Patent ID: 8382689
Filing Date: 2013-02-26
Classification: A61N

Abstract:
1. A method of ablating tissue, comprising: exciting at least one ultrasonic emitter to generate high intensity ultrasonic energy along a beam path, the high intensity ultrasonic energy having an instantaneous power density of at least 1000 W/cm2 at one or more locations within the beam path; directing the high intensity ultrasonic energy in at least one direction with at least one polymeric ultrasonic lens positioned in the beam path and acoustically coupled to the at least one ultrasonic emitter, the at least one polymeric ultrasonic lens having an attenuation at or less than 2 dB/cm-MHz when measured at room temperature; and delivering the directed high intensity ultrasonic energy to tissue to be ablated while using at least one stress mitigation feature to mitigate thermal expansion mismatch stresses arising between the at least one ultrasonic emitter and the at least one polymeric ultrasonic lens.