Patents by Inventor Charles A. Cain

Charles A. Cain has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12220602
    Abstract: A histotripsy therapy system configured for the treatment of brain tissue is provided, which may include any number of features. In one embodiment, the system includes an ultrasound therapy transducer, a drainage catheter, and a plurality of piezoelectric sensors disposed in the drainage catheter. The ultrasound therapy is configured to transmit ultrasound pulses into the brain to generate cavitation that liquefies a target tissue in the brain. The drainage catheter is configured to detect the ultrasound pulses. An aberration correction algorithm can be executed by the system based on the ultrasound pulses measured by the drainage catheter to automatically correct for an aberration effect caused by the ultrasound pulses passing through a skullcap of the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of Michigan
    Inventors: Zhen Xu, Jonathan Sukovich, Aditya S. Pandey, Charles A. Cain, Hitinder S. Gurm
  • Patent number: 12150661
    Abstract: Methods for performing non-invasive thrombolysis with ultrasound using, in some embodiments, one or more ultrasound transducers to focus or place a high intensity ultrasound beam onto a blood clot (thrombus) or other vascular inclusion or occlusion (e.g., clot in the dialysis graft, deep vein thrombosis, superficial vein thrombosis, arterial embolus, bypass graft thrombosis or embolization, pulmonary embolus) which would be ablated (eroded, mechanically fractionated, liquefied, or dissolved) by ultrasound energy. The process can employ one or more mechanisms, such as of cavitational, sonochemical, mechanical fractionation, or thermal processes depending on the acoustic parameters selected. This general process, including the examples of application set forth herein, is henceforth referred to as “Thrombolysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of Michigan
    Inventors: Adam D. Maxwell, Zhen Xu, Hitinder S. Gurm, Charles A. Cain
  • Publication number: 20240315713
    Abstract: Methods for performing non-invasive thrombolysis with ultrasound using, in some embodiments, one or more ultrasound transducers to focus or place a high intensity ultrasound beam onto a blood clot (thrombus) or other vascular inclusion or occlusion (e.g., clot in the dialysis graft, deep vein thrombosis, superficial vein thrombosis, arterial embolus, bypass graft thrombosis or embolization, pulmonary embolus) which would be ablated (eroded, mechanically fractionated, liquefied, or dissolved) by ultrasound energy. The process can employ one or more mechanisms, such as of cavitational, sonochemical, mechanical fractionation, or thermal processes depending on the acoustic parameters selected. This general process, including the examples of application set forth herein, is henceforth referred to as “Thrombolysis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2024
    Publication date: September 26, 2024
    Inventors: Adam D. MAXWELL, Zhen XU, Hitinder S. GURM, Charles A. CAIN
  • Publication number: 20240225671
    Abstract: Methods for performing non-invasive thrombolysis with ultrasound using, in some embodiments, one or more ultrasound transducers to focus or place a high intensity ultrasound beam onto a blood clot (thrombus) or other vascular inclusion or occlusion (e.g., clot in the dialysis graft, deep vein thrombosis, superficial vein thrombosis, arterial embolus, bypass graft thrombosis or embolization, pulmonary embolus) which would be ablated (eroded, mechanically fractionated, liquefied, or dissolved) by ultrasound energy. The process can employ one or more mechanisms, such as of cavitational, sonochemical, mechanical fractionation, or thermal processes depending on the acoustic parameters selected. This general process, including the examples of application set forth herein, is henceforth referred to as “Thrombolysis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2023
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventors: Adam D. MAXWELL, Zhen XU, Hitinder S. GURM, Charles A. CAIN
  • Publication number: 20240130746
    Abstract: Methods for performing non-invasive thrombolysis with ultrasound using, in some embodiments, one or more ultrasound transducers to focus or place a high intensity ultrasound beam onto a blood clot (thrombus) or other vascular inclusion or occlusion (e.g., clot in the dialysis graft, deep vein thrombosis, superficial vein thrombosis, arterial embolus, bypass graft thrombosis or embolization, pulmonary embolus) which would be ablated (eroded, mechanically fractionated, liquefied, or dissolved) by ultrasound energy. The process can employ one or more mechanisms, such as of cavitational, sonochemical, mechanical fractionation, or thermal processes depending on the acoustic parameters selected. This general process, including the examples of application set forth herein, is henceforth referred to as “Thrombolysis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Adam D. MAXWELL, Zhen XU, Hitinder S. GURM, Charles A. CAIN
  • Publication number: 20240033542
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for applying ultrasound pulses into tissue or a medium in which the peak negative pressure (P?) of one or more negative half cycle(s) of the ultrasound pulses exceed(s) an intrinsic threshold of the tissue or medium, to directly form a dense bubble cloud in the tissue or medium without shock-scattering. In one embodiment, a microtripsy method of Histotripsy therapy comprises delivering an ultrasound pulse from an ultrasound therapy transducer into tissue, the ultrasound pulse having at least a portion of a peak negative pressure half-cycle that exceeds an intrinsic threshold in the tissue to produce a bubble cloud of at least one bubble in the tissue, and generating a lesion in the tissue with the bubble cloud. The intrinsic threshold can vary depending on the type of tissue to be treated. In some embodiments, the intrinsic threshold in tissue can range from 15-30 MPa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: Charles A. CAIN, Adam D. MAXWELL, Zhen XU, Kuang-Wei LIN
  • Patent number: 11819712
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for applying ultrasound pulses into tissue or a medium in which the peak negative pressure (P?) of one or more negative half cycle(s) of the ultrasound pulses exceed(s) an intrinsic threshold of the tissue or medium, to directly form a dense bubble cloud in the tissue or medium without shock-scattering. In one embodiment, a microtripsy method of Histotripsy therapy comprises delivering an ultrasound pulse from an ultrasound therapy transducer into tissue, the ultrasound pulse having at least a portion of a peak negative pressure half-cycle that exceeds an intrinsic threshold in the tissue to produce a bubble cloud of at least one bubble in the tissue, and generating a lesion in the tissue with the bubble cloud. The intrinsic threshold can vary depending on the type of tissue to be treated. In some embodiments, the intrinsic threshold in tissue can range from 15-30 MPa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of Michigan
    Inventors: Charles A. Cain, Adam Maxwell, Zhen Xu, Kuang-Wei Lin
  • Patent number: 11701134
    Abstract: Methods for performing non-invasive thrombolysis with ultrasound using, in some embodiments, one or more ultrasound transducers to focus or place a high intensity ultrasound beam onto a blood clot (thrombus) or other vascular inclusion or occlusion (e.g., clot in the dialysis graft, deep vein thrombosis, superficial vein thrombosis, arterial embolus, bypass graft thrombosis or embolization, pulmonary embolus) which would be ablated (eroded, mechanically fractionated, liquefied, or dissolved) by ultrasound energy. The process can employ one or more mechanisms, such as of cavitational, sonochemical, mechanical fractionation, or thermal processes depending on the acoustic parameters selected. This general process, including the examples of application set forth herein, is henceforth referred to as “Thrombolysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of Michigan
    Inventors: Adam D. Maxwell, Zhen Xu, Hitinder S. Gurm, Charles A. Cain
  • Publication number: 20220323088
    Abstract: Methods for performing non-invasive thrombolysis with ultrasound using, in some embodiments, one or more ultrasound transducers to focus or place a high intensity ultrasound beam onto a blood clot (thrombus) or other vascular inclusion or occlusion (e.g., clot in the dialysis graft, deep vein thrombosis, superficial vein thrombosis, arterial embolus, bypass graft thrombosis or embolization, pulmonary embolus) which would be ablated (eroded, mechanically fractionated, liquefied, or dissolved) by ultrasound energy. The process can employ one or more mechanisms, such as of cavitational, sonochemical, mechanical fractionation, or thermal processes depending on the acoustic parameters selected. This general process, including the examples of application set forth herein, is henceforth referred to as “Thrombolysis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Adam D. MAXWELL, Zhen XU, Hitinder S. GURM, Charles A. CAIN
  • Publication number: 20220219019
    Abstract: A histotripsy therapy system configured for the treatment of brain tissue is provided, which may include any number of features. In one embodiment, the system includes an ultrasound therapy transducer, a drainage catheter, and a plurality of piezoelectric sensors disposed in the drainage catheter. The ultrasound therapy is configured to transmit ultrasound pulses into the brain to generate cavitation that liquefies a target tissue in the brain. The drainage catheter is configured to detect the ultrasound pulses. An aberration correction algorithm can be executed by the system based on the ultrasound pulses measured by the drainage catheter to automatically correct for an aberration effect caused by the ultrasound pulses passing through a skullcap of the patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Zhen XU, Jonathan SUKOVICH, Aditya S. PANDEY, Charles A. CAIN, Hitinder S. GURM
  • Patent number: 11364042
    Abstract: Methods for performing non-invasive thrombolysis with ultrasound using, in some embodiments, one or more ultrasound transducers to focus or place a high intensity ultrasound beam onto a blood clot (thrombus) or other vascular inclusion or occlusion (e.g., clot in the dialysis graft, deep vein thrombosis, superficial vein thrombosis, arterial embolus, bypass graft thrombosis or embolization, pulmonary embolus) which would be ablated (eroded, mechanically fractionated, liquefied, or dissolved) by ultrasound energy. The process can employ one or more mechanisms, such as of cavitational, sonochemical, mechanical fractionation, or thermal processes depending on the acoustic parameters selected. This general process, including the examples of application set forth herein, is henceforth referred to as “Thrombolysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of Michigan
    Inventors: Adam D. Maxwell, Zhen Xu, Hitinder S. Gurm, Charles A. Cain
  • Patent number: 11135454
    Abstract: A histotripsy therapy system configured for the treatment of brain tissue is provided, which may include any number of features. In one embodiment, the system includes an ultrasound therapy transducer, a drainage catheter, and a plurality of piezoelectric sensors disposed in the drainage catheter. The ultrasound therapy is configured to transmit ultrasound pulses into the brain to generate cavitation that liquefies a target tissue in the brain. The drainage catheter is configured to detect the ultrasound pulses. An aberration correction algorithm can be executed by the system based on the ultrasound pulses measured by the drainage catheter to automatically correct for an aberration effect caused by the ultrasound pulses passing through a skullcap of the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventors: Zhen Xu, Jonathan Sukovich, Aditya S. Pandey, Charles A. Cain, Hitinder S. Gurm
  • Patent number: 11058399
    Abstract: A Histotripsy therapy system is provided that can include any number of features. In some embodiments, the system includes a high voltage power supply, a pulse generator electrically coupled to at least one signal switching amplifier, at least one matching network electrically coupled to the signal switching amplifier(s), and an ultrasound transducer having at least one transducer element. The Histotripsy therapy system can further include an ultrasound Doppler imaging system. The Doppler imaging system and the Histotripsy therapy system can be synchronized to enable color Doppler acquisition of the fractionation of tissue during Histotripsy therapy. Methods of use are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventors: Zhen Xu, Ryan M. Miller, Adam D. Maxwell, Charles A. Cain
  • Publication number: 20210008394
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for applying ultrasound pulses into tissue or a medium in which the peak negative pressure (P?) of one or more negative half cycle(s) of the ultrasound pulses exceed(s) an intrinsic threshold of the tissue or medium, to directly form a dense bubble cloud in the tissue or medium without shock-scattering. In one embodiment, a microtripsy method of Histotripsy therapy comprises delivering an ultrasound pulse from an ultrasound therapy transducer into tissue, the ultrasound pulse having at least a portion of a peak negative pressure half-cycle that exceeds an intrinsic threshold in the tissue to produce a bubble cloud of at least one bubble in the tissue, and generating a lesion in the tissue with the bubble cloud. The intrinsic threshold can vary depending on the type of tissue to be treated. In some embodiments, the intrinsic threshold in tissue can range from 15-30 MPa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Inventors: Charles A. CAIN, Adam MAXWELL, Zhen XU, Kuang-Wei LIN
  • Patent number: 10780298
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for applying ultrasound pulses into tissue or a medium in which the peak negative pressure (P?) of one or more negative half cycle(s) of the ultrasound pulses exceed(s) an intrinsic threshold of the tissue or medium, to directly form a dense bubble cloud in the tissue or medium without shock-scattering. In one embodiment, a microtripsy method of Histotripsy therapy comprises delivering an ultrasound pulse from an ultrasound therapy transducer into tissue, the ultrasound pulse having at least a portion of a peak negative pressure half-cycle that exceeds an intrinsic threshold in the tissue to produce a bubble cloud of at least one bubble in the tissue, and generating a lesion in the tissue with the bubble cloud. The intrinsic threshold can vary depending on the type of tissue to be treated. In some embodiments, the intrinsic threshold in tissue can range from 15-30 MPa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventors: Charles A. Cain, Adam Maxwell, Zhen Xu, Kuang-Wei Lin
  • Publication number: 20190216478
    Abstract: Methods for performing non-invasive thrombolysis with ultrasound using, in some embodiments, one or more ultrasound transducers to focus or place a high intensity ultrasound beam onto a blood clot (thrombus) or other vascular inclusion or occlusion (e.g., clot in the dialysis graft, deep vein thrombosis, superficial vein thrombosis, arterial embolus, bypass graft thrombosis or embolization, pulmonary embolus) which would be ablated (eroded, mechanically fractionated, liquefied, or dissolved) by ultrasound energy. The process can employ one or more mechanisms, such as of cavitational, sonochemical, mechanical fractionation, or thermal processes depending on the acoustic parameters selected. This general process, including the examples of application set forth herein, is henceforth referred to as “Thrombolysis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Inventors: Adam D. MAXWELL, Zhen XU, Hitinder S. GURM, Charles A. CAIN
  • Patent number: 10219815
    Abstract: Methods for performing non-invasive thrombolysis with ultrasound using, in some embodiments, one or more ultrasound transducers to focus or place a high intensity ultrasound beam onto a blood clot (thrombus) or other vascular inclusion or occlusion (e.g., clot in the dialysis graft, deep vein thrombosis, superficial vein thrombosis, arterial embolus, bypass graft thrombosis or embolization, pulmonary embolus) which would be ablated (eroded, mechanically fractionated, liquefied, or dissolved) by ultrasound energy. The process can employ one or more mechanisms, such as of cavitational, sonochemical, mechanical fractionation, or thermal processes depending on the acoustic parameters selected. This general process, including the examples of application set forth herein, is henceforth referred to as “Thrombolysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventors: Adam Maxwell, Zhen Xu, Hitinder S. Gurm, Charles A. Cain
  • Patent number: 10071266
    Abstract: A medical imaging and therapy device is provided that may include any of a number of features. The device may include a Histotripsy transducer, a generator and controller configured to deliver Histotripsy energy from the transducer to target tissue, and an imaging system. In some embodiments, a method of treating tissue with Histotripsy energy comprises positioning a focus of a histotripsy transducer on a target tissue, delivering histotripsy energy from the histotripsy transducer through a bone aberrator, forming a histotripsy bubble cloud on the focus, and preventing the formation of secondary histotripsy bubble clouds without implementing an aberration correction algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventor: Charles A. Cain
  • Publication number: 20180154186
    Abstract: A histotripsy therapy system configured for the treatment of brain tissue is provided, which may include any number of features. In one embodiment, the system includes an ultrasound therapy transducer, a drainage catheter, and a plurality of piezoelectric sensors disposed in the drainage catheter. The ultrasound therapy is configured to transmit ultrasound pulses into the brain to generate cavitation that liquefies a target tissue in the brain. The drainage catheter is configured to detect the ultrasound pulses. An aberration correction algorithm can be executed by the system based on the ultrasound pulses measured by the drainage catheter to automatically correct for an aberration effect caused by the ultrasound pulses passing through a skullcap of the patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Inventors: Zhen XU, Jonathan SUKOVICH, Aditya S. PANDEY, Charles A. CAIN, Hitinder S. GURM
  • Patent number: 9943708
    Abstract: A medical imaging and therapy device is provided that may include any of a number of features. One feature of the device is that it can image a target tissue volume and apply ultrasound energy to the target tissue volume. In some embodiments, the medical imaging and therapy device is configured controllably apply ultrasound energy into the prostate by maintaining a cavitational bubble cloud generated by an ultrasound therapy system within an image of the prostate generated by an imaging system. The medical imaging and therapy device can be used in therapeutic applications such as Histotripsy, Lithotripsy, and HIFU, for example. Methods associated with use of the medical imaging and therapy device are also covered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignees: HISTOSONICS, INC., THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventors: William W. Roberts, Timothy L. Hall, Charles A. Cain, J. Brian Fowlkes, Zhen Xu, Michael Thomas Kusner, Jr., Dejan Teofilovic