An ultrasound imaging and therapy device includes an array of concentric annular ultrasound transducers, and an ultrasound imaging device situated inside an innermost transducer of the plurality of concentric annular ultrasound transducers, wherein it further comprises a mechanical linkage allowing a tilting movement of the array of concentric annular ultrasound transducers with respect to the ultrasound imaging device and in that the ultrasound imaging device protrudes in an axial direction from the array of concentric annular ultrasound transducers; whereby the ultrasound imaging device can be kept stationary and in direct or indirect contact with a patient's skin while the array of concentric annular ultrasound transducers is tilted so as to move a focal point of ultrasound waves generated by the concentric annular ultrasound transducers within an imaging region of the ultrasound imaging device.

Methods for performing non-invasive thrombolysis with ultrasound using, in some embodiments, one or more ultrasound transducers to focus or place a high intensity ultrasound beam onto a blood clot (thrombus) or other vascular inclusion or occlusion (e.g., clot in the dialysis graft, deep vein thrombosis, superficial vein thrombosis, arterial embolus, bypass graft thrombosis or embolization, pulmonary embolus) which would be ablated (eroded, mechanically fractionated, liquefied, or dissolved) by ultrasound energy. The process can employ one or more mechanisms, such as of cavitational, sonochemical, mechanical fractionation, or thermal processes depending on the acoustic parameters selected. This general process, including the examples of application set forth herein, is henceforth referred to as “Thrombolysis.”

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.

The present invention provides for a method for continuously monitoring a coupling quality of a coupling interface between an acoustic energy source of a therapeutic device and a body surface area of a patient, comprising the steps of: (f) obtaining a plurality of images of at least one predetermined first area of the coupling interface; (g) extracting at least one first image characteristic of a predetermined first image of said plurality of images; (h) extracting said at least one first image characteristic of at least one second image of said plurality of images, said at least one second image being temporally spaced apart from said predetermined first image; (i) determining a quantitative parameter corresponding to a difference between said at least one first image characteristic of said predetermined first image and said at least one first image characteristic of said at least one second image, and (j) actuating a signal if said quantitative parameter exceeds a predetermined reference threshold.

Devices, systems, kits and methods are provided, that simplify focused ultrasound treatment. Devices comprise a supporting structure and a focused ultrasound (FUS) transducer having a central axis that is affixed to the supporting structure. Devices may further comprise an imaging ultrasound transducer and/or an x-ray aim, that may be attached to the supporting structure along the central axis of the FUS transducer. The FUS transducer is connected to a controller configured to control application of focused ultrasound by the transducer and may be associated with an imaging unit for imaging the treatment region using ultrasound and/or x-ray image data. The devices are hand held and easy to manipulate and aim correctly, utilizing coupling member(s) as well as feedback from the concurrently imaged treatment region.

Disclosed herein are ultrasonic probes and systems incorporating the probes. The probes are configured to produce an ultrasonic therapy exposure that, when applied to a kidney stone, will exert an acoustic radiation force sufficient to produce ultrasonic propulsion. Unlike previous probes configured to produce ultrasonic propulsion, however, the disclosed probes are engineered to produce a relatively large (both wide and long) therapy region effective to produce ultrasonic propulsion. This large therapy region allows the probe to move a plurality of kidney stones (or fragments from lithotripsy) in parallel, thereby providing the user the ability to clear several stones from an area simultaneously. This “broadly focused” probe is, in certain embodiments, combined in a single handheld unit with a typical ultrasound imaging probe to produce real-time imaging. Methods of using the probes and systems to move kidney stones are also provided.

Systems and methods for cavitation-guided opening of a targeted region of tissue within a primate skull are provided. In one example, a method includes delivering one or more microbubbles to proximate the targeted region, applying an ultrasound beam, using a transducer, through the skull of the primate to the targeted region to open the tissue, transcranially acquiring acoustic emissions produced from an interaction between the one or more microbubbles and the tissue, and determining a cavitation spectrum from the acquired acoustic emissions.

Methods for performing non-invasive thrombolysis with ultrasound using, in some embodiments, one or more ultrasound transducers to focus or place a high intensity ultrasound beam onto a blood clot (thrombus) or other vascular inclusion or occlusion (e.g., clot in the dialysis graft, deep vein thrombosis, superficial vein thrombosis, arterial embolus, bypass graft thrombosis or embolization, pulmonary embolus) which would be ablated (eroded, mechanically fractionated, liquefied, or dissolved) by ultrasound energy. The process can employ one or more mechanisms, such as of cavitational, sonochemical, mechanical fractionation, or thermal processes depending on the acoustic parameters selected. This general process, including the examples of application set forth herein, is henceforth referred to as “Thrombolysis.”

An apparatus for generating focused shockwaves and ultrasound waves comprises a concave reflector holding a cylindrical coil at its center axis. A power generator comprising a combined shockwave and ultrasound generator device is connected to the coil for alternatingly providing an ultrasound signal and a shockwave signal to the coil such that the coil alternatingly generates ultrasound waves and shockwaves.

Methods for performing non-invasive thrombolysis with ultrasound using, in some embodiments, one or more ultrasound transducers to focus or place a high intensity ultrasound beam onto a blood clot (thrombus) or other vascular inclusion or occlusion (e.g., clot in the dialysis graft, deep vein thrombosis, superficial vein thrombosis, arterial embolus, bypass graft thrombosis or embolization, pulmonary embolus) which would be ablated (eroded, mechanically fractionated, liquefied, or dissolved) by ultrasound energy. The process can employ one or more mechanisms, such as of cavitational, sonochemical, mechanical fractionation, or thermal processes depending on the acoustic parameters selected. This general process, including the examples of application set forth herein, is henceforth referred to as “Thrombolysis.”