When a user designates a treatment range on a diagnostic image, a switch (12) selects a transmitter for treatment (16). Ultrasound with intensity for treatment is thereby transmitted from a probe (10) to the inside of an organism. When the treatment operation continues for a prescribed time, a control unit (18) controls the switch (12) to select a transmitter for diagnosis (14). The probe (10) thereby emits an ultrasound beam for diagnosis, senses an echo thereof, generates a diagnostic image, and carries out an inspection of a positional shift of the site to be treated. In the inspection, the control unit (18) compares the diagnostic image with a reference image, and if a significant difference is detected therebetween, determines that a shift has occurred, issues an alarm, and urges the user to correct the positional shift. It is possible to resume the treatment when the positional shift has been corrected.

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.

The present disclosure discloses an array-type ultrasound therapy system. The ultrasound therapy system includes an ultrasound therapy control unit, an ultrasound transducer driving array, and an ultrasound transducer array. The ultrasound transducer array includes n ultrasound transducers; and a detection signal output end of the ultrasound transducer configured to detect ultrasound echoes generated during ultrasound therapy is connected to a feedback signal input end of the ultrasound therapy control unit. A control signal output end of the ultrasound therapy control unit is connected to an input end of the ultrasound transducer driving array, and an output end of the ultrasound transducer driving array is connected to a driving end of each of the ultrasound transducers configured to perform the ultrasound therapy.

A device for a soft tissue treatment of a patient. The device includes an applicator including at least one electrode, a fastening mechanism to fix the applicator to a body part of a patient, and a control unit including a microprocessor to control the at least one electrode. The at least one electrode may provide a radiofrequency energy and an electric current. The radiofrequency energy may cause a heating of a soft tissue. The electric current may cause a muscle contraction. The body part includes a face or a chin.

Disclosed are methods of producing randomized ultrasound waves for providing sonodynamic therapy. The method includes coupling a sonodynamic therapy device with an array of piezoelectric transducer elements to a skin surface. A controller is configured to generate an electrical drive signal to produce ultrasound waves to activate a sonosensitizer in a treatment region without damaging healthy cells in the treatment region.

Disclosed are methods of using planar or defocused acoustic waves for providing non-invasive sonodynamic therapy. The method includes acoustically coupling an array of piezoelectric transducers to a patient. A controller is configured to generate an electrical drive signal at a frequency selected from a range of frequencies, modulate the drive signal, and drive the transducer with the modulated drive signal at the frequency to produce modulated acoustic waves to produce an average acoustic intensity sufficient to activate a sonosensitizer in a treatment region without damaging healthy cells in the treatment region.

Methods and apparatus for treating gastroesophageal reflex and other luminal conditions provide for delivering acoustic energy to a body lumen to remodel tissue surrounding the body lumen. In the case of treating GERD, a catheter carrying an ultrasonic or other vibrational transducer is introduced to the lower esophageal sphincter, and acoustic energy is delivered to the sphincter in order to tighten or bulk the sphincter such that reflex is reduced.

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is described which utilizes one or more transducer arrays affixed to the head of a patient to diagnose and treat stroke victims. The transducer headset produces a two or three dimensional image of the vasculature inside the cranium, preferably assisted by a microbubble contrast agent. A vascular flow map is produced by the system which may be diagnosed for signs of a blood clot. If a blood clot is detected, a therapeutic beam is transmitted while the contrast agent is present to break up the blood clot by the disruption of microbubbles. The headset may also be used in a monitoring application to detect the recurrence of blood clots in a stroke victim.

In embodiments, devices, methods and systems to analyze the different mediums of brain function in a mathematically uniform manner may be provided. For example, in an embodiment, a computer-implemented method for determining structure of living neural tissue may comprise receiving at least one signal from at least one read modality, the signal representing at least one physical condition of the living neural tissue, determining action potentials based on the signals received from the read modalities, determining frequency oscillations based on the signals received from the read modalities and the action potentials, determining neuron network structures based on the photonic signals received from the read modalities, the action potentials, and the frequency oscillations, wherein the neuron network structures are determined using a Maximum Entropy model, and mapping brain region activation by S+/R? events to observable linguistic events using the Maximum Entropy model.

Improved devices, systems, and methods treatment of patients can be used to help mitigate injury to the kidneys by applying cyclical mechanical pressure energy at low intensities. The energy often be selectively directed from non-invasive transducers disposed outside the patients. The energy will typically comprise low frequency ultrasound energy, shock wave energy, or the like, and may induce the generation and/or release of nitric oxide, thereby enhancing perfusion and ameliorating tissue damage. Superimposed micro and macro duty cycles may help avoid thermal and other injury to tissues of the patient during treatment. Bilateral treatments are facilitated by a support structure that orients at least one transducer toward each kidney.