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.

A method and system for energy-based (e.g., ultrasound treatment and/or other modalities) of sweat glands are provided. An exemplary method and system for targeted treatment of sweat glands can be configured in various manners, such as through use of therapy only, therapy and monitoring, imaging and therapy, or therapy, imaging, and monitoring, and/or through use of focused, unfocused, or defocused ultrasound (or other energy) through control of various spatial and temporal parameters. As a result, ablative energy can be deposited at the particular depth at which the aberrant sweat gland population is located below the skin surface.

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

Antibiotics are administered in a surgical site subcutaneously via a small or stab incision in the surgical field. Transcutaneous ultrasonic vibrations are applied across the surgical field, which is then opened in the usual manner, to thereby provide a surgical field which contains a vastly higher and more effective level of antibiotic. At the same time the underlying tissue is hydrated.

Various approaches for microbubble-enhanced ultrasound treatment of target tissue include retrieving a treatment plan stored in memory; causing administration of an exogenous agent in accordance with the treatment plan; causing, in accordance with the treatment plan, an ultrasound transducer to transmit ultrasound waves to the target tissue and generate a focus therein in the presence of administered exogenous agent; receiving, from a monitoring system, a measured parameter value indicating a treatment condition in response to administration of the exogenous agent and transmission of the ultrasound waves during treatment; and adjusting the treatment plan based at least in part on the measured parameter value.

A wearable device for generating extracorporeal shock waves in a thoracic region of a user includes a shock wave transducer unit to generate extracorporeal shock waves and configured to be placed on the skin of the user to apply shock wave therap. At least one proximity sensor measures the proximity of the shock wave transducer unit relative to the user's skin. A positioning mechanism is configured to controllably position the shock wave transducer unit. A processor is configured to transmit information to the shock wave transducer unit for generating extracorporeal shock waves.

Cancer imaging methods and cancer treatment methods using thermotherapy and drug delivery are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the temperature of heated tissue is determined from radio-frequency data from an ultrasound transducer based upon a change in backscattered energy of acoustic harmonics. In another embodiment, a plurality of nanocarriers containing an anti-tumor medication are administered to a patient, and are excited in a first non-thermal ultrasound mode and/or a second thermal ultrasound mode using an ultrasound source. In yet another embodiment, a plurality of nanoparticles are administered to a patient, then at least some of the nanoparticles are heated along with tissue at a site of a tumor, and a photoacoustic imaging unit is used to determine a temperature of the heated tissue at the site of the tumor.

An embodiment herein provides an apparatus for generating and transmitting ultrasonic waves into a non-planar target for one or more applications. The apparatus includes a control system that generates one or more electrical signals, and a transducer assembly including one or more transducers that receive and convert the one or more electrical signals into the ultrasonic waves. The generated ultrasonic waves are efficiently transmitted into the non-planar target in one or more directions by reducing surface mismatch, where the ultrasonic waves cause at least one of an acoustic streaming, a cavitation, a microstreaming, standing waves, a turbulence in a flow of fluids, a vibration of fluid molecules, a vibration of solids, reflection, refraction, or absorption, thereby improving efficiency of the one or more applications comprising any of, but not limited to, cleaning, imaging, mixing, measuring, sensing, or therapy.

The system and process of therapeutic and effective cavitation by using ultrasound to collapse gas vesicles as well as cavitate the bubbles produced from the collapsed gas vesicles. Therapeutic effect includes, but is not limited to lysing cells by cavitation. The cells expressing the gas vesicles can optionally be used as delivery cells to preform tasks such as transporting the gas vesicles into deep tissue areas, releasing compounds at the cavitation site, and more. The gas vesicles can optionally be modified to facilitate getting the bubbles near the cavitation targets by functionalizing the gas vesicles.

A method and/or system are provided for improving kidney function and/or increasing Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) of the renal system, by applying acoustic and/or ultrasonic energy to one or more of the kidneys. The method suggests either focused or non-focused (or combined) energy delivery, optionally in a noninvasive approach, which could also be implemented invasively and/or by implantable device.

Potential applications of this technique, include, but are not restricted to, treatment of renal disorders such as CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) and/or AKI (Acute Kidney Injury), short term or long term intervention in kidney function for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes, modifying urine output in heart failure, modulating blood volume and/or pressure, and modulating clearance of compounds in the blood are typically difficult to extract from the kidneys, such as iodine, other imaging contrast media, and similar compounds.