Claims
- 1. A method of producing a thermal therapy assembly, comprising the steps of:
providing a thin wall tube; producing an aperture in said tubing through which a power lead can be threaded; sliding an ultrasound crystal over said thin wall tube and said power lead; soldering said power lead to said ultrasound crystal; and applying a sealant adjacent said ultrasound crystal.
- 2. The method as defined in claim 1, further including the step of applying a sealing means to said assembly.
- 3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein in said sealing means comprises a shrink-wrap coating.
- 4. The method as defined on claim 3, wherein said shrink-wrap coating comprises heat-shrink tubing.
- 5. The assembly as defined in claim 1, further including the step of sliding additional ultrasound crystals over said thin wall tube and soldering said ultrasound crystals prior to apply the sealant.
- 6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said ultrasound crystal includes a first portion for generating ultrasound energy and a second portion physically coupled to said first portion and rendered incapable of producing any substantial ultrasound energy.
- 7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein said second portion includes longitudinal cuts in said ultrasound crystal.
- 8. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein said longitudinal cuts are made in the range of sixty to one hundred twenty degrees apart.
- 9. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein longitudinal cuts are made ninety degrees apart.
- 10. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein said longitudinal cuts are cut to a depth of between forty and fifty percent of the depth of the ultrasound transducer.
- 11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said second portion is created by removing electrode coating from said ultrasound transducer.
- 12. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein said second portion extends across an angular distance of sixty to one hundred twenty degrees.
- 13. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein said second portion extends across an angular distance of ninety degrees.
- 14. An apparatus for applying thermal therapy to a prostate gland, comprising:
a thin wall tube including an aperture in the wall of said tube; a power lead threaded through said aperture; an ultrasound crystal received over said tube having an electrode portion coupled to said power lead; and sealant disposed adjacent said ultrasound crystal.
- 15. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein said ultrasound crystal includes a first portion for generating ultrasound energy and a second portion physically coupled to said first portion and rendered incapable of producing any substantial ultrasound energy.
- 16. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein said second portion includes longitudinal cuts in said ultrasound crystal.
- 17. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein said longitudinal cuts are made in the range of sixty to one hundred twenty degrees apart.
- 18. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein said longitudinal cuts are made ninety degrees apart.
- 19. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein said longitudinal cuts are cut to a depth of between forty and fifty percent of the depth of the ultrasound transducer.
- 20. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein said second portion is created by removing electrode coating from said ultrasound transducer.
- 21. The method as defined in claim 20, wherein said second portion extends across an angular distance of sixty to one hundred twenty degrees.
- 22. The method as defined in claim 20, wherein said second portion extends across an angular distance of ninety degrees.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present invention is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/858,912 filed on May 19, 1997, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,315, wich is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/333,005 filed on Aug. 17, 1994, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/083,967, filed Jun. 25, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,197, which is a cpntinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/976,232 filed on Nov. 13, 1992, now abandoned in favor of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/291,336, now abandoned. the aforementioned U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/858,912 and 08/332,997 are herein incorporated in their entirety by reference thereto. The Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment of the aforementioned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/083,967 is incorporated herein for additional details regarding example delivery systems and ultrasound energy deposition techniques.
Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08858912 |
May 1997 |
US |
Child |
10397070 |
Mar 2003 |
US |
Parent |
08332997 |
Nov 1994 |
US |
Child |
08858912 |
May 1997 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (3)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08291336 |
Aug 1994 |
US |
Child |
08332997 |
Nov 1994 |
US |
Parent |
08083967 |
Jun 1993 |
US |
Child |
08291336 |
Aug 1994 |
US |
Parent |
07976232 |
Nov 1992 |
US |
Child |
08083967 |
Jun 1993 |
US |