A surgical method treats infections on a lead positioned at least partially within a patient's body. The surgical method includes uncoupling the lead from a pulse generator. The lead is then coupled to an ultrasound wave generator. Ultrasound waves are propagated from the ultrasound wave generator through the lead. Systems are disclosed.

A histotripsy therapy system configured for the treatment of brain tissue is provided, which may include any number of features. In one embodiment, the system includes an ultrasound therapy transducer, a drainage catheter, and a plurality of piezoelectric sensors disposed in the drainage catheter. The ultrasound therapy is configured to transmit ultrasound pulses into the brain to generate cavitation that liquefies a target tissue in the brain. The drainage catheter is configured to detect the ultrasound pulses. An aberration correction algorithm can be executed by the system based on the ultrasound pulses measured by the drainage catheter to automatically correct for an aberration effect caused by the ultrasound pulses passing through a skullcap of the patient.

An ultrasonic energy therapy device including: an insertion portion that has an elongated shape and is insertable into a blood vessel; a piezoelectric element that is attached to the insertion portion and radiates ultrasonic energy from inside of the blood vessel toward a biological tissue outside the blood vessel; a thermometric sensor; a temperature detection section that detects the temperature of the thermometric sensor; and a control section that controls the piezoelectric element depending on the temperature of the thermometric sensor measured by the temperature detection section so that the ultrasonic energy in a desired amount is radiated to the biological tissue.

The tissue removal device using focused ultrasound includes a focused ultrasound output unit, a mode setting unit to set an output mode of the focused ultrasound, and a control unit to control output characteristics of the focused ultrasound according to the set mode, wherein the output mode is selected from a first mode for removing a tissue in a local area using a vapor bubble formed by the focused ultrasound, a second mode for removing a tissue in a narrower area than the first mode by controlling the output characteristics of the focused ultrasound immediately after the vapor bubble is formed by the focused ultrasound, and a third mode for obtaining a skin tightening effect by generating heating in a subcutaneous fat layer using focused ultrasound of lower intensity and a longer pulse length than the first mode and the second mode.

A multi-portal method for treating a subject's spine includes distracting adjacent vertebrae using a distraction instrument positioned at a first entrance along the subject to enlarge an intervertebral space between the adjacent vertebrae. An interbody fusion implant can be delivered into the enlarged intervertebral space. The interbody fusion implant can be positioned directly between vertebral bodies of the adjacent vertebrae while endoscopically viewing the interbody fusion implant using an endoscopic instrument. The patient's spine can be visualized using endoscopic techniques to view, for example, the spine, tissue, instruments, and implants before, during, and after implantation, or the like. The visualization can help a physician throughout the surgical procedure to improve patient outcome.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed for subcutaneous transcranial functional ultrasound technique. An example apparatus includes a substrate and a device configured to be disposed under skin. The device includes one or more transducers disposed on the substrate and provides a pressure wave that propagates a body part under the skin. The pressure wave has a fundamental frequency within a range approximately from 10 Hz to 10 GHz.

The disclosure relates, in part, to targeted drug delivery using an ultrasound procedure and, more particularly, to systems and methods for the measurement of levels of drug delivery and certain aspects of metabolism, such as drug metabolism, in the brain tissue.

An integrated GHz ultrasonic neuro-cognitive system including a chip-cyborg having a network of biological neurons that forms a biological information processor, which can be controlled by electronics, optics, and GHz ultrasonic beams. In one example, the chip-scale microsystem includes a CMOS chip with RF CMOS and piezoelectric thin film transducers that can generate GHz ultrasonic waves, which can be phased to form narrow beams, achieving significant ultrasonic intensity to affect neurons. With a sufficient number of ultrasonic pixels, the focal point of the beam can be narrow enough to focus effect specific section of a neuron to enhance or decrease synaptic weights owing to ultrasonic radiation forces and acoustic streaming.

A multi-portal method for treating a subject's spine includes distracting adjacent vertebrae using a distraction instrument positioned at a first entrance along the subject to enlarge an intervertebral space between the adjacent vertebrae. An interbody fusion implant can be delivered into the enlarged intervertebral space. The interbody fusion implant can be positioned directly between vertebral bodies of the adjacent vertebrae while endoscopically viewing the interbody fusion implant using an endoscopic instrument. The patient's spine can be visualized using endoscopic techniques to view, for example, the spine, tissue, instruments, and implants before, during, and after implantation, or the like. The visualization can help a physician throughout the surgical procedure to improve patient outcome.

A histotripsy therapy system configured for the treatment of brain tissue is provided, which may include any number of features. In one embodiment, the system includes an ultrasound therapy transducer, a drainage catheter, and a plurality of piezoelectric sensors disposed in the drainage catheter. The ultrasound therapy is configured to transmit ultrasound pulses into the brain to generate cavitation that liquefies a target tissue in the brain. The drainage catheter is configured to detect the ultrasound pulses. An aberration correction algorithm can be executed by the system based on the ultrasound pulses measured by the drainage catheter to automatically correct for an aberration effect caused by the ultrasound pulses passing through a skullcap of the patient.