METHOD FOR AIMING ULTRASOUND FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT

摘要

A method for ultrasound medical treatment of a patient. An end effector is obtained having an ultrasound medical-treatment transducer assembly (20). The assembly is aimed to focus ultrasound energy at a desired focal zone of patient tissue. The assembly is activated to emit ultrasound energy sufficient to achieve a temperature increase in the patient tissue essentially without medically affecting the patient tissue. An actual focal zone of patient tissue having a temperature increase is detected from reflected ultrasound energy. Any error between the desired focal zone and the actual focal zone is corrected for. The patient tissue is medically treated with ultrasound using the assembly. In one example, the ultrasound medical-treatment transducer assembly is an ultrasound imaging and medical-treatment transducer assembly. In one variation, the end effector is inserted into the patient. In another variation, the end effector remains outside the patient.