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.

An acoustic technique designed to increase the gas-dissolution rate of a bubble in a liquid media is proposed. Increased gas-dissolution rate is achieved by increasing the bubble's surface-to-volume ratio via bubble fragmentation. This is achieved by attaching an electroacoustic transducer to the system or load in which bubbles travel and exciting the transducer at the frequency of resonance. The electric resonance of the transducer attached to the system corresponds in frequency to the mechanical resonance of the system or load which allows for achieving such state without the use of an internally placed hydrophone to certify the resonance state. The acoustic bubble fragmentation technique increased the dissolution rate 4 to 5 times of bubbles with initial diameters between 150 and 550 m in distilled water and in medical grade saline solution.

A diffuse acoustic confocal imager device for use with a data analyzer for providing a three dimensional and state information on an object based on an at least one phase image, the device comprising a coherent acoustic source for producing an acoustic confocal beam ranging from about 0.5 megahertz to about 100 megahertz, an acoustic coherent beam focuser for focusing the acoustic coherent beam to a virtual source, an acoustic detector for detecting an at least one diffusely scattered beam from the virtual source and a vector network analyzer, which is for measuring a phase of the acoustic confocal beam and a phase of the at least one diffusely scattered beam to provide the at least one phase image, the vector network analyzer in electronic communication with each of the coherent acoustic source and the acoustic detector. A method of detecting and treating diseases such as prostate cancer and ovarian cancer is also provided.

An improved method of treating an appendage of a patient using acoustic shock waves has the steps of: providing an appendage in need of an acoustic shock wave treatment; placing an acoustic shock wave applicator on a surface of the appendage; placing a gaseous filled membrane on an opposite surface of the appendage; activating an acoustic shock wave generator or source to emit acoustic shock waves from an acoustic shock wave applicator; and wherein the acoustic shock wave is transmitted from the acoustic shock wave applicator through the surface sending the emitted acoustic shock waves into the tissue of the appendage and exiting the opposite surface of the appendage to the gaseous filled membrane where a reflection of the acoustic shock wave occurs sending reflected acoustic shock waves back through the appendage.

The present invention relates to means and methods for modifying renal function in a subject, comprising selecting a patient requiring an increment in renal function; emitting a quantity of ultrasound radiation, enough to provide an increment in renal function, to at least one part of a kidney for a period of time from about 1 hours to about 30 days.

An ultrasound-emitting apparatus for applying selective treatments to hypodermic tissue (adipose tissue and connective tissue) in body rejuvenation/remodelling processes, by an electric-pulse generator, an ultrasound transducer (3), an electronic control device (6) provided with specific software that controls the frequency, voltage and work cycle of the pulse generator; and application means (4) for orienting and directing the acoustic field on the area of the patient/user to be treated, wherein, in each firing, the transducer emits an acoustic field with an energy density no greater than 0.7 W/cm.sup.2 and a minimum emission duration of 100 ms. Preferably, the transducer emits either at a single frequency or in a frequency sweep, in a frequency range of 185-333 kHz, and even more preferably at 244 kHz.

Disclosed are a method of radiating wave energy available for unmanned automatic operation and apparatuses for performing the same. The method includes obtaining a dielectric characteristic of a object by performing a reconstruction calculation based on a scattered signal that is scattered from the object and pre-measured information on the object, determining a wave radiation parameter for adjusting energy of a wave to be radiated to a lesion of the object by performing a characteristic analysis operation based on the dielectric characteristic, and determining the energy of the wave to be high-power energy based on the wave radiation parameter.

Systems and methods can include wearable, non-invasive ultrasound modalities for treating a variety of medical conditions, including but not limited to peripheral vascular disease. The modality could be therapeutic ultrasound (TUS), and be configured to promote angiogenesis within a patient via stimulation of cavitation and shear stress, among other mechanisms.

An acoustic technique designed to increase the gas-dissolution rate of a bubble in a liquid media is proposed. Increased gas-dissolution rate is achieved by increasing the bubble's surface-to-volume ratio via bubble fragmentation. This is achieved by attaching an electroacoustic transducer to the system or load in which bubbles travel and exciting the transducer at the frequency of resonance. The electric resonance of the transducer attached to the system corresponds in frequency to the mechanical resonance of the system or load which allows for achieving such state without the use of an internally placed hydrophone to certify the resonance state. The acoustic bubble fragmentation technique increased the dissolution rate 4 to 5 times of bubbles with initial diameters between 150 and 550 m in distilled water and in medical grade saline solution.

An ultrasound transducer assembly includes a housing; a wedge-shaped acoustic modal convertor (AMC) in the housing with a first surface exposed by an opening in the housing, and a second surface that meets the first surface at a tip located in the housing, and extends from the tip at an angle into the housing, wherein the second surface has a recessed portion formed therein, wherein the second surface of the AMC is oriented at a specific oblique angle to the first surface of the AMC; and a piezoelectric ultrasound transducer disposed in the recessed portion of the second surface of the AMC, wherein the piezoelectric ultrasound transducer is connected to an electrically tuned circuit that resonates at a specific frequency and has a finite bandwidth.