Systems and methods for cavitation-guided opening of a targeted region of tissue within a primate skull are provided. In one example, a method includes delivering one or more microbubbles to proximate the targeted region, applying an ultrasound beam, using a transducer, through the skull of the primate to the targeted region to open the tissue, transcranially acquiring acoustic emissions produced from an interaction between the one or more microbubbles and the tissue, and determining a cavitation spectrum from the acquired acoustic emissions.

A Histotripsy therapy system is provided that can include any number of features. In some embodiments, the system includes a high voltage power supply, a pulse generator electrically coupled to at least one signal switching amplifier, at least one matching network electrically coupled to the signal switching amplifier(s), and an ultrasound transducer having at least one transducer element. The Histotripsy therapy system can further include an ultrasound Doppler imaging system. The Doppler imaging system and the Histotripsy therapy system can be synchronized to enable color Doppler acquisition of the fractionation of tissue during Histotripsy therapy. Methods of use are also described.

Disclosed herein are ultrasound systems comprising a plurality of transducers configured to work in concert to produce a customizable beam profile through the additive effects of multiple pulses. As an example, uniform and wide beam profiles can be generated using transducer elements that cannot independently generate such beam profiles. Related methods, systems, and computer-readable media are all disclosed.

The present invention provides for a method for continuously monitoring a coupling quality of a coupling interface between an acoustic energy source of a therapeutic device and a body surface area of a patient, comprising the steps of: (f) obtaining a plurality of images of at least one predetermined first area of the coupling interface; (g) extracting at least one first image characteristic of a predetermined first image of said plurality of images; (h) extracting said at least one first image characteristic of at least one second image of said plurality of images, said at least one second image being temporally spaced apart from said predetermined first image; (i) determining a quantitative parameter corresponding to a difference between said at least one first image characteristic of said predetermined first image and said at least one first image characteristic of said at least one second image, and (j) actuating a signal if said quantitative parameter exceeds a predetermined reference threshold.

An electromagnetic shockwave transducer includes a double-faced coil of wire wound around an insulator. The coil has a first coil face on one side of the insulator and a second coil face on an opposite side of the insulator. Coil ends of the coil are electrically coupled to a current source, which produces a current pulse in the coil so as to produce a force between the coil faces.

An ultrasonic processing apparatus is provided. The ultrasonic processing apparatus comprises an ultrasonic therapy transducer (ATA) adapted to generate focused ultrasonic waves; an ultrasonic imaging transducer (UID) connected to the ultrasonic therapy transducer; and an electronic system configured to control the ultrasonic therapy transducer so as to emit a pulse train of ultrasonic waves generating a cloud of cavitation bubbles (BC); control the ultrasonic imaging transducer so as to acquire at least one image of the region to be processed; acquire a plurality of echo signals of ultrasonic wave pulses emitted by the ultrasonic therapy transducer captured by the ultrasonic imaging transducer; process the plurality of echo signals so as to reconstruct an image of the cloud of cavitation bubbles; and display said image of the cloud of cavitation bubbles superposed on said image of the region to be processed. The processing includes spatio-temporal filtering.

An ultrasound apparatus is described for externally treating kidney stone in human body. The apparatus has one or more ultrasound imaging transducers, a therapeutic ultrasound transducer, and a processing unit. Optimized delivering of ultrasound energy to the kidney stone from the therapeutic ultrasound transducer is based on real-time tracked state (e.g., position, movement shape, size, or combination thereof) of the kidney stone. The ultrasound imaging transducer(s) is configured to image the stone during the application of the therapy treatment. An optimization algorithm is implemented to control the therapeutic ultrasound transducer to apply different force vectors to the region of the stone. The effect of the vectors in the differing directions with respect to the stone may be detected and input to the optimization algorithm, which optimizes the therapy by adjusting one or more of the vectors. Therefore, less ultrasound energy may be delivered to break the kidney stone, and may reduce the possibility of damaging the surrounding tissues of the kidney stone.

A therapy system includes a therapy source (2) emitting radiation or waves, an ultrasound probe (14), a patient rest as well as a multi-axis positioning system (X, Y, Z) with several drives, by way of which the patient rest and the therapy source (2) can be moved to one another in all three spatial directions. A control device (26) is coupled to the ultrasound probe (14) and configured such that in at least one operating mode, the control device (26) simultaneously activates the drives of the multi-axis positioning system (X, Y, Z) such that the patient rest is moved relative to the therapy source along a selectable movement path (B) which lies within the plane of an ultrasound picture (20) which is currently recorded by the ultrasound probe (14). A method for positioning a patient rest relative to a therapy source is also provided.

Disclosed herein are ultrasonic probes and systems incorporating the probes. The probes are configured to produce an ultrasonic therapy exposure that, when applied to a kidney stone, will exert an acoustic radiation force sufficient to produce ultrasonic propulsion. Unlike previous probes configured to produce ultrasonic propulsion, however, the disclosed probes are engineered to produce a relatively large (both wide and long) therapy region effective to produce ultrasonic propulsion. This large therapy region allows the probe to move a plurality of kidney stones (or fragments from lithotripsy) in parallel, thereby providing the user the ability to clear several stones from an area simultaneously. This broadly focused probe is, in certain embodiments, combined in a single handheld unit with a typical ultrasound imaging probe to produce real-time imaging. Methods of using the probes and systems to move kidney stones are also provided.

Devices, systems, kits and methods are provided, that simplify focused ultrasound treatment. Devices comprise a supporting structure and a focused ultrasound (FUS) transducer having a central axis that is affixed to the supporting structure. Devices may further comprise an imaging ultrasound transducer and/or an x-ray aim, that may be attached to the supporting structure along the central axis of the FUS transducer. The FUS transducer is connected to a controller configured to control application of focused ultrasound by the transducer and may be associated with an imaging unit for imaging the treatment region using ultrasound and/or x-ray image data. The devices are hand held and easy to manipulate and aim correctly, utilizing coupling member(s) as well as feedback from the concurrently imaged treatment region.