Method and system for monitoring ablation of tissues
View Patent ↗A method of monitoring heat damage to a tissue during a heat ablation procedure is disclosed. The method comprising: providing images of the tissue, extracting at least one parameter being indicative of a biological response to heat, and using the parameter(s) for determining the heat damage to the tissue.
1. An apparatus for analyzing ultrasound images of a tissue during a heat ablation procedure, the apparatus comprising:
an input unit for receiving the ultrasound images;
an extractor for extracting from the ultrasound images at least one parameter being indicative of a biological response to heat, said at least one parameter comprising ultrasound echogenicity variations; and
a computer operative to determine heat convection or lack of heat convection from the tissue using said at least one parameter.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tissue is a neighboring tissue to a tissue being heat ablated during said heat ablation procedure.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tissue is a tissue being heat ablated during said heat ablation procedure.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said input unit is operable to receive the images substantially in real time.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising an additional input unit for receiving heating information.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said echogenicity variations comprise temporal echogenicity variations.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said echogenicity variations comprise temporal echogenicity variations and spatial echogenicity variations.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said echogenicity variations comprise spatial echogenicity variations.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said electronic-calculation functionality is capable of identifying a moderate or no decrease of an echogenicity of the target tissue over a predetermined time-period while the heating is at least temporarily ceased.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said electronic-calculation functionality is capable of determining a functional dependence of a rise of an echogenicity of the target tissue while the target tissue is heated at a substantial constant rate, and comparing said functional dependence to an exponent.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said electronic-calculation functionality is capable of calculating an echogenicity gradient over the ultrasound images.
12. A system for destructing a target tissue the system comprising:
a heating apparatus for delivering energy at a predetermined rate to thereby heat the target tissue;
an ultrasound imaging apparatus for providing images of at least a neighboring tissue to the target tissue; and
a data processor, communicating with said heating apparatus and said imaging apparatus and being supplemented by an image analysis apparatus having:
an extractor, for extracting at least one parameter being indicative of a biological response to heat, said at least one parameter comprising echogenicity variations; and
a computer for determining heat convection or lack of heat convection from the target tissue using said at least one parameter.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein said heating apparatus comprises at least one probe device selected from the group consisting of an optical fiber probe for delivering laser radiation, a radiofrequency probe for delivering radiofrequency radiation, a focused ultrasound probe for delivering focused ultrasound radiation and a microwave probe for delivering microwave radiation.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein said imaging apparatus comprises a probe device.
15. The system of claim 12 , wherein said heating apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a radiofrequency ablating apparatus, a laser ablating apparatus, a focused ultrasound ablating apparatus and a microwave ablating apparatus.
16. The system of claim 12 , wherein said echogenicity variations comprise temporal echogenicity variations and spatial echogenicity variations.
17. The system of claim 12 , wherein said echogenicity variations comprise spatial echogenicity variations.
18. The system of claim 12 , wherein said electronic-calculation functionality is capable of identifying a moderate or no decrease of an echogenicity of the target tissue over a predetermined time-period while the heating is at least temporarily ceased.
19. The system of claim 12 , wherein said electronic-calculation functionality is capable of determining a functional dependence of a rise of an echogenicity of the target tissue while the target tissue is heated at a substantial constant rate, and comparing said functional dependence to an exponent.
20. The system of claim 12 , wherein said electronic-calculation functionality is capable of calculating an echogenicity gradient over said neighboring tissue.