Acoustic applicators for controlled thermal modification of tissue

Abstract

A system configured for controlled thermal modification of tissue includes an acoustic applicator having an arcuate ultrasound transducer configuration disposed on a common radius of curvature relative to the treatment site of the tissue. The arcuate ultrasound transducer configuration includes a plurality of individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers arranged side to side on the common radius of curvature. Each individual curvilinear ultrasound transducer has a radius of curvature and producing an individual focal zone of ultrasound energy.

1 .- 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A system configured for controlled thermal modification of tissue, the system comprising:
 an acoustic applicator including an arcuate ultrasound transducer configuration disposed on a common radius of curvature relative to a treatment site of the tissue, the arcuate ultrasound transducer configuration comprising a plurality of individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers arranged side to side on the common radius of curvature, each individual curvilinear ultrasound transducer having a radius of curvature and producing an individual focal zone of ultrasound energy.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein individual focal zones of the plurality of individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers are configured to combine to produce a rectangular combined focal zone that is not focused at a point, the combined focal zone having a length, a width and a depth. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers comprise at least one ultrasound transducer operated at a different frequency than another ultrasound transducer. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the arcuate ultrasound transducer configuration consists of a plurality of different arcuate shapes. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of different arcuate shapes comprise a cylindrical shape and a parabolic shape. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers in the arcuate ultrasound transducer configuration have a smaller radius of curvature relative to the common radius of curvature about the treatment site. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the arcuate ultrasound transducer configuration comprises sections separated from each other, each section having a different radius of curvature. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers have a smaller arc length relative to a common arc length about the treatment site. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein selected individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers of the arcuate ultrasound transducer configuration have different focal depths, thereby enabling simultaneous controlled depth of ultrasound energy deposition into dermal/subdermal tissue. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein selected individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers of the arcuate ultrasound transducer configuration have different focal volumes, thereby enabling controlled volume of ultrasound energy deposition into dermal/subdermal tissue. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers further comprise at least one of transducers having different sizes, transducers having different curvatures, or a plurality of stacks of arranged transducers. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the arcuate ultrasound transducer configuration further comprises the plurality of individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers arranged end to end with the plurality of individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers that are arranged side to side on the common radius of curvature. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of sources of ultrasound energy comprise an array of arcuate ultrasound transducer configurations oriented such that individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers of one arcuate ultrasound transducer configuration are arranged end to end with individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers of another arcuate ultrasound transducer configuration. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 17 ,
 wherein the plurality of individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers are arranged in rows and columns, the individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers of each row being arranged side to side on the common radius of curvature,   wherein individual focal zones of the plurality of individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers are configured to combine to produce a plurality of combined focal zones, each combined focal zone corresponding to a row of individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers, and   wherein the plurality of combined focal zones are spaced along a length of the arcuate ultrasound transducer configuration at a distance equal to a distance between rows of individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers.   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the plurality of combined focal zones are spaced along a length of the arcuate ultrasound transducer configuration at a distance equal to a distance between rows of individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising an ultrasound sensor configured to detect reflected ultrasound over the treatment site. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a controller configured to:
 direct a plurality of ultrasound energy beams from the arcuate ultrasound transducer configuration to the treatment site; 
 control the ultrasound energy beams to intersect to establish a specific treatment volume in the tissue at the treatment site; and 
 control ultrasound energy input to the tissue based on the sensed reflected ultrasound image or ultrasound intensity by an ultrasound sensor. 
   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the following is variable:
 a size of at least one of the plurality of individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers,   a spacing between at least one adjacent pair of individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers,   a degree of curvature of the radius of curvature of at least one of the individual curvilinear ultrasound transducers, or   a degree of curvature of the common radius of curvature.