Abstract: An apparatus for treating vascular thrombosis with ultrasound, includes a therapeutic ultrasonic transducer, suitable for generating focused ultrasonic waves that propagate along an emission axis; an imaging ultrasonic transducer associated with the therapeutic transducer; a means for moving the focal spot of the therapeutic ultrasonic transducer along the emission axis with respect to the imaging transducer; a motorized mechanical system for translating the transducers along at least a first axis parallel to the emission axis and a second axis perpendicular to the first; and an electronic control system for driving the motorized mechanical system and the means for moving the focal spot of the therapeutic transducer.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A method and system for secure ultrasound treatment of living tissues using an ultrasound probe comprising a reflective cavity in acoustic communication with living tissues, a transducer to emit an ultrasound wave in the reflective cavity and a transducer to acquire a backscattered signal in the reflective cavity. The method comprises the steps of a) emitting a first ultrasound wave in the reflective cavity that generates a backscattered ultrasound wave in the reflective cavity, b) acquiring a backscattered signal in the reflective cavity, c) determining whether an insonification can be safely performed by computing a similarity value between the backscattered signal and a predefined reference signal, and d) if an insonification can be safely performed, treating the living tissues with a second ultrasound wave emitted in the reflective cavity. The second ultrasound wave is focused a target point of the living tissues and generates a pressure point resulting in cavitation at this target point.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating or preventing a valvular disease comprises: a ultrasound probe located externally to a heart of patient, able to produce ultrasound waves focused inside the heart and suitable to generate, at a focal spot, a pressure sufficient to result in cavitation, an imaging device for mapping in real time a treatment region of a cardiac valve of the patient, the treatment region comprising at least one leaflet of the cardiac valve, a controller configured for driving the ultrasound probe to emit a sequence of focused ultrasound waves, the controller being further configured for steering the focused ultrasound waves so as to scan the entire treatment region to soften the tissues of the treatment region. A method for treating or preventing valvular disease, carried out using the apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: A method and system for secure ultrasound treatment of living tissues using an ultrasound probe comprising a reflective cavity in acoustic communication with living tissues, a transducer to emit an ultrasound wave in the reflective cavity and a transducer to acquire a backscattered signal in the reflective cavity. The method comprises the steps of a) emitting a first ultrasound wave in the reflective cavity that generates a backscattered ultrasound wave in the reflective cavity, b) acquiring a backscattered signal in the reflective cavity, c) determining whether an insonification can be safely performed by computing a similarity value between the backscattered signal and a predefined reference signal, and d) if an insonification can be safely performed, treating the living tissues with a second ultrasound wave emitted in the reflective cavity.