the confocal zone of each embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a distribution diagram of the resonance frequency and amplitude of the target area of each embodiment of the present invention.

The reference numerals and components involved in the drawings are as follows:

1. Main control computer 2. Sweep frequency control system

3. Ultrasonic signal generator 4. Three-dimensional motion system

5. Difference frequency focused ultrasound transducer 6. Degassing water circulation system

7. Vibration and acoustic signal acquisition system 8. Vibration and acoustic signal analysis and display system

81. Vibration and sound signal display system 811. Preamplifier

812. Filter 813. Digital Oscilloscope

82. Vibration and Acoustic Signal Analysis System

9. Resonance Sonogram Analysis and Display System 10. Treatment Planning Unit

11. Basic image unit 12. Image overlay unit

13. Physiological signal detection system 131. Multi-channel physiological recorder

132. Auxiliary Discrimination System 14. Area of Renal Artery Vessel

15. The area where the aortic renal ganglion is located 16. The area where the fat is located

17. Ganglion resonance peak area 18. Fat tissue resonance peak area

Detailed ways

In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described implementation The examples are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work should fall within the protection scope of this application.

Example 1

In order to describe the technical solution more clearly, the "target target" and "target area" are defined in the following solutions. Target area: the specific body tissue that contains the "target target".

As shown in Figure 1, the ultrasonic resonance imaging system includes: a difference frequency vibration sound generating mechanism, which is used to form an increasing or decreasing difference frequency vibration sound to stimulate the tissue in the confocal area to generate echo signals; a vibration sound signal acquisition, analysis and display system, It is used to receive and analyze the echo signal generated by the tissue in the confocal zone, and to obtain the resonance frequency and resonance amplitude of the tissue in the confocal zone; the resonance sonograph analysis and display system 9 is used to receive and analyze the continuous The resonance frequency and resonance amplitude of a plurality of the confocal zone tissues form a distribution map of the resonance frequency and resonance amplitude of the target area.

Further, the ultrasonic generating mechanism includes a dual-frequency ultrasonic signal generator 3, which is used to send out two sets of different frequency signals. The two sets of different frequency signals form two sets of confocal ultrasonic waves with different frequencies through the difference frequency focused ultrasonic transducer 5. bundle.

The ultrasonic signal generator 3 in this embodiment is a dual-frequency ultrasonic signal generator, which includes a dual-channel ultrasonic signal generating and amplifying circuit with consistent performance. This circuit can adopt multiple pulse repetition frequencies and short pulse transmission modes, which can be used at low power. It has stable power output in the sum power working mode, can choose the same frequency and precise difference frequency working mode, and has the difference frequency accuracy of precise to phase control.

In this embodiment, the ultrasonic signal generator 3 is used to send out two sets of different frequency signals. The difference frequency focused ultrasonic transducer 5 forms two sets of confocal ultrasonic beams with different frequencies, and produces interference effects in the confocal region. Low-frequency vibration sound (Ultrasound stimulated acoustic emission, USAE) provides low-frequency vibration radiation force for the biological tissues in the confocal zone, so that the tissue in the confocal zone vibrates back and forth along the acoustic axis of the incident wave under the action of the vibration radiation force.

The difference frequency focused ultrasonic transducer 5 in this embodiment is connected to the ultrasonic signal generator 3. The difference frequency focused ultrasonic transducer 5 adopts spherical geometric focusing or phased array electronic acoustic hole focusing, which is suitable for large animals and humans. And the geometrical dimensions and power requirements for treatment. At the same time, the difference frequency focused ultrasound transducer 5 has a stable power transmission range, a sufficient focal length and a moderate opening angle. The difference frequency focused ultrasound transducer 5 can adopt a symmetrical dual-frequency mode, which has high electrical conversion efficiency and stable service life. As a preference, the difference-frequency focused ultrasound transducer 5 can also be of a melon petal type or a multi-element type. Furthermore, the ultrasonic generating mechanism also includes a frequency sweep control system 2, which generates continuously increasing or decreasing difference frequency vibration sound by adjusting the frequency difference of the two sets of confocal ultrasonic beams. One end of the frequency sweep control system 2 in this embodiment is connected to the main control computer 1, and the other end is connected to the ultrasonic signal generator 3. The frequency sweep control system 2 actively regulates the frequency difference of the ultrasonic signal generator 3 to send out two sets of different ultrasonic waves. In addition, the difference frequency through difference frequency focused ultrasonic transducer 5 formed by the two sets of ultrasound generates different degrees of low frequency vibration echo signals under the action of different degrees of difference frequency vibration sound in the confocal zone. Further, the frequency sweep control system 2 adjusts the frequency of the vibration sound by adjusting the frequency difference (⊿f) of the two sets of confocal ultrasound beams, and generates fast short pulses of difference frequency vibration sound with different frequency differences.

Further, the frequency sweep control system 2 adjusts and controls parameters such as the adjustment range of the difference frequency and the frequency difference step to quickly obtain stimulus signals of different frequencies, and cover at least one formant of the target tissue, so as to achieve the difference frequency In the adjustment range, continuously increasing or decreasing difference frequency vibration sound is used to stimulate the tissues in the confocal zone.

Specifically, in order to generate low-frequency vibrations with different frequency differences in the confocal zone, the frequency sweep control system 2 first sends instructions to the ultrasonic signal generator 3 in a certain frequency difference step from low to high within a certain frequency range. Generate ultrasonic signals with different frequency differences, and transmit the ultrasonic signals to the difference frequency focused ultrasonic transducer 5, and the difference frequency focused ultrasonic transducer 5 (may include: first, second...Nth) Energy device group) generates two sets of difference frequency focused ultrasound with different frequency difference values. Optionally, the frequency sweep control system 2 sends instructions to the ultrasonic signal generator 3 with a certain frequency difference step from high to low.

Preferably, the focus mode of the difference frequency focused ultrasound transducer 5 is a melon petal structure, an annular array structure, or an even-numbered Chen yuan structure. The melon petal structure divides the concave spherical ceramic into 8 array elements of the same size, and the odd-numbered array elements and the even-numbered array elements are connected in parallel respectively. The annular array divides the concave spherical ceramics in the axial direction and cuts them into two array elements with the same area. The multi-element structure is that hundreds of small-diameter array elements are uniformly distributed on a concave spherical skeleton and controlled by geometric distance or computer electronic sound holes to achieve the goal of focusing.

The ultrasonic resonance imaging system of this embodiment further includes: a vibroacoustic signal acquisition system 7, a vibroacoustic signal analysis and display system 8, and a resonance acoustic image analysis and display system 9.

Among them, the vibro-acoustic signal acquisition system 7 in this embodiment is used to obtain the echo signals emitted by the low-frequency vibrating tissue; the vibro-acoustic signal analysis display system 8 obtains the confocal area tissue by analyzing the received echo signals Resonance frequency and resonance amplitude; the resonance acoustic image analysis and display system 9 analyzes and displays the resonant frequencies and amplitudes of multiple confocal regions input by the system 8 by receiving the vibration signal to form a resonance frequency and amplitude distribution map of the target area.

The vibroacoustic signal acquisition, analysis and display system in this embodiment is used to receive and analyze the echo signals emitted by the confocal area tissue under the difference frequency vibration and sound stimulation, and obtain the resonance frequency and resonance amplitude of the confocal area tissue .

Specifically, the vibration-acoustic signal acquisition, analysis and display system in this embodiment includes: a vibration-acoustic signal acquisition system 7 and a vibration-acoustic signal analysis and display system 8. Among them, the vibroacoustic signal acquisition system 7 is used to receive the echo signal of the confocal area tissue, and transfer the echo signal to the vibroacoustic signal analysis and display system 8 for processing. The vibro-acoustic signal analysis and display system 8 includes a vibro-acoustic signal display system 81 and a vibro-acoustic signal analysis system 82. The vibro-acoustic signal display system 81 includes a preamplifier 811, a filter 812, and a digital oscilloscope 813. The vibro-acoustic signal acquisition system 7 can be arranged around the body, which can be a hydrophone, and can adopt two receiving modes of sink signal and body signal. In order to reduce the influence of surface reflection, the sink is laid with flexible sound-absorbing rubber on the water surface. Preferably, a water tank is provided on the hydrophone, and sound-absorbing rubber is laid on the water surface of the water tank, so as to reduce the influence of surface reflection.

In this embodiment, the vibro-acoustic signal acquisition system 7 is used to receive echo signals generated after the confocal zone is stimulated by difference frequency focused ultrasound with different frequency differences, and convert them into digitized echo signals in the vibrating signal display system 81 . Specifically, the echo signal received by the vibro-acoustic signal acquisition system 7 is transmitted to the pre-amplifier 811 in the vibro-acoustic signal display system 81 for amplification, and the echo signal is further transmitted to the filter 812 in the vibro-acoustic signal display system 81. Unit, the filter 812 adopts low-pass/high-pass or other methods to filter the clutter signal in the echo signal, and finally transmits the echo signal to the digital oscilloscope 813 in the vibro-acoustic signal display system 81 for imaging display, as shown in the figure 5 shown. The vibration and acoustic signal analysis system 82 is associated with the main control computer to obtain the resonance frequency and resonance amplitude of each confocal zone. 4, the formant diagram of the confocal zone of this embodiment shows the relationship between the USAE sound pressure amplitude and the difference frequency. Among them, area 17 is the ganglion formant area, and area 18 is the adipose tissue formant area. The corresponding frequency is the respective formant frequency.

The resonant acoustic image analysis and display system 9 of this embodiment obtains the resonant frequency and amplitude distribution diagram of the target area by collecting and analyzing the resonant frequencies of multiple confocal regions in the target area in the body transmitted by the vibroacoustic signal analysis system 82, see FIG. 5.

The acoustic resonance system of this embodiment uses the different degrees of stress generated by the low frequency vibrations of different frequencies generated by the cooperation of the frequency sweep control system and the ultrasonic signal generator as the mapping source, and uses the mapping source to perform the confocal zone organization. Continuously "knocking", the confocal zone tissue vibrates back and forth under the action of different degrees of stress frequency, and transmits the corresponding low-frequency echo signal to the surroundings. The echo signal is received through the vibration acoustic signal acquisition system, and the confocal zone is obtained. Resonance frequency and resonance amplitude. When the size of the confocal zone is determined, the resonance frequency is related to the elastic modulus of the tissue, the ultrasonic absorption and scattering characteristics of the tissue, so different tissues have their specific resonance frequencies. Continuous multi-point detection of the target area through the above method can obtain the respective resonance frequencies of each confocal area in the target area, and finally through the analysis and imaging of the resonance sonogram analysis and display system 9, the tissue-specific resonance frequency and amplitude of the target area can be obtained For distribution map, refer to Figure 5. The distribution map reflects the elasticity, mechanical, resonance and other physical properties of the tissue in the target area, forming a new imaging method characterized by tissue resonance.

In this embodiment, a three-dimensional motion scanning system 4 is provided, and the three-dimensional motion scanning system 4 includes a motion controller; the motion controller includes a digital processing chip (DSP), which matches the main control computer 1, and Receive instructions from the main control computer 1 to control the focused ultrasound transducer to perform three-dimensional arbitrary surface movement relative to the target area, and at the same time provide for scanning of any surface of the target area with the target point.

The three-dimensional motion scanning system 4 in this embodiment controls the focused ultrasound transducer to perform three-dimensional arbitrary surface movement relative to the target area during physical detection, and can perform arbitrary three-dimensional scanning of the part to be detected, so that the vibration and sound acquisition and analysis system can obtain better results. Comprehensive resonance frequency and amplitude distribution map, so as to accurately obtain the detection surface. When performing physiological signal detection, the focus is not limited by the anatomical structure, and two-dimensional or three-dimensional scanning can be performed at any point of the solid tissue, achieving the same focus during mapping and ablation treatment. However, in the traditional physiological detection, since there is no three-dimensional motion scanning system 4, the stimulation of the physiological detection in the blood vessel will be limited by space.

When the difference frequency focused ultrasound transducer 5 is working under high power, it is easy to generate heat, and bubbles will appear in the water at high temperature, which affects the quality of the ultrasound image. Therefore, in this embodiment, a degassing water circulation system 6 is also provided. One is to cool the difference frequency focused ultrasound transducer 5, and the other is to remove air bubbles.

The ultrasound resonance imaging system of this embodiment further includes: a treatment planning unit 10, a basic imaging unit 11, an image superimposing unit 12, and a physiological signal detection system 13.

The treatment planning unit 10 in this embodiment obtains the target point by comparing the resonance frequency and amplitude distribution map of the target area with the resonance frequency and amplitude of common human tissues pre-stored in the main control computer; the physiological detection system 13 receives the low frequency Vibration acts on the detection surface to excite the physiological signals of the tissues to obtain a mapping point, and to monitor the responsiveness of the target tissue before and after ablation to the vibration-acoustic stimulus.

The treatment planning unit 10 analyzes and displays the resonance frequency and amplitude distribution map of the target area introduced by the system 9 by receiving the resonance sonogram, and compares the resonance frequency and amplitude with the common human tissue resonance frequencies and amplitudes pre-stored in the treatment planning unit 10. The distribution map shows The anatomical structure and tissue distribution status of the target area are displayed in the form of grayscale images, three-dimensional histograms, pseudo-color maps, etc., to visually display the recommended intervention points or treatment plans for the intervention area. The treatment plan includes treatment methods such as ablation, liquefaction, acoustic dynamics, physical therapy, and interventional surgery.

The basic imaging unit 11 includes an ultrasound imaging probe and an ultrasound imaging host. Further, the basic imaging unit 11 includes an ultrasound imaging probe, a magnetic resonance coil, a nuclear medicine detector, and an imaging display unit; the ultrasound imaging probe is installed in a difference frequency focused ultrasound transducer. It can be flexibly turned on the device 5, and can perform two-dimensional and three-dimensional Doppler blood flow imaging when working with difference frequency ultrasound; forming ultrasound, magnetic resonance or radionuclide imaging as the basic image of the system.

The superimposed image unit 12 superimposes and combines the grayscale image, three-dimensional histogram, pseudo-color image output by the treatment planning unit 10 and the Doppler blood flow imaging output by the basic imaging unit 11, and is used to provide image support during ablation and find a treatment target Point and scanning plane, and use its virtual focus to set the delivery point of the treatment energy through the three-dimensional movement of the treatment unit.

The main control computer 1 of this embodiment receives the image from the basic ultrasound imaging unit, as well as the tissue resonance frequency and amplitude distribution map containing the recommended ablation target, to send the detection signal or the working signal of the difference frequency focus transducer required for the treatment; The main control computer 1 sends three-dimensional motion or scanning motion signals to the three-dimensional motion scanning system 4, and at the same time uses the sweep frequency control system 2 to send the difference frequency detection or treatment same frequency to the difference frequency focused ultrasound transducer to control the operation of the ultrasound transducer; The control computer 1 also automatically controls the start-up, recording, and analysis of the degassed water circulation system 6, the vibration and acoustic signal acquisition, analysis and display system, and the physiological signal detection system 13 at the same time.

The ultrasound resonance imaging system constructs a resonance frequency and amplitude distribution map by acquiring the resonance frequency and amplitude of each confocal zone in the target area, and compares it with the resonance frequency and amplitude of common human tissues pre-stored in the system, and accurately reflects the tissue distribution state and amplitude of the target area. The accurate location of the ablation target. Among them, when the size of the confocal zone is determined, the resonance frequency is related to the elastic modulus of the tissue, the ultrasonic absorption and scattering characteristics of the tissue, so different tissues have their specific resonance frequencies. The system receives the difference frequency vibration sound with different frequency differences to obtain the resonance frequency and resonance amplitude after continuous scanning of the target area in a plane or three dimensions, and compares the resonance frequency and amplitude with the common human tissue resonance frequency and amplitude preset in the system, so that the target area can be clarified The distribution status of the tissues is displayed in two-dimensional or three-dimensional manner in grayscale, histogram, pseudo-color, etc., and the target points that need intervention are finally presented visually.

This embodiment also includes a physiological signal detection system 13. FIG. 3 is a structural block diagram of the physiological signal detection system 13. This embodiment is provided with a vibration-acoustic physiological signal recording and analysis system. The physiological signal detection system 13 includes a multi-channel physiological recorder 131; the multi-channel physiological recorder 131 is equipped with a variety of sensors, which can collect multiple physiological parameters in real time. A variety of physiological signals can be acquired invasively or non-invasively, and multiple physiological parameters can be collected in real time. Specifically, the multi-channel physiological recorder 131 is equipped with a variety of sensors, which can collect a number of physiological parameters in real time, including invasive or non-invasive blood pressure recording, respiratory motion recording, standard electrocardiogram recording, limb electromyography recording, and posture movement sensors. , Body surface resistance sensor, computer physiological signal analysis system, dynamic analysis of physiological signal changes and other functions.

In this embodiment, the physiological signal detection system 13 is also provided with a vibroacoustic physiological signal auxiliary discrimination system 132; the vibroacoustic physiological signal auxiliary discrimination system 132 is used to assist in judging the positive mapping points of the target ganglia and their distribution status.

The specific principle of the physiological signal detection system 13 is as follows: the excitable tissues of the living body can respond to certain stimuli, and the excitable tissues can be stimulated by recording and observing whether the biological tissues have specific reactions to evaluate whether the stimulated parts are in the Right point. The ultrasonic resonance system of this embodiment constructs a resonance frequency and amplitude distribution map by acquiring the resonance frequency and amplitude of each confocal zone in the target area, and compares it with the resonance frequency and amplitude of common human tissues pre-stored in the system, and accurately reflects the tissue in the target area The distribution status and the accurate position of the ablation target. Preferably, the physiological signal detection system 13 in this embodiment is used to pick up the physiological signal of the low-frequency vibration acting on the target point to obtain the mapping point, and to further accurately map the target point.

Example 2 Ultrasonic resonance imaging system guides ablation of aortic renal ganglion to treat refractory hypertension

According to the diagnosis result of the ultrasonic resonance imaging system of the above embodiment 1, the accurate position of the ablation target and the resonance frequency of the target can be determined. Therefore, on the basis of the embodiment 1, the embodiment 2 of the present application provides an ultrasound resonance imaging system Guide the ablation of the aortic renal ganglion to treat refractory hypertension. The ultrasonic resonance imaging system of this embodiment constructs a resonance frequency and amplitude distribution map by acquiring the resonance frequency and amplitude of each confocal zone in the target area, and compares it with the resonance frequency and amplitude of common human tissues pre-stored in the system, and accurately reflects the target area's resonance frequency and amplitude. The tissue distribution state and the location of the ablation target point, that is, the accurate location of the aortic renal ganglion.

In this embodiment, when treating refractory hypertension, the distribution of the aortic renal ganglia in the background of fat (perirenal fat sac) can be displayed through the resonance frequency and amplitude distribution diagram. As shown in Fig. 5, the areas with different colors represent different resonance frequencies. In Fig. 5, the target area includes the area 14 with a resonant frequency of 42k Hz, an area 15 with a resonant frequency of 44k Hz, and an area with a resonant frequency of 45k Hz. 16. Among them, the area 14 is the location of the renal artery blood vessel, the area 15 is the location of the aortic renal ganglion, and the area 16 is the location of the fat.

In addition, in this embodiment, since the aortic renal ganglion is an excitable tissue, the physiological signal detection system 13 can be used to verify the location of the ablation target by physiological mapping. Furthermore, it can be realized that the accurate position of the aortic renal ganglion in the target area is determined through the resonance frequency and amplitude distribution map, and the position of the aortic renal ganglion is re-verified by physiological stimulation.

For example, in this embodiment, when treating refractory hypertension, when the system releases moderate sound energy to act on the aortic renal ganglion, sympathetic nerve excitement will appear, and blood pressure will increase, heart rate will increase, and heart rate variability will decrease. , Breathing changes, increased muscle tension, skin vasoconstriction, sweating, increased myoelectric excitement, etc. Obtain blood pressure change response through invasive pressure sensor; ECG recorder records heart rate and can analyze heart rate variability; Motion sensor obtains respiratory movement and muscle movement information; Skin temperature and impedance sensor can obtain information such as vasoconstriction and sweating; EMG Sensors can record electromyographic information, etc., and physiological information has greater scalability. When detecting the area of interest point by point in two or three dimensions, it can be found that some points respond to one or more indicators, indicating that the stimulation point accurately stimulates the aortic renal ganglion, and vice versa, it is not at the location of the ganglion distribution. .

The physiological signal detection system 13 in this embodiment further includes a vibration-acoustic physiological signal auxiliary discrimination system 132, which is mainly used to further accurately position the aortic renal ganglia and reduce interference from other factors.

In this embodiment, the physiological signal detection system 13 is not only used to record and observe whether the biological tissue has a specific response to evaluate whether the stimulation site is at the correct point, but also can detect whether the point is completely ablated during the ablation stage. After performing focused ultrasound ablation at the stimulus-positive point, the point is stimulated again. If there is no response, it indicates that the aortic renal ganglion tissue at this point has been completely ablated, otherwise, it indicates incomplete ablation.

The ultrasonic resonance imaging system uses the stress generated by the low-frequency vibration generated by the dual-frequency ultrasonic transducer as the mapping source, and adjusts the frequency difference of the two sets of confocal ultrasound beams through the sweep frequency control system to adjust the frequency of the stress of the mapping source. Different frequencies "knock" the confocal zone organization. Among them, the mapping source is performed outside the body, and good acoustic coupling can be achieved without any electrodes or catheters entering the body, and non-invasive treatment of deep target tissues can be realized.

On the other hand, if the resonance is not well controlled during ultrasound diagnosis or ultrasound treatment, it may cause unnecessary tissue damage and cause harm to the patient. In this case, the ultrasound resonance imaging system in this embodiment finds the accurate position of the aortic renal ganglion through the dual-frequency focused ultrasound resonance imaging system, and at the same time finds the resonance frequency of the aortic renal ganglion. During intervention treatment, The resonance frequency of the aortic renal ganglion is selected, which is 44kHz in this embodiment, and a lower treatment power is selected to ablate the aortic renal ganglion. During the ablation process, only strong mechanical, cavitation and thermal effects are produced in the aortic renal ganglion area, which causes significant damage to the aortic renal ganglion, and further reduces non-specific damage to surrounding tissues. Through the adjustment of physical parameters, tissue-specific diagnosis and treatment can be achieved, thereby reducing side effects and improving the efficacy of treatment.

The ablation target tissue in the target area will resonate under the effect of the difference frequency vibration sound with the same resonance frequency. Compared with other types of surrounding tissues, the vibration amplitude of the target tissue is significantly increased, and the mechanical effect is significantly enhanced. Therefore, a lower treatment power at the resonance frequency can specifically ablate the target tissue, to a greater extent, reduce the damage to other tissues caused by mechanical and thermal effects, and further improve the effectiveness and safety of focused ultrasound ablation. For example, in the treatment of refractory hypertension, the resonance frequency and treatment power of the ganglion tissue can be used to achieve specific ablation of the aortic renal ganglion, and further reduce the impact of focused ultrasound on the surrounding fat and vascular tissue in a non-resonant state. damage.

When the size of the confocal zone is determined, the resonance frequency is related to the elastic modulus of the tissue, the ultrasonic absorption and scattering characteristics of the tissue, so different tissues have their specific resonance frequency and resonance amplitude. Receiving, analyzing and imaging the resonance frequency and amplitude of multiple confocal zones in the target area to obtain the resonance frequency and amplitude distribution map of the target area, and then compare it with the resonance frequency and amplitude of common human tissues stored in the system to reflect the target The tissue distribution state of the region; among them, the resonance frequency and amplitude distribution map is displayed in two-dimensional or three-dimensional display in grayscale or pseudo-color according to the resonance frequency and amplitude of each confocal zone. After obtaining a large number of resonance frequency and amplitude signals of the aortic renal ganglion, the proposed ablation treatment plan is visually displayed in pseudo-color.

In this embodiment, the aortic renal ganglion is superimposed on the two-dimensional and three-dimensional Doppler blood flow images of the target area to provide image support during intervention and use its virtual focus to pass through the treatment unit The three-dimensional movement to set the delivery point of the therapeutic energy.

The degassing water circulation system 6 in this embodiment is provided with a degassing membrane; the degassing membrane is a polypropylene hollow fiber membrane filled with hydrophobicity. The degassing membrane is used for degassing. The degassing membrane is filled with hydrophobic polypropylene hollow fiber membrane, which has the characteristics of high packing density, large contact area and uniform water distribution. The liquid phase and the gas phase are in contact with each other on the surface of the membrane. Since the membrane is hydrophobic, water cannot pass through the membrane, but gas can easily pass through the membrane. The gas migration is carried out through the concentration difference to achieve the purpose of degassing. Using hydrophobic hollow fiber degassing membrane, the degassing speed is greater than 20L/h. The deoxidation rate is less than 3ppm.

Example 3 Ultrasound resonance imaging system guides ablation treatment of primary liver cancer

Primary liver cancer ranks second in the mortality of malignant tumors, accounting for 18% of all malignant tumors. Primary liver cancer has an insidious onset, rapid progress, and a high degree of malignancy. Once discovered, surgery opportunities are often lost, and the effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy are unsatisfactory. As a non-invasive, effective and safe treatment, HIFU plays an important role in the comprehensive treatment of patients with advanced liver cancer, and can increase their 1-year survival rate to about 50%. However, on the one hand, due to the deep location of some liver cancer lesions, there are problems of poor positioning and surrounding tissue damage due to ultrasound image guidance; on the other hand, due to the large energy of focused ultrasound ablation, the thermal effect is obvious, which can also lead to normal liver tissue and important surrounding tissues. Blood vessel damage. Therefore, there is still a need for a liver cancer ablation method with better imaging effect and more selective treatment.

In order to describe the technical solution more clearly, the "target" and "target area" are defined in the following solutions. Target area: the specific body tissue that contains the "target", such as: in primary liver cancer In treatment, the target area refers to the liver tissue that contains intact liver cancer tissue, and the target target refers to the liver cancer tissue.

In the embodiment of the present application, in order to generate continuously increasing or decreasing low-frequency vibrations with different frequency differences in the target area inside the body, firstly, in a certain frequency range, the frequency sweep control system 2 is used to step from low to low with a certain frequency difference. The high-frequency ultrasonic signal generator 3 sends instructions to generate ultrasonic signals with different frequency differences, and transmits the ultrasonic signals to the difference frequency focused ultrasonic transducer 5, and the difference frequency focused ultrasonic transducer 5 (may include: The first, second...Nth transducer group) generates two sets of difference frequency focused ultrasound with different frequency difference values.

Under the adjustment of the frequency sweep control system 2, the difference frequency focused ultrasound transducer 5 emits focused sound beams with different frequency differences. After acting on the confocal zone of the target area, the radiation force frequency of the difference frequency vibration sound will be different, which will produce different Echo signal; the echo signal is received by the vibro-acoustic signal acquisition system 7, and after being amplified by the preamplifier 811 and filtered by the filter 812 in the vibro-acoustic signal display system 81, the echo signal is finally converted into a digitized echo The wave signal is displayed on the digital oscilloscope 813, and is associated with the main control computer 1 through the vibro-acoustic signal analysis system 82 to obtain the resonance frequency and resonance amplitude of each confocal zone. Further, the vibro-acoustic signal acquisition system 7 is a hydrophone, and it can adopt two receiving modes: sink signal and body signal.

The vibroacoustic signal analysis system 82 of this embodiment transmits the resonant frequencies and amplitudes of successive confocal regions in the target area obtained by analysis to the resonant acoustic image analysis and display system 9, and performs conversion operations to obtain the resonant frequency and amplitude distribution of the target area Figure; compare the resonance frequency and amplitude distribution map of the target area with the resonance frequency and amplitude of common human tissues pre-stored in the treatment planning unit 10 to clarify the distribution of various anatomical tissues in the target area, and use grayscale, histogram, and pseudo Two-dimensional or three-dimensional display is performed in color or the like, and finally the target point to be treated is visually presented. In this embodiment, it is the primary liver cancer tissue.

The image superimposing unit 12 superimposes and combines the grayscale, three-dimensional histogram, and pseudo-color images output by the treatment planning unit 10 and the Doppler blood flow imaging output by the ultrasound imaging unit 11 to provide image support during further physiological mapping. Find the target point and scan plane.

After completing the imaging of the resonance frequency and amplitude distribution map of the target area, and clarifying the target point, that is, the distribution of liver cancer tissue in the target area and the resonance frequency, the operator selects the target point suitable for ablation, and sends an ablation instruction through the main control computer 1. The ablation command can be ablated at the resonance frequency of the liver cancer tissue and the specific treatment power. The command is transmitted to the ultrasound signal generator 3 to generate two or more focused ultrasound beams with the same frequency, and according to the basic imaging unit 11 and the image superimposing unit 12 Generated synthetic images, implement ultrasound ablation on the target point.

Example 4 Ultrasonic resonance imaging system guides the reperfusion therapy of ischemic stroke

Acute thrombosis or thromboembolism is the main cause of ischemic stroke, and early reperfusion therapy is the key to successful treatment of ischemic stroke. The current reperfusion therapy for ischemic stroke mainly includes intravenous thrombolysis and cerebrovascular interventional therapy. On the one hand, due to the high risk of bleeding in some stroke patients, there is a clear contraindication to thrombolysis; on the other hand, due to the difficulty of cerebrovascular interventional treatment, it has not been widely carried out in most hospitals across the country. Therefore, there is still an urgent need to find a safe, effective and simple reperfusion treatment method for ischemic stroke.

In order to describe the technical solution more clearly, the “target point” and “target area” are defined in the following scheme. Target area: the specific body tissue that contains the “target point”, such as: in the ischemic brain In stroke reperfusion therapy, the target area refers to the brain tissue containing diseased blood vessels and thrombus, and the target point refers to the thrombus.

Under the adjustment of the frequency sweep control system 2, the difference frequency focused ultrasound transducer 5 emits focused sound beams with different frequency differences. After acting on the confocal zone of the target area, the radiation force frequency of the difference frequency vibration sound will be different, which will produce different Echo signal; the echo signal is received by the vibro-acoustic signal acquisition system 7, and after being amplified by the preamplifier 811 and filtered by the filter 812 in the vibro-acoustic signal display system 81, the echo signal is finally converted into a digitized echo The wave signal is displayed on the digital oscilloscope 813, and is associated with the main control computer 1 through the vibro-acoustic signal analysis system 82 to obtain the resonance frequency and resonance amplitude of each confocal zone. Further, the vibro-acoustic signal acquisition system 7 is a hydrophone, and two receiving modes of sink signal and body signal can be adopted.

The vibroacoustic signal analysis system 82 of this embodiment transmits the resonant frequencies and amplitudes of successive confocal regions in the target area obtained by analysis to the resonant acoustic image analysis and display system 9, and performs conversion operations to obtain the resonant frequency and amplitude distribution of the target area Figure; compare the resonance frequency and amplitude distribution map of the target area with the resonance frequency and amplitude of common human tissues pre-stored in the treatment planning unit 10 to clarify the distribution of various anatomical tissues in the target area, and use grayscale, histogram, and pseudo Two-dimensional or three-dimensional display is performed in color or the like, and finally the target point to be treated is visually presented. In this embodiment, it is thrombus tissue.

The image superimposing unit 12 superimposes and combines the grayscale image, the three-dimensional histogram, the pseudo-color image output by the treatment planning unit 10, and the Doppler blood flow imaging output by the ultrasound imaging unit 11, so as to further guide the ultrasound thrombolytic therapy.

After completing the imaging of the resonance frequency and amplitude distribution map of the target area, and clarifying the target point, that is, the distribution of thrombus tissue in the target area and the resonance frequency, the operator selects the target point suitable for ablation, and sends an ablation instruction through the main control computer 1. The ablation command can be used for thrombolysis at the resonance frequency of thrombus tissue and specific treatment power, and the command is transmitted to the ultrasound signal generator 3 to generate two or more focused ultrasound beams with the same frequency, and superimpose them according to the basic imaging unit 11 and the image. The synthesized image generated by the unit 12 performs ultrasonic thrombolysis on the target point.

The ultrasonic resonance imaging system of the present invention forms a focal point with high-frequency focused ultrasound in the deep part of the body, uses the principle of difference frequency confocal ultrasonic interference, generates a mechanical stress of low-frequency vibration sound at the focal point to form a "knocking" force, and controls the system through a frequency sweep Adjust the frequency difference between the two confocal ultrasound beams (⊿f) Adjust the frequency of the mechanical stress of the tissue in the confocal zone to detect the resonance frequency and amplitude of the tissue and perform imaging, creating a "resonance in the deep tissues of the body using difference frequency focused ultrasound" "Frequency imaging" positioning method, combined with physiological detection system monitoring, guided focused ultrasound energy therapy and curative effect verification system methods, provides broad application prospects for the mapping, regulation and ablation treatment of deep tissues of the body. The acoustic resonance system uses the method of detecting "resonant frequency and amplitude" to obtain the resonance peak frequency and amplitude distribution map of the target area tissue. The distribution map reflects the elasticity, mechanical, resonance and other physical properties of the tissue in the target area, forming a new imaging method characterized by tissue resonance. The ablation target tissue in the target area will resonate under the effect of the difference frequency vibration sound with the same resonance frequency. Compared with other types of tissues, the vibration amplitude of the target tissue is significantly increased, and the mechanical effect is significantly enhanced. Therefore, giving a lower treatment power at the target tissue resonance frequency can specifically intervene in the target target tissue, to a greater extent, reduce the damage to other tissues caused by mechanical and thermal effects, and further improve the effectiveness and effectiveness of focused ultrasound intervention. safety. The resonance imaging system controls the ultrasonic signal generator through the main computer sweep control system, and adjusts the frequency difference (⊿f) of the two sets of confocal ultrasound beams to detect the resonance frequency of the tissue in the confocal zone. Among them, the mapping source is performed outside the body, and good acoustic coupling can be achieved without any electrodes or catheters entering the body, and non-invasive treatment of deep target tissues can be realized; the anatomical structure and tissue distribution information of deep tissues can be obtained through resonance frequency imaging. The resonance imaging system is equipped with a three-dimensional motion scanning system. When the resonance frequency and amplitude are detected, the focused ultrasound transducer is controlled to perform three-dimensional arbitrary surface motion relative to the target area, which can perform arbitrary three-dimensional scanning of the part to be tested, so that the vibration and acoustic signal acquisition and analysis The system obtains a more comprehensive resonance frequency and amplitude distribution map, so as to accurately obtain the detection surface. When performing physiological signal detection, the focus is not limited by the anatomical structure, and two-dimensional or three-dimensional scanning can be performed at any point of the solid tissue, realizing the same focus during mapping and ablation treatment. However, in traditional physiological detection, since there is no three-dimensional motion scanning system, the stimulation of physiological detection in blood vessels will be limited by space. For example, nerves cannot be detected if they are farther away from blood vessels.

The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the method of the present invention, several improvements and supplements can be made, and these improvements and supplements should also be considered This is the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

An ultrasonic resonance imaging system, including: a difference frequency vibration sound generating mechanism, used to form increasing or decreasing difference frequency vibration sound, and stimulate the confocal area tissue to generate echo signals; characterized in that it also includes: vibration sound signal acquisition and analysis A display system for receiving and analyzing the echo signal generated by the tissue in the confocal zone, and obtaining the resonance frequency and resonance amplitude of the tissue in the confocal zone; a resonance acoustic image analysis display system (9) for receiving and analyzing The resonant frequencies and resonant amplitudes of a plurality of continuous confocal zone tissues in the target area form a distribution map of the resonant frequencies and resonant amplitudes of the target area.
The ultrasonic resonance imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic generating mechanism comprises a dual-frequency ultrasonic signal generator (3), which is used to send out two sets of different frequency signals, and the two sets of different frequency signals The frequency signal forms two sets of confocal ultrasonic beams with different frequencies through the difference frequency focused ultrasonic transducer (5); and the frequency sweep control system (2), which is associated with the main control computer (1), and regulates the two sets of confocal ultrasonic beams. The frequency difference of the focal ultrasound beam generates continuously increasing or decreasing difference frequency vibration sound.
The ultrasonic resonance imaging system according to claim 2, characterized in that the vibroacoustic signal acquisition, analysis and display system comprises: a vibroacoustic signal acquisition system (7), which is used to receive the said confocal tissue generated by the confocal zone. An echo signal; and a vibro-acoustic signal analysis and display system (8), which obtains the resonance frequency and resonance amplitude of the tissue in the confocal zone by analyzing the received echo signal.
The ultrasonic resonance imaging system according to claim 3, characterized in that the vibro-acoustic signal analysis and display system (8) comprises a vibro-acoustic signal display system (81) and a vibro-acoustic signal analysis system (82), wherein the vibration The acoustic signal display system (81) converts the echo signal into a digitized signal and displays it; the vibro-acoustic signal analysis system (82) obtains the confocal signal by analyzing the sound pressure amplitude of the echo signal The resonance peak of the regional tissue is associated with the frequency sweep control system (2) to obtain the resonance frequency corresponding to the resonance peak.
The ultrasonic resonance imaging system according to claim 4, wherein the vibro-acoustic signal display system (81) comprises: a preamplifier (811), a filter (812) and a digital display (813).
The ultrasonic resonance imaging system according to claim 2, further comprising a three-dimensional motion scanning system (4), which controls the difference frequency focused ultrasound transducer (5) to perform three-dimensional arbitrary surface motion relative to the target area, Scan any side of the target area.
The ultrasonic resonance imaging system according to claim 2, further comprising a treatment planning unit (10), which analyzes and displays the resonance frequency and the resonance frequency in the target area introduced by the system (9) by receiving the resonance sonograph. The resonance amplitude distribution map is compared and analyzed with the pre-stored resonance frequency and resonance amplitude of common human tissues to clarify the distribution of target points in the target area.
The ultrasonic resonance imaging system according to claim 2, further comprising a degassing water circulation system (6), the degassing water circulation system is provided with a degassing membrane; the degassing membrane is filled with hydrophobic Polypropylene hollow fiber membrane.