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.

Systems and methods for non-invasive fat reduction can include targeting a region of interest below a surface of skin, which contains fat and delivering ultrasound energy to the region of interest. The ultrasound energy generates a thermal lesion with said ultrasound energy on a fat cell. The lesion can create an opening in the surface of the fat cell, which allows the draining of a fluid out of the fat cell and through the opening. In addition, by applying ultrasound energy to fat cells to increase the temperature to between 43 degrees and 49 degrees, cell apoptosis can be realized, thereby resulting in reduction of fat.

Various approaches for enhancing treatment of target tissue using a source of focused ultrasound while limiting damage to non-target tissue include selecting a frequency of ultrasound waves transmitted from the source of focused ultrasound for generating a focus in the target tissue; providing microbubbles having the first size distribution such that at least 50% of the microbubbles have a radius smaller than a critical radius corresponding to a resonance frequency matching the selected frequency of ultrasound waves; and applying the ultrasound waves at the selected frequency to treat the target tissue.

Various approaches for disrupting target tissue for treatment include identifying a target volume of the target tissue; causing disruption of the target tissue in a region corresponding to the target volume so as to increase tissue permeability therein; computationally generating a tissue permeability map of the target volume; and based on the tissue permeability map, computationally evaluating the disruption of the target tissue within the target volume.

A probe for ultrasound treatment of skin laxity are provided. Systems and methods can include ultrasound imaging of the region of interest for localization of the treatment area, delivering ultrasound energy at a depth and pattern to achieve the desired therapeutic effects, and/or monitoring the treatment area to assess the results and/or provide feedback. In an embodiment, a treatment system and method can be configured for producing arrays of sub-millimeter and larger zones of thermal ablation to treat the epidermal, superficial dermal, mid-dermal or deep dermal components of tissue.

Dermatological cosmetic combination treatments with high intensity focused ultrasound, dermal fillers, fat-reducing compounds, cavitation-prone fluids, and/or septa dissection are provided. A HIFU therapy system can include an imaging system, methods adapted to alter placement and position of a line focus band therapy, multiple simultaneous cosmetic ultrasound treatment zones in tissue, and dithering ultrasound beams from a transducer to alter placement and position of multiple cosmetic treatment zones in tissue. The HIFU systems can include a hand wand, removable transducer modules, and a control module. The dermal fillers can include hydroxyapatite. The fat-reducing compounds can include adipocytolytic compounds, pentacyclic triterpenoid compounds, proapoptotic compounds, compounds impairing differentiation of pre-adipocytes, and combinations thereof. The cavitation-prone fluids can include molecules dissolved in fluids, ethanol, glycerin, and ethylene glycol. The septa dissecting can include using a cutting blade and/or cavitation HIFU. The cosmetic treatment system may be used in various cosmetic procedures, such as treating cellulite.

Embodiments of a dermatological cosmetic treatment and/or imaging system and method adapted to alter placement and position of multiple cosmetic treatment zones in tissue from ultrasound beams from a transducer, simultaneous multi-focus therapy at multiple depths, and/or dithering ultrasound beams from a transducer to alter placement and position of multiple cosmetic treatment zones in tissue. The system can include a hand wand, a removable transducer module, and a control module. In some embodiments, the cosmetic treatment system may be used in various cosmetic procedures.

Systems and methods for treating skin and subcutaneous tissue with energy such as ultrasound energy are disclosed. In various embodiments, ultrasound energy is applied at a region of interest to affect tissue by cutting, ablating, micro-ablating, coagulating, or otherwise affecting the subcutaneous tissue to conduct numerous procedures that are traditionally done invasively in a non-invasive manner. Lifting sagging tissue on a face, neck, and/or body are described. Treatment with heat is provided in several embodiments.

Various embodiments provide a method for an extended field of view treatment. The method can include the steps of imaging a region; targeting a region with directed ultrasound energy; monitoring the region; moving the imaging, treatment, and monitoring region while spatially correlating to one or more prior regions via imaging and/or position sensing; continuing the extended field of view treatment; and, achieving an ultrasound induced biological effect in the extended field of view treatment region.

Various approaches for computationally generating a protocol for treatment of one or more target BBB regions within a tissue region of interest using a source of focused ultrasound include specifying (i) settings of sonication parameters for applying one or more sequence of sonications to the target BBB region using the source of focused ultrasound and (ii) a characteristic of microbubbles selected to be administered into the target BBB region; electronically simulating treatment in accordance with the protocol at least in part by computationally executing the sequence(s) of sonications and computationally administering the microbubbles having the characteristic; and computationally predicting a tissue disruption effect of the target BBB region resulting from the treatment.