Apparatus and methods are described including a catheter ultrasound transducer that includes one or more piezoelectric elements configured to ablate tissue of an ostium of a blood vessel by applying ultrasound energy to tissue of the ostium. An expandable positioner is configured to envelope at least a portion of the catheter ultrasound transducer and to position the catheter ultrasound transducer in the ostium of the blood vessel by contacting a wall of the blood vessel. A system processor in communication with the one or more piezoelectric elements is configured to regulate a parameter of the ultrasound energy emitted from the one or more piezoelectric elements based on impedance measurement between one or more electrodes located on the expandable positioner and one or more electrodes located on the catheter ultrasound transducer. Other applications are also described.

Apparatus and methods are described including positioning an ultrasound transducer at a blood vessel ostium, rotating the transducer about its axis and scanning tissue of the blood vessel ostium, recording one or more baseline returned signals from the tissue, and creating a baseline image of the blood vessel ostium based on at least one of the returned signals. Tissue of the blood vessel ostium is ablated in consecutive segments by rotating the transducer segmentally until full rotation is completed. The returned signals of the ablated segments are recorded in real-time and a real-time image is created based on the one or more returned signals. Ablation is terminated after changes in the real-time returned signals and/or real-time image with respect to the baseline returned signals and/or baseline image indicate an achieved predetermined level of ablation lesion formation. Other applications are also described.

The subject matter of the present disclosure generally relates to techniques for neuromodulation of a tissue that include applying energy (e.g., ultrasound energy) into the tissue at multiple regions of interest, concurrently or consecutively. The neuromodulation may result in tissue displacement, which may be observed through changes in one or more molecules of interest.

Described herein are systems and methods for tracking a target tissue during therapy delivery. A system for identifying an anatomical structure and tracking the motion of the anatomical structure using imaging before and during delivery of a therapy to a patient includes an imaging module and a therapy module. In some cases, the imaging module is configured to identify a region of the anatomical structure in an image, and the therapy module is configured to deliver the therapy to a target tissue. A method for imaging during delivery of a therapy includes acquiring an image, identifying a region of an anatomical structure, tracking the region of the anatomical structure, integrating the tracking, generating a unique template library, determining if a pre-existing template matches the results or if the results should be updated as a new template, and delivering the therapy to the target tissue.

An apparatus is disclosed for thermal therapy in a male prostate patient. The apparatus includes a long tubular element that is to be inserted into a patient's urethra so that a first tip end of it reaches up into the patient's diseased prostate. The elongated portion includes a narrow cylindrical tube within which an ultrasonic array is disposed along the long axis of the cylinder. Fluid is pumped into and out of a treatment zone of said patient as needed to control a temperature of a region in said treatment zone. A motorized driver is used to controllably rotate said elongated portion and the ultrasound array therein about the long axis of the apparatus so as to deliver acoustic energy to said diseased tissue. Various control and monitoring components may be used in conjunction with the present apparatus to design, control, and terminate the therapy.

A method of a soft tissue treatment comprises placing an applicator adjacent to a surface of a body part, the applicator including at least one electrode, providing a fastening mechanism fixing the applicator in contact with the body part, providing a radiofrequency energy by the at least one electrode causing a heating of the soft tissue, providing an electric current to the soft tissue by the at least one electrode causing a muscle contraction, and controlling heating of the soft tissue by the radiofrequency energy and parameters of the electric current provided by the at least one electrode via a control unit, wherein an energy flux density of the radiofrequency energy is in a range of 0.01 mW.Math.mm.sup.−2 to 10 W.Math.mm.sup.−2 and a frequency of the radiofrequency energy is in a range of 0.1 MHz to 25 GHz, and wherein the body part comprises a face or a chin.

Systems and methods for treating cancer and for preventing metastasis using low intensity focused ultrasound in combination with an anti-cancer therapy are disclosed.

Ultrasonic energy is used for treating degenerative dementia. A focal point of an ultrasonic transducer beam is directed at a target area of the brain to promote removal of substances that accumulate in the interstitial pathways that are at least partially responsible for the degenerative dementia. In one example, the target area of the brain may comprise the hippocampus and the degenerative dementia may be Alzheimer's disease. The ultrasonic beam may stimulate brain tissue at a frequency that corresponds to a naturally occurring deep sleep burst frequency of neurons and subsequent astrocyte activation patterns that drive a convective process responsible for brain solute disposal. For example, the transducer may generate a burst frequency of between 1-4 hertz to stimulate deep sleep brain functions that help remove amyloid plaque.

A catheter system for ablation of tissue around a blood vessel, e.g., the pulmonary artery, to reduce neural activity of nerves surrounding the blood vessel. The catheter system includes an elongate shaft having a proximal portion coupled to a handle, and a distal portion. The distal portion includes a transducer and an expandable anchor, which may be actuated to transition between a collapsed delivery state and an expanded deployed state where the anchor centralizes the transducer within the blood vessel. The transducer may be actuated to emit energy to reduce neural activity of the nerves surrounding the blood vessel. Systems and method are further provided for confirming that neural activity of the nerves surround the blood vessel has been sufficiently reduced.

High intensity focused ultrasound systems for treating tissue are disclosed herein. A system of treating tissue in a patient in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology can include, for example, an ultrasound source having a focal region and configured to deliver high intensity focused ultrasound energy to a target site in tissue of the patient. The system can further include a controller operably coupled to the ultrasound source. The controller comprises a pulsing protocol for delivering the high intensity focused ultrasound energy with the ultrasound source to the target site. The controller is configured to cause the ultrasound source to pulse high intensity focused ultrasound waves to lyse cells in a volume of the tissue of the subject while preserving an extracellular matrix in the volume of the tissue exposed to the high intensity focused ultrasound waves.