Abstract: An ablative apparatus that can be used to treat atrial fibrillation and other cardiac arrhythmias by ablating cardiac tissue is disclosed. When the distal end of the apparatus reaches the tissue to be ablated, an ablation probe driven by a transducer is vibrated. Scratching the tissue with abrasive members, the vibrating ablation probe is capable of mechanically ablating tissues. This mechanical ablation may be utilized to penetrate epicardial fat, thereby exposing the underlying myocardium. The ablative apparatus may then be used subject the exposed myocardium to mechanical ablation, cryoablation, ultrasonic ablation, and/or any combination thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of treating lumens, cavities, and tissues of the body with a liquid delivered with the use of ultrasound. Delivering a liquid with the use of ultrasound may be accomplished by utilizing a device comprising an ultrasound transducer, an ultrasound horn, a channel running at least partially through said horn, and a dampening grommet at the distal end of the horn (hereafter called the “delivery device”). The delivery device may further comprise a liquid supply emptying into said channel. Subjecting liquids within the horn of the delivery device to ultrasonic energy accelerates the liquid, thereby creating a higher velocity, low pressure liquid stream. Consequently, the method of the present invention enables the treatment of maladies deep within lumens, cavities, and tissues of the body. The method of the present invention may also be used for douching and/or cleaning lumens, cavities, and tissues of the body.

Abstract: An ultrasound assisted liquid blade cutting device such as a scalpel that may be used for routine surgical operations is disclosed in this invention. The ultrasound scalpel comprises an ultrasound generator, ultrasound transducer, transducer tip, a cavity on the transducer tip using a liquid spray shaped to form a cutting surface. The spray serves as a carrier medium for the applied ultrasound energy which enhances the features and performance of the scalpel. Ultrasonic energy transmitted from the transducer tip assists the transport of the liquid to a liquid blade formed outside of the cavity. The ultrasound energy focuses and activates the liquid to allow cutting of tissue with the liquid blade. This device may be utilized for cutting through skin and/other soft tissues during surgical operations, thereby enhancing cutting efficacy, decreasing and/or eliminating necrosis formation.

Abstract: An ultrasound apparatus capable of mixing and/or atomizing fluids is disclosed. The apparatus includes a horn having an internal chamber through which fluids to be atomized and/or mixed flow. Connected to the horn's proximal end, a transducer powered by a generator induces ultrasonic vibrations within the horn. Traveling down the horn from the transducer, the ultrasonic vibrations induce the release of ultrasonic energy into the fluids to be atomized and/or mixed as they travel through the horn's internal chamber. As the ultrasonic vibrations travel through the chamber, the fluids within the chamber are agitated and/or begin to cavitate, thereby mixing the fluids. Upon reaching the front wall of the chamber, the ultrasonic vibrations are reflected back into the chamber, like an echo. The ultrasonic vibrations echoing off the front wall pass through the fluids within the chamber a second time, further mixing the fluids.

Abstract: An ultrasound apparatus capable of mixing and/or atomizing fluids is disclosed. The apparatus includes a horn having an internal chamber, containing at least one free member, through which fluids to be atomized and/or mixed flow. Connected to the horn's proximal end, a transducer powered by a generator induces ultrasonic vibrations within the horn. Traveling down the horn from the transducer, the ultrasonic vibrations induce the release of ultrasonic energy into the fluids to be atomized and/or mixed as they travel through the internal chamber. As the ultrasonic vibrations travel through the chamber, the fluids within the chamber are agitated and/or begin to cavitate, while the free member moves about the chamber, thereby mixing the fluids. Upon reaching the front wall of the chamber, the ultrasonic vibrations echo off the front wall and pass through the fluids within the chamber a second time, further mixing the fluids.

Abstract: Method and device for the creation of vaccines using ultrasonic waves, comprised of an ultrasound generator and a transducer to produce ultrasonic waves, is disclosed. The transducer has a specific ultrasound tip depending upon the type of delivery method utilized and depending on the shape of the vial containing the solution of the virus, bacterium, or other infectious agent. The apparatus delivers ultrasonic waves to solution either directly through the insertion of the ultrasound tip into the solution, through a coupling medium adjacent to the vial or near the vial, or through an air or gas medium. The ultrasound waves have the effect of destroying the viable virus, bacterium, or other infectious agent and of releasing the appropriate antigens, thus resulting in a vaccine for that virus, bacterium, or other infectious agent.

Abstract: A method of treating areas of the body utilizing ultrasonic vibrations to mix different materials together as to create a therapeutic combination is disclosed. The materials are mixed by passing them through an ultrasound horn vibrating in resonance, having an internal chamber. As the materials pass through the internal chamber, ultrasonic vibrations emanating from and/or echoing off the various walls of the chamber mix the materials into a potentially therapeutic combination. Ultrasonic vibrations emanating from the radiation surface of the horn may be used to spray the created therapeutic combination onto the area of the body to be treated.

Abstract: Ultrasound methods and apparatus for mixing two or more different liquids are disclosed. The ultrasound methods and apparatus may mix varied components including drugs, polymers, and coatings for application to a variety of medical apparatus surfaces. The apparatus and technique can generate a proper mixture which is uninterruptedly/continuously delivered to the surface of the medical apparatus. The apparatus may include specific ultrasound transducer/tip configurations which may allow for the mixing of different liquids in a mixing camera located inside of the vibrating tip. The apparatus and methods of the present invention may mix different drugs, applying them to stent surface using different effects like ultrasound cavitation and radiation forces. Furthermore, the disclosed methods and apparatus may generate a mixture and may deliver a targeted, gentle, highly controllable dispensation of continuous liquid spray which can reduce the loss of expensive pharmaceuticals.

Abstract: A method of treating areas of the body utilizing ultrasonic vibrations to mix different materials together as to create a therapeutic combination is disclosed. The materials are mixed by passing them through an ultrasound horn vibrating in resonance, having an internal chamber. As the materials pass through the internal chamber, ultrasonic vibrations emanating from and/or echoing off the various walls of the chamber mix the materials into a potentially therapeutic combination. Ultrasonic vibrations emanating from the radiation surface of the horn may be used to spray the created therapeutic combination onto the area of the body to be treated.

Abstract: A method of treating infected wounds utilizing ultrasonic vibrations to mix different materials together as to create a therapeutic combination is disclosed. The materials are mixed by passing them through an ultrasound horn vibrating in resonance, having an internal chamber. As the materials pass through the internal chamber, ultrasonic vibrations emanating from and/or echoing off the various walls of the chamber mix the materials into a potentially therapeutic combination. Ultrasonic vibrations emanating from the radiation surface of the horn may be used to spray the created therapeutic combination onto the area of the body to be treated.

Abstract: Device and methods for the treatment of wounds using ultrasound energy are disclosed. The portable wound treatment device may deliver ultrasound energy to a wound through direct contact with the ultrasound tip and/or through a liquid coupling medium. Several ultrasound tips specially designed to concentrate and focus ultrasound energy onto a wound are also disclosed. The ultrasound tip may also possess an abrasive peripheral boundary to aid in debriding the wound and/or removing necrotic tissue. The disclosed invention may have multiple beneficial effects in treating a wound such as sterilizing a wound, reducing external bleeding, and/or providing pain relief.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of utilizing ultrasonic waves emitted into a fluid to treat the fluid, matter within the fluid, and/or organisms within the fluid in a variety of manners such as, but not limited to, cleaning objects within the fluid, sterilizing the fluid and/or objects within it, separating bonded matter within the fluid, segregating matter within the fluid into discrete laminas, killing organisms within the fluid, inactivating organisms within the fluid, extracting matter from organisms within the fluid, extracting matter from other matter within the fluid, inducing chemical reactions within the fluid, and/or converting toxic matter within the fluid into a less toxic state.

Abstract: Method and device for the creation of vaccines using ultrasonic waves, comprised of an ultrasound generator and a transducer to produce ultrasonic waves, is disclosed. The transducer has a specific ultrasound tip depending upon the type of delivery method utilized and depending on the shape of the vial containing the solution of the virus, bacterium, or other infectious agent. The apparatus delivers ultrasonic waves to solution either directly through the insertion of the ultrasound tip into the solution, through a coupling medium adjacent to the vial or near the vial, or through an air or gas medium. The ultrasound waves have the effect of destroying the viable virus, bacterium, or other infectious agent and of releasing the appropriate antigens, thus resulting in a vaccine for that virus, bacterium, or other infectious agent.

Abstract: An Ultrasonic apparatus and method is provided for the selective and targeted removal of unwanted tissues. The apparatus and methods may utilize combinations of ultrasonic and cryogenic energy for the selective removal tissue. The apparatus generates and delivers to the tissue cryogenic and ultrasonic energy, either in combination or in sequence, provides resize ablation of unwanted tissue parts, and may be used on various body tissues including internal organs.

Abstract: An ultrasound atomization apparatus including an ultrasound transducer, a horn attached to the distal end of the transducer, a chamber within the horn that receives a fluid to be atomized, a radiation surface, and a channel leading from the chamber to the radiation surface. Vibrations produced by the transducer travel down the horn to the radiation surface. The vibrations induce the release of energy into the fluid to be atomized as it travels through the horn's internal chamber and exits the horn at the radiation surface. Controllably increasing the kinetic energy of the fluid, energy emitted into the fluid assists and/or drives fluid atomization. Assisting and/or driving fluid atomization by utilizing vibrations to increase the kinetic energy of the fluid, the ultrasound atomization apparatus can preserve a desired spray pattern when changing environmental conditions would otherwise destroy the spray pattern and/or reduce atomization.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to the use of ultrasound for treating ballast water in ships. Specifically the invention discloses the use of ultrasound to activate chemicals to significantly improve there disinfectant properties at low concentrations. Ultrasound chemical activation allows for sonication of only a portion of the incoming ballast water, greatly increasing the cost-effectiveness of ballast water treatment. The ballast water treatment system may integrate with new or existing shipboard ballast systems attaching to the ballast inlet mains; mixing, sonicating and delivering the active substance as it feeds into the ballast tanks. Alternatively, when space or other factors are an issue it can be designed to achieve the same mixing, sonication and delivery from a small apparatus attached to the ballast tanks.

Abstract: An ultrasound surgical apparatus and associated methods of use enabling relatively pain-free wound debridement is provided. The apparatus is constructed from a tip mechanically coupled to a shaft. The shaft is mechanical coupled to an ultrasound transducer driven by a generator. The ultrasound tip possesses at least one radial surface, a cavity, or some other form of a hollowed out area, within at least one of the radial surfaces, and a cutting member at the opening of the cavity. A method of debriding a wound and/or tissue with the apparatus can be practiced by delivering ultrasonic energy released from the various surfaces of the vibrating tip to the wound and/or tissue prior to and/or while portions of the tip are scrapped across the wound and/or tissue.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus utilizing ultrasonic vibrations to force movement of protrusions to spray a fluid. The apparatus includes a horn with an internal chamber. Within the internal chamber of the horn are protrusions extending from a wall of the chamber. When the horn is vibrated, a fluid is expelled from the horn by the oscillation of the protrusions. Fluid to be expelled from the horn enters the internal chamber of the horn through at least one channel passing through a wall of the horn and leading into the chamber. After passing through the horn's internal chamber, the fluid exits the horn by passing through a channel originating in the front wall of the chamber and ending at the horn's radiation surface. A transducer may be connected to the horn's proximal end to generate ultrasonic vibrations throughout the length of the horn.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ultrasonic lens configuration permitting the production of an acoustic field from low frequency ultrasound waves with predictable regions of energy concentration. The lens comprises at least three adjacent convex surface contours. Each surface contour corresponds to an arc of an ellipse. The first surface contour is within the center of the lens and is flanked by two adjacent contours. The flanking contours correspond to arcs from two symmetrical ellipses having semi-latus rectums at least equal to the semi-latus rectum of the ellipse to which the first, central, contour corresponds. The contours of the lens are arranged such that the flanking contours extend past the first contour by positioning the contours so that if the ellipses to which they correspond were drawn the ellipses of the flanking contours directly adjacent to the first contour would have their centers aligned on a plane parallel to and not below the major or minor axis of the ellipse of the first contour.

Abstract: An ultrasound apparatus capable of mixing and/or atomizing fluids is disclosed. The apparatus includes a horn having an internal chamber through which fluids to be atomized and/or mixed flow. Connected to the horn's proximal end, a transducer powered by a generator induces ultrasonic vibrations within the horn. Traveling down the horn from the transducer, the ultrasonic vibrations induce the release of ultrasonic energy into the fluids to be atomized and/or mixed as they travel through the horn's internal chamber. As the ultrasonic vibrations travel through the chamber, the fluids within the chamber are agitated and/or begin to cavitate, thereby mixing the fluids. Upon reaching the front wall of the chamber, the ultrasonic vibrations are reflected back into the chamber, like an echo. The ultrasonic vibrations echoing off the front wall pass through the fluids within the chamber a second time, further mixing the fluids.