The invention provides devices and methods for delivery of an agent to buccal tissue of a subject. The devices and methods use transient acoustic cavitation to transfer an agent directly from a fluid to buccal tissue.

The present invention provides methods and devices for treating endovascular disease. Vibrational energy is delivered to change compliance and increase permeability at the treatment area. To improve clinical outcomes, one or more therapeutic drugs may be delivered to the treatment area.

A multi-pillar piezoelectric stack (MPPS) ultrasound transducer includes N pillars, each formed of a stack of M piezoelectric elements, N and M being integers of at least two. The ultrasound transducer further includes a bonding layer between each pair of the M piezoelectric elements. The pillars are laterally spaced from each other to form an inter-pillar gap. The transducer further includes at least one electrical interconnect for connecting the ultrasound transducer to a signal source. Through the MPPS design, the therapeutic range and the transducer sensitivity are increased over the conventional single pillar piezoelectric stack (SPPS) transducer design.

A cavitation seed for drug delivery, and a drug delivery method using the same are disclosed. The cavitation seed according to the present invention comprises: a shell which forms the outer surface thereof to maintain the outer shape thereof within a fluid; and a core which is located inside the shell to determine buoyancy of the cavitation seed within the fluid. The cavitation seed can improve an effect of delivering a drug into a body since cavitation is induced by ultrasound at a position close to the epidermis. In addition, the cavitation seed can be applied in the delivery of various drugs as well as skin cosmetics, such as skin tone lightening agents, depilatories, hair restorers and skin fillers, skin analgesics, local anesthetics, agents for genetic diseases such as psoriasis, and agents for treatment of skin disease such as skin cancer.

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 point resulting in cavitation at this target point.

In one example embodiment, an apparatus for treating a tissue site may include a contact layer formed from a compressible material. The contact layer may include a plurality of apertures extending at least partially through the contact layer. The contact layer may be configurable such that at least a portion of the apertures include a first plurality of orifices having a diameter in a first diameter range and such that at least a portion of the apertures include a second plurality of orifices having a diameter in a second diameter range. The first diameter range may be from about 2 mm to about 6 mm. The second diameter range may be from about 8 mm to about 15 mm. The apparatus may include a cover configured to form a sealed space including the contact layer and the tissue site.

The disclosure provides systems for ultrasound-induced thrombolysis with magnetic microbubbles under a rotational/alternating magnetic field, sonothrombolysis systems with magnetic microbubbles and optional nanodroplets for inducing thrombolysis under an acoustic field, and a rotational/alternating magnetic field, and methods of treating patients with blood clots using the sonothrombolysis systems of the present disclosure.

Ultrasonic sonothrombolysis systems to produce two acoustic pressure levels of insonation during stroke therapy, mid/high acoustic pressure insonation directed to the site of a blood clot where microbubbles are present to induce microbubble-mediated blood clot lysis, and low acoustic insonation directed to the region surrounding the site of the blood clot where microbubbles are present to stimulate microvascular reperfusion of the surrounding tissue. The systems simultaneously produce blood clot lysis at the site of an occlusion and stimulate reperfusion of tissue affected by the occlusion.

The present disclosure relates generally to thrombectomy devices. An exemplary catheter comprises: an emitter assembly comprising at least one emitter; wherein each emitter comprises an electrode pair, and wherein each emitter is configured to generate a plurality of cavitation bubbles when a voltage is applied to the pair of electrodes; an infusion lumen formed by at least a portion of an outer wall of the catheter, the infusion lumen configured to receive a conductive fluid, wherein the emitter assembly is housed within the infusion lumen, wherein a distal segment of the infusion lumen includes a plurality of holes on the portion of the outer wall of the catheter, and wherein the plurality of holes are configured to release the conductive fluid and the plurality of cavitation bubbles out of the catheter to treat thrombus at a treatment site; an aspiration lumen including aspiration ports at the distal segment thereof.

The present disclosure relates to a calculus removing device which is used in the medical field. More particular, the present disclosure relates to a calculus removing device which has a lithotripsy probe capable of simultaneously destructing and removing the calculus formed in the human body regardless of the size of the calculus by optionally using attractivity or electricity through a lithotripsy probe. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a calculus removing device includes a first tube having an interior region; a second tube which is inserted in to the interior region of the first tube so as to move in the interior region; a capture means of which one end is coupled to an end of the second tube, and which is led-in into the interior region of the first tube corresponding to the moving of the second tube, allowing capturing and fixing a calculus; a lithotripsy probe which is inserted into an interior region of the second tube and contacts with the calculus fixed by the capture means, allowing applying an electric shock; and a handle which is coupled to an end of the first tube, and moves the second tube and the lithotripsy probe independently.