Abstract: Various approaches for computationally characterizing tissue in an anatomic target region include generating multiple sonications to transient acoustic reflectors at or proximate to the target region; measuring reflection signals of the sonications off the transient acoustic reflectors; based on the measurements, identifying the reflection signals originating from single transient acoustic reflectors; and based at least in part on the identified reflection signals, generating a digital map including a tissue characteristic.

Abstract: Systems and methods for treating target tissue include generating a priming sequence of sonication pulses for delivering acoustic energy to the target tissue; pausing generation of the sonication pulses for a delay interval; and generating a series of treatment sequences of sonication pulses for delivering acoustic energy to the target tissue, the treatment sequences having sonication intervals therebetween and the delay interval being larger than the largest sonication interval by a predetermined factor.

Abstract: Various approaches for microbubble-enhanced ultrasound treatment of target tissue include retrieving a treatment plan stored in memory; causing administration of an exogenous agent in accordance with the treatment plan; causing, in accordance with the treatment plan, an ultrasound transducer to transmit ultrasound waves to the target tissue and generate a focus therein in the presence of administered exogenous agent; receiving, from a monitoring system, a measured parameter value indicating a treatment condition in response to administration of the exogenous agent and transmission of the ultrasound waves during treatment; and adjusting the treatment plan based at least in part on the measured parameter value.

Abstract: Various approaches for disrupting target tissue for treatment include identifying a target volume of the target tissue; causing disruption of the target tissue in a region corresponding to the target volume so as to increase tissue permeability therein; computationally generating a tissue permeability map of the target volume; and based on the tissue permeability map, computationally evaluating the disruption of the target tissue within the target volume.

Abstract: Various approaches for focusing an ultrasound transducer include introducing at least one transient acoustic reflector located in proximity to at least one target region; generating multiple sonications to the at least one target region; measuring a reflection signal of each of the sonications off the at least one transient acoustic reflector; selecting the measured reflection signals, and based at least in part on the selected reflection signals, adjusting a parameter value associated with at least one of the transducer elements so as to improve an ultrasound focus at the target region.

Abstract: Various approaches for generating an ultrasound focus at a target region and receiving signals therefrom using an ultrasound transducer having multiple transducer elements include acquiring multiple images of the target region and one or more path zones located on beam paths between the transducer elements and the target region; determining one or more tissue characteristics associated with the target region based on the acquired images; determining multiple profile parameters associated with each of the transducer elements based at least in part on the determined tissue characteristic; based at least in part on the profile parameters, operating at least first ones of the transducer elements to collectively transmit an ultrasound beam to the target region so as to create a focus thereon with desired properties; and based at least in part on the profile parameters, operating at least second ones of the transducer elements to receive acoustic signals from the target region and, in response thereto, adjusting op

Abstract: A system and method for selecting a patient-specific frequency for ultrasound therapy of a target within the patient are provided. The method includes: (a) for at least one segment of an ultrasound transducer and for each of a plurality of ultrasound frequencies within a test range, sonicating the target and measuring a parameter correlated with an amount of ultrasound energy absorbed in the target; and (b) for each said at least one segment, selecting for subsequent ultrasound therapy, among the frequencies within the test range, a frequency corresponding to a value of the measured parameter that itself corresponds to a maximum amount of ultrasound energy absorbed in the target.

Abstract: Various approaches for computationally generating a protocol for treatment of one or more target BBB regions within a tissue region of interest using a source of focused ultrasound include specifying (i) settings of sonication parameters for applying one or more sequence of sonications to the target BBB region using the source of focused ultrasound and (ii) a characteristic of microbubbles selected to be administered into the target BBB region; electronically simulating treatment in accordance with the protocol at least in part by computationally executing the sequence(s) of sonications and computationally administering the microbubbles having the characteristic; and computationally predicting a tissue disruption effect of the target BBB region resulting from the treatment.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods to detect a moving anatomic feature during a treatment sequence based on a computed and/or a measured shortest distance between the anatomic feature and at least a portion of an imaging system.

Abstract: Various approaches for improving reliability in an ultrasound system having transducer elements, phase transmission lines, and a switch matrix having beamforming switches for connecting the phase transmission lines to the transducer elements involve operating the beamforming switches to avoid “hot” switching as the activation pattern of the transducers changes.

Abstract: Various approaches to generating and maintaining an ultrasound focus at a target region include configuring a controller to cause transmission of treatment ultrasound pulses from a transducer having multiple transducer elements; cause the transducer to transmit focusing ultrasound pulses to the target region and generate an acoustic reflector therein; measure reflections of the focusing ultrasound pulses from the acoustic reflector; based at least in part on the measured reflections, adjust a parameter value associated with one or more transducer elements so as to maintain and/or improve the ultrasound focus at the target region.

Abstract: Various approaches for operating an ultrasound transducer having multiple transducer elements include acquiring one or more measurements of anatomical regions through which ultrasound waves emitted from the transducer elements travel; for each of the anatomical regions, determining values of characteristics based at least in part on the measurement(s); computationally predicting aberrations of the ultrasound waves traveling through the anatomical regions by using the first values as input to a predictor that has been computationally trained to predict ultrasound aberrations based on values of the characteristics; and driving the transducer elements to compensate for the predicted aberrations.

Abstract: A system for maintaining coherence of ultrasound waves emitted by multiple transducer arrays includes multiple retention arms, each for receiving one of the transducer arrays; a connecting frame for receiving and mechanically retaining the arms in fixed angular relation to each other; and a processor configured to determine relative locations of the transducer arrays with respect to one another and the connecting frame; determine a location of the connecting frame relative to an anatomic region of interest; determine a spatial arrangement of the transducer elements in each transducer array with respect to the anatomic region of interest; and adjust a transmission configuration of the transducer elements in the transducer arrays to achieve a desired focusing property with respect to the anatomic region of interest while maintaining coherence therebetween.

Abstract: A system for delivering ultrasound energy to an internal anatomical target includes an ultrasound transducer having multiple transducer elements collectively operable as a phased array; multiple driver circuits, each being connected to at least one of the transducer elements; multiple phase circuits; a switch matrix selectably coupling the driver circuits to the phase circuits; and a controller configured for (i) receiving as input a target average intensity level and/or an energy level energy to be applied to the target and/or a temperature level in target, (ii) identifying multiple sets of the transducer elements, each of the sets corresponding to multiple transducer elements for shaping and/or focusing, as a phased array, ultrasound energy at the target across tissue intervening between the target and the ultrasound transducer, and (iii) sequentially operating the transducer-element sets to apply and maintain the target average energy level at the target.

Abstract: An approach for enhancing radiation treatment of target tissue includes identifying a target volume of the target tissue; causing disruption of vascular tissue in a region confined to the target volume so as to define the target volume; based at least in part on the disruption of the vascular tissue, determining a radiation treatment plan having a reduced radiation dose for treating the target tissue; and exposing the target volume to the reduced radiation dose based on the radiation treatment plan.

Abstract: MRI interference with a concurrently operated system may be reduced or corrected by subtracting the MRI interference from signals measured using the concurrently operated system. Various approaches for performing MRI of an anatomic region in conjunction with a radio-frequency-sensitive (RF-sensitive) measurement of the region using the concurrently operated system include the steps of simultaneously performing an MR scan sequence including MR pulses and the RF-sensitive measurements; recording the RF-sensitive measurements as they are made; detecting intervals during the MR scan sequence when an RF level is sufficient to interfere with the RF-sensitive measurements; and retaining only the RF-sensitive measurements performed outside the detected intervals.

Abstract: Various approaches for heating a target region substantially uniformly include identifying one or more locations of one or more hot spots in the target region and/or surrounding regions of the target region during an ultrasound sonication process; computing a temporal variation to an output parameter of at least one of the transducer elements based at least in part on the identified location(s) of the hot spot(s); and operating the at least one transducer element to achieve the temporal variation of the output parameter so as to minimize the hot spot(s).

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods to detect a moving anatomic feature during a treatment sequence based on a computed and/or a measured shortest distance between the anatomic feature and at least a portion of an imaging system.

Abstract: MRI interference with a concurrently operated system may be reduced or corrected by subtracting the MRI interference from signals measured using the concurrently operated system. Various approaches for performing MRI of an anatomic region in conjunction with a radio-frequency-sensitive (RF-sensitive) measurement of the region using a concurrently operated system include the steps of performing an MR scan sequence with the concurrently operated system idle; detecting intervals during the MR scan sequence when an RF level is sufficient to interfere with the RF-sensitive measurement storing data indicative of a temporal extent of the MR scan sequence and the detected intervals; and based at least in part on the stored data, simultaneously performing the scan sequence and operating the concurrently operated system but obtaining the RF-sensitive measurement only during times not corresponding to the recorded intervals.

Abstract: Systems and methods for predicting a phase correction of ultrasound waves transmitted from one or more transducer elements and traversing a patient's skull into a target region utilizing data of the patient's skull include predicting a first beam path of the ultrasound waves traversing the skull based at least in part on the target location; computationally determining structural characteristics of the skull along the first beam path based on the acquired imaging data; and predicting a second beam path of the ultrasound waves traversing the skull based at least in part on the determined structural characteristics, thereby accounting for refraction resulting from the skull.