Disclosed are methods of using planar acoustic waves for providing non-invasive sonodynamic therapy. The method includes acoustically coupling an array of flat piezoelectric transducers to a patient. A controller is configured to generate an electrical drive signal at a frequency selected from a range of frequencies, modulate the drive signal, and drive the transducer with the modulated drive signal at the frequency to produce a modulated planar acoustic wave to produce an average acoustic intensity sufficient to activate a sonosensitizer in a treatment region without damaging healthy cells in the treatment region.

Systems and devices are provided for generating focused ultrasound pulses based on a transducer assembly having a piezoelectric layer coupled to an acoustic lens. In some example embodiments, the piezoelectric layer is a composite piezoelectric material having an acoustic impedance configured to match the acoustic impedance of the acoustic lens. The acoustic lens may be formed from aluminum, or an alloy thereof, and may have a distal surface having a non-spherical profile for producing a focal region that is smaller than an equivalent spherical lens. The acoustic lens may have an f-number less than unity. In some embodiments, the acoustic lens is coated with a polymer acoustic impedance matching layer that is compatible with deposition via chemical vapor deposition, such as a p-xylylene based polymer. In some embodiments, the acoustic lens is formed from aluminum or an alloy thereof, and the polymer acoustic impedance matching layer is a Parylene layer.

A catheter US transducer container and method of manufacture thereof including a housing, one or more cooling channels oriented longitudinally along a longitudinal axis of the container, a sealing cooling channel cover, one or more PE elements positioned on a floor of the cooling channel, the cooling channel having a trapezoid cross section at any point along the PE element.

Disclosed are methods of using focused acoustic waves for providing non-invasive sonodynamic therapy. The method includes acoustically coupling an array of piezoelectric transducers to a patient. A controller is configured to generate an electrical drive signal at a frequency selected from a range of frequencies, modulate the drive signal, and drive the transducer with the modulated drive signal at the frequency to produce modulated acoustic waves to produce an average acoustic intensity sufficient to activate a sonosensitizer in a treatment region without damaging healthy cells in the treatment region.

Disclosed are methods of using planar or defocused acoustic waves for providing non-invasive sonodynamic therapy. The method includes acoustically coupling an array of piezoelectric transducers to a patient. A controller is configured to generate an electrical drive signal at a frequency selected from a range of frequencies, modulate the drive signal, and drive the transducer with the modulated drive signal at the frequency to produce modulated acoustic waves to produce an average acoustic intensity sufficient to activate a sonosensitizer in a treatment region without damaging healthy cells in the treatment region.

Disclosed are methods of producing ultrasound waves for providing sonodynamic therapy. The method includes coupling a sonodynamic therapy device with an array of piezoelectric transducer elements to a skin surface. A controller is configured to generate an electrical drive signal to produce ultrasound waves to activate a sonosensitizer in a treatment region without damaging healthy cells in the treatment region.

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.

A treatment method to reduce or eliminate a patient's symptoms caused by a medical condition or disease is disclosed. The treatment has the step of administering acoustic shock waves directed to one or more reflexology zones or to one or more reflexology zones and an area near a source of the pain if any is exhibited to treat the medical condition. The treatment further has the steps of activating acoustic shock waves of an acoustic shock wave generator to emit acoustic shock waves and subjecting the one or more reflexology zones or the one or more reflexology zones and the area near a source of the medical condition or pain, if any is exhibited, to acoustic shock waves to treat the medical condition.

The present invention relates to an ultra-thin acoustic lens for subwavelength focusing in a megasonic range and a design method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a super-oscillatory planar ultra-thin acoustic lens for subwavelength focusing in the megasonic range, which includes a plurality of concentric regions arranged in a concentric shape with reference to the center point, wherein the concentric regions include a plurality acoustic insulation region for insulating incident acoustic waves, and a plurality of transmission regions for transmitting acoustic waves, the acoustic insulation regions and the transmission regions being formed alternatively in a radial direction from the center point so as to focus incident acoustic wave energy onto a subwavelength region. The acoustic lens has flat surfaces on both sides thereof respectively and has a plate shape having a constant thickness, and a layout, which is a radius of each of the plurality of acoustic insulation regions and transmission regions in the concentric region, is determined by a topology optimization reverse design method.

Apparatus, systems, and methods for treating an eye utilizing ab externo pressure wave generation. The shockwave generator comprises a housing comprising a fluid-filled chamber and an eye-contacting surface or chamber configured to contact a surface of the eye. First and second coaxially-aligned electrodes disposed within the housing are configured to generate an electric arc across a gap between the electrode tips when energized and thus produce a shockwave in a fluid of the fluid-filled chamber. The shockwave generator is coupled to the surface of the eye before focusing a shockwave to a pre-determined location on or below the surface of the eye. A plurality of shockwave generators may be disposed within a fluid-filled chamber of a contact lens, which may comprise a contact balloon.