1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a therapy apparatus for treating a patient with focused acoustic waves.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Therapy systems which employ acoustic waves are utilized, for example, for treating stone complaints (lithotripsy), tumors and bone pathologies (osteorestoration). These therapy systems usually are in the form of completely equipped work stations which, in addition to comprising a source of focused acoustic waves with application means for introducing the generated acoustic waves into a patient to be treated, include a locating system and a patient supporting device, whereby the source and the patient supporting device are adjustable relative to one another. During the treatment, the region of the patient to be treated is first localized with the locating system, and the region to be treated is then positioned by adjusting the patient supporting device with the patient thereon and the source relative to one another so that this region is situated in the focus of the acoustic waves. The region to be treated is then charged with acoustic waves in the required way. Although therapy systems having a locating system functioning exclusively on the basis of ultrasound are suitable and are frequently used, therapy systems are normally preferred that have an x-ray locating system, since it is desirable in nearly all applications (and indispensable in many applications) to be able to locate a region to be treated with x-radiation. Some therapy systems have an x-ray locating system, in addition to an ultrasound locating system, since the latter is capable of supplying additional information.
Therapy systems having an x-ray locating system are extremely expensive. This does not represent a disadvantage when the clinic in which the therapy system is operated has an adequately large number of patients in order to enable an economical operation of the therapy system. In the interests of the patient, however, it would be desirable to be able to have a high-performance therapy system of the type described above in smaller clinics or in a doctors's office as well. In the case of a therapy system equipped with an x-ray locating device, however, the comparatively high price thereof does not allow an economical utilization of the therapy system under those conditions.