Various approaches for enhancing treatment of target tissue using a source of focused ultrasound while limiting damage to non-target tissue include selecting a frequency of ultrasound waves transmitted from the source of focused ultrasound for generating a focus in the target tissue; providing microbubbles having the first size distribution such that at least 50% of the microbubbles have a radius smaller than a critical radius corresponding to a resonance frequency matching the selected frequency of ultrasound waves; and applying the ultrasound waves at the selected frequency to treat the target tissue.

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.

A method of a soft tissue treatment comprises placing an applicator adjacent to a surface of a body part, the applicator including at least one electrode, providing a fastening mechanism fixing the applicator in contact with the body part, providing a radiofrequency energy by the at least one electrode causing a heating of the soft tissue, providing an electric current to the soft tissue by the at least one electrode causing a muscle contraction, and controlling heating of the soft tissue by the radiofrequency energy and parameters of the electric current provided by the at least one electrode via a control unit, wherein an energy flux density of the radiofrequency energy is in a range of 0.01 mW.Math.mm.sup.−2 to 10 W.Math.mm.sup.−2 and a frequency of the radiofrequency energy is in a range of 0.1 MHz to 25 GHz, and wherein the body part comprises a face or a chin.

There is provided in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention a method of treating a subject suffering from a nerve related disorder, the method comprising causing a damage region to one or both of a lumen wall or nearby surrounding tissues, the damage region encompassing a volume having dimensions of less than about 6.8 mm in a substantially radial direction, less than about 5.8 mm in a direction substantially tangential to the lumen, less than about 10 mm in a substantially axial direction, the damage region being located no closer than about 0.2 mm from an inner wall of the lumen, the damage region comprises of greater than about 60% of collagen denatured tissue.

Dermatological cosmetic combination treatments with high intensity focused ultrasound, dermal fillers, fat-reducing compounds, cavitation-prone fluids, and/or septa dissection are provided. A HIFU therapy system can include an imaging system, methods adapted to alter placement and position of a line focus band therapy, multiple simultaneous cosmetic ultrasound treatment zones in tissue, and dithering ultrasound beams from a transducer to alter placement and position of multiple cosmetic treatment zones in tissue. The HIFU systems can include a hand wand, removable transducer modules, and a control module. The dermal fillers can include hydroxyapatite. The fat-reducing compounds can include adipocytolytic compounds, pentacyclic triterpenoid compounds, proapoptotic compounds, compounds impairing differentiation of pre-adipocytes, and combinations thereof. The cavitation-prone fluids can include molecules dissolved in fluids, ethanol, glycerin, and ethylene glycol. The septa dissecting can include using a cutting blade and/or cavitation HIFU. The cosmetic treatment system may be used in various cosmetic procedures, such as treating cellulite.

A treatment head (20, 20) includes an ultrasound imaging probe (22) which generates a sonogram (24) of internal anatomy of a subject (25), and a HIFU transducer 26 which emits HIFU energy (31) into the subject. A chair (28) includes a chair-frame (30) and a seat (32). When the subject is sitting in the chair, a perineum (34) of the subject is acoustically coupled to the treatment head. Control circuitry (36) (a) controls movement of the treatment head relative to the seat, (b) operates the ultrasound imaging probe to generate at least one sonogram of internal anatomy of the subject through the perineum of the subject, and (c) operates the HIFU transducer to emit HIFU energy into the body of the subject through the perineum of the subject. Other embodiments are also described.

Embodiments of a dermatological cosmetic treatment and/or imaging system and method adapted to alter placement and position of multiple cosmetic treatment zones in tissue from ultrasound beams from a transducer, simultaneous multi-focus therapy at multiple depths, and/or dithering ultrasound beams from a transducer to alter placement and position of multiple cosmetic treatment zones in tissue. The system can include a hand wand, a removable transducer module, and a control module. In some embodiments, the cosmetic treatment system may be used in various cosmetic procedures.

Systems and methods for treating skin and subcutaneous tissue with energy such as ultrasound energy are disclosed. In various embodiments, ultrasound energy is applied at a region of interest to affect tissue by cutting, ablating, micro-ablating, coagulating, or otherwise affecting the subcutaneous tissue to conduct numerous procedures that are traditionally done invasively in a non-invasive manner. Lifting sagging tissue on a face, neck, and/or body are described. Treatment with heat is provided in several embodiments.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to techniques for neuromodulation delivery. Based on image data acquired from the subject, control parameters controlling energy application of neuromodulating energy may be dynamically changed during the course of the delivery to maintain desired characteristics of the neuromodulating energy. For example, the beam of the neuromodulating energy may be dynamically adjusted to account for movement of an organ during breathing. In another embodiment, a desired region of interest is identified within the subject based on a trained neural network and the acquired image data.

An ultrasonic processing apparatus is provided. The ultrasonic processing apparatus comprises an ultrasonic therapy transducer (ATA) adapted to generate focused ultrasonic waves; an ultrasonic imaging transducer (UID) connected to the ultrasonic therapy transducer; and an electronic system configured to control the ultrasonic therapy transducer so as to emit a pulse train of ultrasonic waves generating a cloud of cavitation bubbles (BC); control the ultrasonic imaging transducer so as to acquire at least one image of the region to be processed; acquire a plurality of echo signals of ultrasonic wave pulses emitted by the ultrasonic therapy transducer captured by the ultrasonic imaging transducer; process the plurality of echo signals so as to reconstruct an image of the cloud of cavitation bubbles; and display said image of the cloud of cavitation bubbles superposed on said image of the region to be processed. The processing includes spatio-temporal filtering.