The present disclosure provides an extracorporeal focused ultrasound treatment device for a pelvic disease. The treatment device includes an ultrasonic transducer and a treatment couch. Sound emitting surface of the ultrasonic transducer is a spherical surface having a first notch, a second notch and a third notch, the first notch and the second notch are respectively positioned at two intersections of the spherical surface and a diameter perpendicular to the main great circle, and the third notch connects the first notch with the second notch; a cross-section of the sound emitting surface parallel to the main great circle is in a shape of an arc; and an ultrasonic wave generated by the sound generation unit is focused at a center of the sphere corresponding to the sound emitting surface. The treatment couch is configured for a human body to lie in a lithotomy position.

Apparatus and methods for creating tissue necrosis include an energy delivery apparatus that can be positioned adjacent a target treatment site such as a vessel without direct contact with the treatment site tissue. Collimated energy is then directed to the vessel to create necrotic regions in the tissue. Exemplary use in renal vessels creates necrotic regions in adjacent nerves which can alleviate hypertension in a patient.

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe for heating, internally, an ultrasonically absorbent target medium, the probe comprising: at least one piezoelectric transducer (21) having a front face (212) intended to be positioned facing the target medium and a back face (211) opposite the front face (212), the transducer being able to emit at least one primary wave emanating from its front face and at least one secondary wave emanating from its back face, the probe being noteworthy in that it furthermore comprises: a reflector (24) facing the back face (211) of the transducer (21), the reflector (24) being suitable for reflecting the secondary wave emitted by the transducer (21); and a cooling-fluid layer (25) between the transducer (21) and the reflector (24).

The present disclosure provides an ultrasonic transducer and a focused ultrasound treatment device. The ultrasonic transducer includes a sound generation unit and a sound emitting surface, the sound emitting surface being a spherical surface having a first notch, a second notch and a third notch, wherein one great circle of a sphere corresponding to the sound emitting surface is a main great circle, the first notch and the second notch are respectively positioned at two intersections of the spherical surface and a diameter perpendicular to the main great circle, and the third notch connects the first notch with the second notch; each cross-section of the sound emitting surface parallel to the main great circle is in a shape of an arc; and the ultrasonic wave generated by the sound generation unit is focused on a center of the sphere corresponding to the sound emitting surface.

The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for cardiac ablation and to sensor structures useful in such apparatus and methods.

A non-invasive variable depth ultrasound treatment method and system comprises a variable depth transducer system configured far providing ultrasound treatment to a patient. An exemplary variable depth transducer system can comprise a transducer configured to provide treatment to more than one region of interest, such as between a deep treatment region of interest and a superficial region of interest and/or a subcutaneous region of interest. The variable depth transducer can comprise a transduction element having a piezoelectrically active layer, matching layers and/or other materials for generating radiation or acoustical energy. The variable depth transducer may be configured to operate at moderate frequencies within the range from approximately 750 kHz to 20 MHz or more. In addition, the transduction element may be configured with a variable depth device comprising one or more materials configured to allow for control and focusing/defocusing of the acoustic energy to more than one region of interest.

Tissue ablation systems and methods of using the same are disclosed. The tissue ablation systems can have an ultrasound ablation device connected to a catheter. The ultrasound ablation device can have a first conical reflector having a first reflective surface and a second conical reflector having a second reflective surface. The distance between the first and second conical reflectors can be adjusted, e.g., increased and/or decreased, to adjust the radial and/or longitudinal dimension of a focal zone from the device.

A method of modulating glandular secretions by administering acoustic shock waves to a reflexology zone or region has been discovered. In one preferred embodiment, a treatment method achieves one or more of a) modulating blood sugar levels, b) stimulating insulin production levels or c) normalizing A1C levels by using the step of administering acoustic shock waves to a reflexology zone or region. The treatment method further has the steps of: activating acoustic shock waves of an acoustic shock wave generator to emit acoustic shock waves; subjecting the reflexology zone to acoustic shock waves stimulating the pancreas to have a modulated response wherein the modulated response is one of an adjustment in blood sugar levels or insulin production and release or normalizing A1C levels which increases low level output, decreases high level output or stabilizes erratic output; and wherein the emitted acoustic shock waves are focused or unfocused acoustic shock waves.

A method and system for secure ultrasound treatment of living tissues using an ultrasound probe comprising a reflective cavity in acoustic communication with living tissues, a transducer to emit an ultrasound wave in the reflective cavity and a transducer to acquire a backscattered signal in the reflective cavity. The method comprises the steps of a) emitting a first ultrasound wave in the reflective cavity that generates a backscattered ultrasound wave in the reflective cavity, b) acquiring a backscattered signal in the reflective cavity, c) determining whether an insonification can be safely performed by computing a similarity value between the backscattered signal and a predefined reference signal, and d) if an insonification can be safely performed, treating the living tissues with a second ultrasound wave emitted in the reflective cavity. The second ultrasound wave is focused a target point of the living tissues and generates a pressure pulse resulting in cavitation at this target point

A non-invasive variable depth ultrasound treatment method and system comprises a variable depth transducer system configured for providing ultrasound treatment to a patient. An exemplary variable depth transducer system can comprise a transducer configured to provide treatment to more than one region of interest, such as between a deep treatment region of interest and a superficial region of interest, and/or a subcutaneous region of interest. The variable depth transducer can comprise a transduction element having a piezoelectrically active layer, matching layers and/or other materials for generating radiation or acoustical energy. The variable depth transducer may be configured to operate at moderate frequencies within the range from approximately 750 kHz to 20 MHz or more. In addition, the transduction element may be configured with a variable depth device comprising one or more materials configured to allow for control and focusing/defocusing of the acoustic energy to more than one region of interest.