Methods of treating tumors by administering compounds to a patient are provided. Compounds such as pro drugs, e.g., 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), may be administered to the patient orally, by injection, intravenously, or topically, which then accumulate preferentially as compounds such as protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in tumor cells. After such accumulation, compounds such as PpIX are then activated in various aspects to treat tumors cells, thereby treating cancer. Cancers such as glioblastoma may be treated.

The present disclosure provides a method, device, and system for delaying signals as well as medical registration equipment, and belongs to the field of communication technologies. The method includes: determining, based on a clock period of each level of delay clock signals, a quantity of clock periods of each level of delay clock signals that are required for delaying a drive signal by a total quantity of delay phases; and delaying the drive signal by the determined quantity of clock periods of each level of delay clock signals sequentially. Therefore, on the premise that a data volume of a to-be-delayed drive signal is fixed, compared with a method for delaying signals by directly using a register, the method according to the present disclosure not only reliably realizes signal delaying, but also effectively reduces a quantity of required registers.

A micromachined ultrasonic transducer (MUT) which comprises a first piezoelectric layer and a second piezoelectric layer. The first piezoelectric layer is disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode. The second piezoelectric layer is disposed between the second electrode and a third electrode. At least the first electrode has first and second ends along a first axis, one or more of which is defined by a radius of curvature R. A second axis normal to the first passes through a midpoint of the first axis. A half-width of the first electrode is defined by a length L measured from the midpoint, in the direction of the second axis, to an outer perimeter of the first electrode. A total width of the first electrode at its narrowest point along the first axis is at most 2L such that the first electrode has a concave shape. R/L, is greater than 1.

Described are micromachined ultrasonic transducers (MUTs) with convex or concave electrodes, which have enhanced pressure amplitude and frequency response behavior when driven at fundamental and harmonic frequencies, as well as methods of making the same.

System for inducing sonoporation of a drug into cancer cells in a tumor and method thereof, the system comprising a generator configured to provide electrical energy at an ultrasound frequency; an ultrasound probe electrically connected to the generator and configured to convert the electrical energy into low intensity pulsed ultrasonic waves defined by operation parameters, said operation parameters comprising the frequency, the duty cycle, the operation time of the ultrasonic waves; an input device enabling an operator to enter configuration data comprising: type of tumor, type of drug, localization of secondary tumor, anthropometric measurements and grade of tumor, and a processor configured to determine the values of the operation parameters on the basis of the entered configuration data and control the generator and the ultrasound probe to operate according to said determined values, wherein the value of the frequency is determined on the basis of the type of tumor, the localization of the tumor, the grade of tumor and the anthropometric measurements, the value of the duty cycle is determined on the basis of the drug, the type of tumor and the grade of the tumor, and the value of said operation time being determined on the basis of at least the type of tumor and the type of drug.

Transducer elements have one or more asymmetric features that give rise to multiple natural resonance frequencies. The feature(s) can be discrete (e.g., steps, bars, or gemstone-like facets) or continuous across one or more dimensions of the transducer element (e.g., a triangular prism). A transducer element can be driven at more than one resonance frequency; multiple frequencies will excite more than one feature in parallel, each producing an output emission with a characteristic frequency and phase. An optimal frequency—i.e., one that maximizes the peak acoustic intensity or acoustic power at the target—within a certain frequency range may be determined, and a plurality of asymmetric transducer elements may be driven at a center frequency that coincides with or is close to this optimal frequency.

An ultrasonic probe includes a semiconductor chip in which an ultrasonic transducer is formed and an electrode pad electrically connected to an upper electrode or a lower electrode of the ultrasonic transducer is provided and a flexible substrate in which a bump electrically connected to the electrode pad is provided and the bump is disposed in a portion overlapping with a stepped portion of the semiconductor chip. Further, a height of a connection surface of the electrode pad of the semiconductor chip connected to the bump is lower than a height of a lower surface of the lower electrode.

A method of forming an ultrasonic transducer device includes bonding a membrane to seal a transducer cavity with at least a portion of a getter material layer being exposed, the getter material layer comprising a portion of a bilayer stack compatible for use in damascene processing.

An ultrasound probe and ultrasound diagnostic apparatus that achieve high transmission/reception sensitivity and wide frequency band are provided. The ultrasound probe includes a pMUT array in which a plurality of pMUTs are arranged. The pMUTs include first pMUTs for ultrasound transmission and pMUTs for ultrasound wave reception having a structure different from that of the first pMUTs. The cell region of each first pMUT and the cell region of each second pMUT are separated from each other in the ultrasound wave radiation plane.

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of medical devices. In particular, the present disclosure relates to endoscopic medical devices with distally actuated axial displacement configured to impart in-plane or rotational ultrasonic reciprocation to an end effector.