Patent ID: 7806839
Filing Date: 2010-10-05
Classification: A61N

Abstract:
1. A method for medical treatment of tissue using ultrasound, comprising the steps of: providing a probe having an array of transducer elements; generating at least one electrical ultrasound signal; generating from the at least one electrical ultrasound signal a plurality of phase-shifted drive signals; coupling each phase-shifted drive signal to an associated transducer element, effective to control grating-lobe foci emitted by the array without changing array steering direction relative to the probe and without changing array focusing relative to the probe; electronically focusing the array at a single location; producing a plurality of grating-lobe foci only at a first predetermined group of locations for a first period of time for medical treatment of tissue with the array electronically focused at the single location; and producing a plurality of grating-lobe foci only at a second predetermined group of locations for a second period of time for medical treatment of tissue with the array electronically focused at the single location, wherein the locations of the second predetermined group of locations are different from the locations of the first predetermined group of locations, and wherein the second period of time occurs later and separate from the first period of time.