Patent ID: 8585597

Claim:
A method for treating a patient, the patient being subjected to a procedure associated with an injury of a kidney, the method comprising: transmitting cyclical mechanical pressure energy from a transducer to the kidney; the energy being transmitted to the kidney during a treatment time period and with a treatment energy level; the treatment time period corresponding to a time of the procedure associated with the injury of the kidney; and the treatment energy level being sufficient to inhibit the injury to the kidney wherein: the energy comprises ultrasound energy, and the ultrasound energy comprises low frequency ultrasound energy with a frequency in a range from about 20 kHz to about 500 kHz, an intensity of less than 3 watts/cm2, and a first duty cycle of 50% or less so that the transducer is energized for only a portion of the treatment time period, the first duty cycle having a first duty cycle repetition frequency; the first duty cycle repetition frequency defines a plurality of first duty cycle time periods during the treatment time period, the transducer being energized during a portion of each first time period per the first duty cycle throughout a portion of the treatment time period; a second duty cycle repetition frequency defines a plurality of second duty cycle time periods during the treatment time period, the transducer being selectively energized during a portion of each second time interval; and the second duty cycle is superimposed on the first duty cycle and the energized portions of the second time periods are sufficiently longer than the first time periods so that during the energized portion of each second time period the energizing of the transducer repeatedly cycles per the first duty cycle.