DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MONITORING A TREATMENT AREA
A method for monitoring the amount of treatment delivered by a treatment device, comprising: providing a treatment device including at least one activation element; applying a reactive agent to a treatment area, the reactive agent reacting to energy delivered by the at least one activation element; actuating the treatment device and the activation element to deliver treatment.
1 . A method for monitoring the amount of treatment delivered by a treatment device, comprising:
providing a treatment device including at least one activation element;
applying at least one reactive agent to a treatment area, and
actuating the treatment device and the activation element to deliver a treatment to a treatment area, wherein the at least one reactive agent reacts to energy delivered by the at least one activation element.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one reactive agent provides an indication of whether the treatment area has been treated.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one reactive agent provides an indication of a duration of treatment provided to the treatment area.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a selected reactive agent provides an indication of a peak temperature and another reactive agent provides an indication of a duration of treatment in the treatment area.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one reactive agent provides an indication of a peak temperature of the treatment area.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment device is the activation element.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each reactive agent includes at least one of a thermochrome and a chromaphore.
8 . A method for monitoring the amount of treatment delivered by a treatment device, comprising:
providing a treatment device;
applying at least one reactive agent to a treatment area, and
actuating the treatment device to deliver treatment to a treatment area, wherein the at least one reactive agent reacts to energy delivered by the treatment device.
9 . A system for monitoring treatment parameters, comprising:
a treatment device for delivering a treatment to a treatment area;
at least one activation element operably coupled to the treatment device such that the activation element is actuated each time the treatment device is actuated; and
at least one reactive agent applied to the treatment area and responsive to an energy transmitted from the at least one activation element.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein each of the at least one reactive agent includes at least one of a thermochrome and a chromaphore.
11 . The system of claim 9 , comprising two different reactive agents selected from the group of a thermochrome and a chromaphore.
12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one reactive agent provides an indication of whether a given treatment area has been treated.
13 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one reactive agent provides an indication of the duration of treatment provided to a given treatment area.
14 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one reactive agent provides an indication of a duration of treatment and peak temperature of the treatment area.
15 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one reactive agent provides an indication of a peak temperature of the treatment area.
16 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the treatment device is an ultrasound transducer and the at least one reactive agent is nonreactive to ultrasound energy.
17 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one further where the reactive agent is combined with an acoustically transparent carrier.
18 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the activation element is one of a light emitting diode and a heat source.
19 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the treatment device is the activation element.
20 . A system for monitoring treatment parameters, comprising:
a treatment device for delivering a treatment to a treatment area; and
a reactive agent applied to the treatment area and responsive to an energy transmitted from the treatment device.
21 . A composition, comprising:
at least one reactive agent in a nonreactive acoustically transparent carrier, wherein the at least one reactive agent is responsive to an energy exposure and provides an indication of at least one of a duration and intensity of the energy exposure.
22 . The composition of claim 21 , wherein the at least one reactive agent includes at least one of a thermochrome and a chromaphore.
23 . The composition of claim 21 , wherein the composition includes at least two reactive agents, each said reactive agent selected from the group of a thermochrome and a chromaphore.
24 . The composition of claim 21 , wherein the at least one reactive agent provides an indication of whether a given treatment area has been treated.
25 . The composition of claim 21 , wherein the at least one reactive agent provides an indication of a peak temperature of the treatment area.
26 . The composition of claim 21 , wherein the at least one reactive agent provides an indication of a duration of a treatment within a treatment zone.
27 . A method for monitoring the amount of a treatment delivered by a treatment device, comprising:
providing a treatment device;
applying at least one reactive agent to a treatment area, each reactive agent reacting to an energy delivered by the treatment device; and
actuating the treatment device to deliver a treatment.