Patent ID: 6929608

Claim:
A method for depositing ultrasound energy in body tissue, the method comprising: emitting ultrasound energy from a first aperture and a second aperture with a center of the first aperture being displaced a first distance from a center of the second aperture; and emitting ultrasound energy from a third aperture having a center displaced a second distance from the center of the second aperture; wherein the second distance is different than the first distance and the third aperture has a size that is different than at least one of a size of the first aperture and a size of the second aperture; wherein the ultrasound energy is emitted from the apertures to produce a reduced grating-lobe beam of ultrasound energy in the body tissue; wherein the energy emitted from at least two of the first, second, and third apertures are produced in response to separate excitation signals; and wherein the second aperture is disposed adjacent the first aperture and the third aperture is disposed adjacent to the second aperture with the second aperture disposed between the first and third apertures.