Provided is an ultrasonic treatment apparatus provided with: a treatment-ultrasonic-wave irradiator that irradiates the biological tissue with focused ultrasonic waves, thus heating the vicinity of a focal point of the focused ultrasonic waves at a deep portion of the biological tissue to a temperature that is equal to or greater than a thermal-denaturation temperature of the biological tissue; and a pre-heating-energy irradiator that irradiates the biological tissue with energy waves, thus heating the vicinity of the focal point to a temperature that is less than the thermal-denaturation temperature, wherein the pre-heating-energy irradiator irradiates the biological tissue with the energy waves from a direction different from the direction in which the treatment-ultrasonic-wave irradiator irradiates with the focused ultrasonic waves.

An ultrasound deep brain stimulation method and system, the ultrasound deep brain stimulation method comprises: medically imaging a head of an animal or a human being, to generate image data; creating a head 3D digital model according to the image data; creating a 3D digital model of an ultrasound transducer array according to structure, density and acoustic parameters information of the ultrasound transducer array; generating a first ultrasound transmitting sequence according to the head 3D digital model, the 3D digital model of the ultrasound transducer array, structure, density and acoustic parameters of the skull and brain tissues, and structure, density and acoustic parameters of the ultrasound transducer array; and controlling the ultrasound transducer array to transmit ultrasound waves in accordance with the first ultrasound transmitting sequence, to implement ultrasound deep brain stimulation to the brain nucleus to be stimulated. By the use of the present invention, ultrasound can noninvasively passes through the skull to be focused in a deep brain region. By the use of different ultrasound transmitting sequences, ultrasound neuromodulation can be realized, and research on an action mechanism for the ultrasound neuromodulation can be performed.

An ultrasound deep brain stimulation method and system, the ultrasound deep brain stimulation method comprises: medically imaging a head of an animal or a human being, to generate image data; creating a head 3D digital model according to the image data; creating a 3D digital model of an ultrasound transducer array according to structure, density and acoustic parameters information of the ultrasound transducer array; generating a first ultrasound transmitting sequence according to the head 3D digital model, the 3D digital model of the ultrasound transducer array, structure, density and acoustic parameters of the skull and brain tissues, and structure, density and acoustic parameters of the ultrasound transducer array; and controlling the ultrasound transducer array to transmit ultrasound waves in accordance with the first ultrasound transmitting sequence, to implement ultrasound deep brain stimulation to the brain nucleus to be stimulated. By the use of the present invention, ultrasound can noninvasively passes through the skull to be focused in a deep brain region. By the use of different ultrasound transmitting sequences, ultrasound neuromodulation can be realized, and research on an action mechanism for the ultrasound neuromodulation can be performed.

A method to apply a nerve inhibiting cloud surrounding a blood vessel includes creating a treatment plan, wherein the treatment plan prescribes application of the nerve inhibiting cloud towards at least a majority portion of a circumference of a blood vessel wall, and applying the nerve inhibiting cloud towards the majority portion of the circumference of the blood vessel wall for a time sufficient to inhibit a function of a nerve that surrounds the blood vessel wall.

An intra-cavity ultrasound imaging and therapy system is provided. The system includes an intra-cavity ultrasound probe including a housing configure to be inserted into a cavity proximate to a region of interest (ROI). The housing includes a transducer array located proximate to a distal end of the housing. The system also includes a diagnostic control circuit configured to direct the transducer array to collect diagnostic ultrasound signals from the ROI. The diagnostic control circuit is configured to generate an ultrasound image based on the diagnostic ultrasound signals. The diagnostic control circuit is further configured to direct the transducer array to deliver a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy at a treatment location based on target information derived from the ultrasound image.

Embodiments of a dermatological cosmetic treatment and/or imaging system and method adapted for dithering ultrasound beams from a transducer to alter placement and position of one or multiple cosmetic treatment zones in tissue, simultaneous multi-focus therapy using multi-channel signal mixing, and/or dithering ultrasound beams from a transducer to alter placement and position of one or multiple cosmetic treatment zones in tissue, configured for using imaging for improved ultrasound therapy efficacy, and/or adapted for imaging with multiple focal zone sequencing and triggering for mechanically translated and/or steered ultrasound transducers are provided herein. 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.

Disclosed herein are example embodiments of devices, systems, and methods for mechanical fractionation of biological tissue using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) feedback control. The examples may involve displaying an image representing first MRI data corresponding to biological tissue, and receiving input identifying one or more target regions of the biological tissue to be mechanically fractionated via exposure to first ultrasound waves. The examples may further involve applying the first ultrasound waves and, contemporaneous to or after applying the first ultrasound waves, acquiring second MRI data corresponding to the biological tissue. The examples may also involve determining, based on the second MRI data, one or more second parameters for applying second ultrasound waves to the biological tissue, and applying the second ultrasound waves to the biological tissue according to the one or more second parameters.

The present disclosure is directed to a precision ultrasound scanner for imaging, for example, the prostate in a way that produces a superior image of the prostate while removing the iatrogenic risk and patient discomfort associated with other methods of providing an ultrasound image of the prostate. The present disclosure describes an apparatus and method for forming a high precision image of the prostate from outside the patient's body wherein the resolution in sufficient to image, for example, cancerous lesions on the surface of the prostate. To achieve such images, coded excitation, tissue harmonic imaging, advanced transducers operating in the 10 MHz to 40 MHz range is used to achieve a useable signal-to-noise reflection while being able to position the imaging transducer as close as possible to the prostate without risk or discomfort to the patient. The present disclosure further discloses an imaging transducer and an irradiating therapeutic transducer can be mounted such that they are movable between a plurality of positions. The irradiating transducer is, for example, about a 12 MHz transducer with a focal length of about 20 mm to about 40 mm that would produce a strong second harmonic at about 24 MHz that could be used for imaging. The imaging transducer has, for example, a focal length of about 10 mm to about 20 mm and typically operates in the range of about 25 MHz to about 40 MHz.

A guide framework for positioning an ultrasonic transducer which emits a focused ultrasound to a target point in carrying out surgery to apply ultrasonic stimulation to a subject's brain, includes a body in a shape of a mask that is laid on the subject's face, and a positioning hole formed through an inner surface and an outer surface of the mask body, the positioning hole into which the ultrasonic transducer is inserted, wherein the inner surface of the mask body is formed to conform a facial contour of the subject, and when the guide framework is laid on the subject's face and the ultrasonic transducer is disposed at the positioning hole, the position of the target point is naturally disposed at a preset stimulation site of the brain. An ultrasonic stimulation device includes an ultrasonic transducer and the guide framework for positioning the ultrasonic transducer.

A method and system for treating a desired volume of tissue using HIFU or other energy modality includes ablating a pattern of elemental treatment volumes each having a volume that is greater than that of the focal zone of the HIFU transducer but smaller than the overall volume of the desired treatment volume. In at least one embodiment, the elemental treatment volumes are arranged to form a shell which partially or wholly encapsulates the desired volume of tissue, which then necroses in situ. The elemental treatment volumes are created by distributing HIFU energy in multiple doses with repeated passes of the focal zone of the HIFU transducer in a trajectory over or along a perimeter of each elemental treatment volume.