An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a transducer design for minimally invasive focused ultrasound (MIFU). The present invention allows flexible control of a focused ultrasound wave using mechanical and electrical control. The transducer array is implemented on a flexible substrate that can be mechanically controlled through two or more physical configurations. As with conventional electronic steering, the transducer elements can be controlled electronically to provide adjustable focus of the ultrasound. The combination of mechanical and electronic control provides the device a very flexible method for delivering focused ultrasound. The invention also includes a design that allows integration of ultrasound and endoscopic image guidance. The ultrasound guidance includes anatomical visualization and functional imaging (e.g. blood flow and coagulation of vasculature). The ultrasound imaging transducer is used for thermometry within the region of interest for treatment. Endoscopic imaging allows for improved understanding of tip location in real-time.

Methods for treating urinary stress incontinence by non-invasively delivering energy to one or more submucosal regions of vaginal tissue to induce remodeling within the vaginal tissue are provided. In some embodiments, the energy delivery results in heating of the target tissue to a temperature that ranges from about 38 C. to about 46 C. In some embodiments, the subject methods involve cooling a mucosal epithelial layer over the vaginal tissue. In some embodiments, a reverse thermal gradient is produced as the mucosal epithelium is cooled while energy is delivered to the underlying vaginal tissue.

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.

The subject matter of the present disclosure generally relates to techniques for following a treatment protocol having one or more treatment parameters to cause a targeted physiological outcome at a distal site, assessing an expression level of a gene in a region of interest after completing the treatment protocol, and modifying the one or more treatment parameters based on the expression level of the gene. The treatment protocol may include one or more ultrasound energy treatments to the region of interest.

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.

The present invention relates to an ultrasound apparatus for efficiently applying ultrasound waves over a treated area by mechanically moving the ultrasound transducer over an area larger than the Effective Radiating Area (ERA) comprising: (a) an ultrasound transducer, connected by wiring, for dispersing ultrasound waves; (b) an electric actuator for spinning a crank, wherein a shaft is eccentrically attached to said crank for rotatably whirling said transducer in circles.

A method for delivering ultrasound therapy using open-loop controls comprises inserting a distal tip of a therapeutic ultrasound applicator into a patient's urethra, the distal tip including an ultrasound transducer; acquiring ultrasound images of the patient's urethra and prostate with an ultrasound imaging probe; aligning the distal tip of the therapeutic ultrasound applicator with the patient's prostate using the ultrasound images; delivering therapeutic ultrasound energy to the patient's prostate, with the ultrasound transducer, according to a treatment plan, the treatment plan including a predetermined limited angular range for the therapeutic ultrasound energy that avoids the patient's rectum and neurovascular bundles, wherein the therapeutic ultrasound is delivered without temperature feedback data.

Systems and methods for rapid calculation of parameters for delivering ultrasound energy to selected locations in the brain. An example method for delivering ultrasound energy to a region of a blood-brain barrier may comprise generating a model of the region of the blood-brain barrier and surrounding tissues. The method may also comprise determining a plurality of intermediate parameters by simulating acoustic paths of a plurality of ultrasound beams propagating from the region of the blood-brain barrier to a plurality of locations. The method may also comprise determining transmission parameters for ultrasound beams to be emitted from a plurality of ultrasound transducers based on the intermediate parameters and measured locations of the ultrasound transducers.

A processor-controlled, energy-based therapy apparatus includes a pressure wave therapy device configured to provide therapeutic acoustic pulses to a patient and a processor that controls the output of the device. The pressure wave therapy device may include a control unit configured to control the pressure wave therapy device to deliver a treatment program, the treatment program comprising a plurality of acoustic pulses, each acoustic pulse comprising a pressure, the control unit including a memory storing patient-specific treatment information relating to a pain threshold of the patient; and a pain threshold indicator coupled to the control unit, the pain threshold indicator operable by the patient to provide an indication to the control unit of when a patient's pain threshold has been reached because an energy level delivered to the patient is unbearable.

The present invention relies on a controller-transmitter device to deliver ultrasound energy into cardiac tissue in order to directly improve cardiac function and/or to energize one or more implanted receiver-stimulator devices that transduce the ultrasound energy to electrical energy to perform excitatory and/or non-excitatory treatments for heart failure. The acoustic energy can be applied as a single burst or as multiple bursts.