Abstract: A therapy apparatus for treating tissue by emission of focused ultrasound waves, including: a creation surface of a pressure field of focused ultrasound waves divided into at least N sectors having segments of asymmetrical concave curve with centres of curvature; centres of curvature asymmetrical to the extent where the centres of curvature are situated at different distances from the plane of symmetry or from at least one of the axis of symmetry and at different depths taken according to the axis of symmetry; the individual axes intersecting between the focal zones and the creation surface or beyond the focal zones such that the beams originating from the sectors intersect to create a focal coverage zone which is off-axis relative to the plane of symmetry or to the axis of symmetry; the sectors of this creation surface creating energy deposit zones with profiles corresponding to the focal coverage zones.

Abstract: A method for cooling a transducer of a probe for generating ultrasonic waves, the transducer exhibiting, at the front, a face (4) for emitting ultrasonic waves, and at the rear, a rear face (5), at least the emitting face partially delimiting a cooling chamber (11) wherein a cooling fluid circulates between at least an inlet (15) and at least an outlet (16), the inlet (15) being located at the periphery of the emitting face (4) whereas the outlet (16) is located in the central part of said emitting face. The method includes creating between the inlet (15) and the outlet (16), a circulation of cooling fluid according to a swirling inside the cooling chamber around the axis of acoustic propagation (A).

Abstract: A therapy apparatus for treating tissue by the emission of focused ultrasound waves, including: a creation surface of a pressure field of focused ultrasound waves divided into at least N sectors having segments of asymmetrical concave curve (S1, S2, . . . ) with centres of curvature; centres of curvature (c1, c2, . . . ) asymmetrical to the extent where the centres of curvature are situated at different distances from the plane of symmetry (A1) or from the axis of symmetry (S) and/or at different depths taken according to the axis of symmetry; the individual axes (a1, a2, . . . ) intersecting between the focal zones (Zc1, Zc2, . . . ) and the creation surface (8) or beyond the focal zones such that the beams originating from the sectors intersect to create a focal coverage zone (Zr) which is off-axis relative to the plane of symmetry (A1) or to the axis of symmetry (S); the sectors of this creation surface (8) creating energy deposit zones with profiles corresponding to the focal coverage zones (Zr).

Abstract: A method for cooling a transducer of a probe for generating ultrasonic waves, the transducer exhibiting, at the front, a face (4) for emitting ultrasonic waves, and at the rear, a rear face (5), at least the emitting face partially delimiting a cooling chamber (11) wherein a cooling fluid circulates between at least an inlet (15) and at least an outlet (16), the inlet (15) being located at the periphery of the emitting face (4) whereas the outlet (16) is located in the central part of said emitting face. The method includes creating between the inlet (15) and the outlet (16), a circulation of cooling fluid according to a swirling inside the cooling chamber around the axis of acoustic propagation (A).

Abstract: A method for locating and visualizing a target (C) in relation to a focal point (F2), in a mammal, particularly a human body, including the steps of forming an ultrasound probe mobile in space, mechanically independent of a treatment system and located by a remote locating system, ensuring simultaneous recording firstly of an ultrasound image in which the image of the target appears, and secondly of the position of the ultrasound probe, in the recorded ultrasound image, selecting the position of the image of the target to determine the virtual position of the target (C), simultaneously determining firstly the position of the focal point (F2) by the remote locating system, and secondly the position of the members displacing the target and/or treatment system, and calculating the displacement values for the displacing members, to cause the virtual position of the target (C) to coincide with the focal point (F2).

Abstract: The invention provides an ultrasound production source comprising a body containing an ultrasound transducer presenting in front an emission face, the body including an opening (5) defined by a tubular wall (6) and arranged so that the emission face of the ultrasound transducer faces towards the opening (5), the tubular wall (6) being provided externally with at least one thread (17) of a screw thread assembly system for co-operating with at least one complementary thread (16) either of a fastener ring (15) for fastening a flexible membrane (8) on the body, or of a protective cover, or of a ring fitted with an alignment system.

Abstract: The method of characterizing an ultrasound lesion (T) in organic tissues, the lesion being made by applying high intensity focused ultrasound delivered by a probe having its emission surface presenting a shape that is toroidal, consists in: after a period of at least two days from the end of ultrasound application, acquiring at least one characterization image (Ic) of the organic tissues; detecting the presence of a contrast border (16) in the characterization image (Ic); and from the contrast border (16), determining the extent of the ultrasound lesion.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for generating ultrasonic waves focused on a focal zone (5) in order to carry out biological lesions, comprising the activation of a plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements (3). According to the invention: a target zone, in which homogenization of the supply of energy of the ultrasonic waves emitted by the ultrasonic transducer elements is desired, is chosen, the focusing effect and the acoustic attenuations of the ultrasonic waves on their path between the target zone and the ultrasonic transducer elements (3) are determined, the focusing effect and the acoustic attenuations of the ultrasonic waves are compensated, with ultrasonic transducer elements (3) at least some of which have non-identical emission surfaces such that in the target zone, the supply of energy of the ultrasonic waves emitted by the different ultrasonic transducer elements (3) is more or less identical.

Abstract: The object of the invention relates to an apparatus for the thermal treatment of biological tissues by means of the application of focused ultrasound waves, the apparatus including: a probe movement system for ensuring: the moving of the focal zone along a first direction, from a distal point of the treatment zone to a proximal point of the treatment zone, in order to create a sequence of elementary treatment zones; the juxtaposition of sequences of elementary treatment zones in order to completely cover the treatment zone; a control circuit controlling the probe, in order to ensure that the ultrasonic power delivered to the focal zone decreases between the distal point and the proximal point of the treatment zone.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for generating ultrasonic waves focused on a focal zone (5) in order to carry out biological lesions, comprising the activation of a plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements (3). According to the invention: a target zone, in which homogenization of the supply of energy of the ultrasonic waves emitted by the ultrasonic transducer elements is desired, is chosen, the focusing effect and the acoustic attenuations of the ultrasonic waves on their path between the target zone and the ultrasonic transducer elements (3) are determined, the focusing effect and the acoustic attenuations of the ultrasonic waves are compensated, with ultrasonic transducer elements (3) at least some of which have non-identical emission surfaces such that in the target zone, the supply of energy of the ultrasonic waves emitted by the different ultrasonic transducer elements (3) is more or less identical.

Abstract: A therapeutic probe having a transducer for focusing the ultrasonic waves into a first focal area, the emission surface of which has, within a profile plane, two concave curve segments which have a finite length and which are symmetrical relative to a plane of symmetry, or to an axis of symmetry. Within the profile plane, both concave curve segments extend along arcs of first and second non-coincident circles that intersect each other, and each curve segment has an acoustic axis intersecting the axis of symmetry, or the plane of symmetry, between the first focal area and the emission surface, the acoustic axes being spaced apart from each other such that the beams from the emission surface intersect each other so as to create a second focal area located in and situated between the first focal area and the emission surface.

Abstract: The method of characterizing an ultrasound lesion (T) in organic tissues, the lesion being made by applying high intensity focused ultrasound delivered by a probe having its emission surface presenting a shape that is toroidal, consists in: after a period of at least two days from the end of ultrasound application, acquiring at least one characterization image (Ic) of the organic tissues; detecting the presence of a contrast border (16) in the characterization image (Ic); and from the contrast border (16), determining the extent of the ultrasound lesion.

Abstract: Processing equipment by pressure waves includes a chassis supporting a pressure-wave generator. According to the invention, the processing equipment includes an actuation system including a fixed part mounted on the chassis and a mobile part in translation according to a direction substantially perpendicular to an axis of oscillation of a curved section of an imaging system, a linking system with the curved section, connected to the mobile part in translation of the actuation system, and a control unit of the actuation system for placing the linking system in at least two stable positions corresponding to two different positions of incidence of the curved section of the imaging system.

Abstract: A method for locating and visualizing a target (C) in relation to a focal point (F2), in a mammal, particularly a human body, including the steps of forming an ultrasound probe mobile in space, mechanically independent of a treatment system and located by a remote locating system, ensuring the simultaneous recording firstly of an ultrasound image in which the image of the target appears, and secondly of the position of the ultrasound probe, in the recorded ultrasound image, selecting the position of the image of the target to determine the virtual position of the target (C), simultaneously determining firstly the position of the focal point (F2) by means of the remote locating system, and secondly the position of the means displacing the target and/or treatment system, and calculating the displacement values for the displacing means, to cause the virtual position of the target (C) to coincide with the focal point (F2).