Patent ID: 7429248

Claim:
A method of noninvasively applying an ultrasonic excitation signal from at least one transducer to human tissue in vivo for therapeutic applications, comprising: acoustically coupling a modal converter to a tissue surface, wherein the modal converter comprises a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of side surfaces positioned at angles relative to the bottom surface such that the at least one transducer is acoustically coupled to one of the plurality of side surfaces and can emit an acoustic wave that reflects at an interface, and after reflection, travels parallel to and along the interface; and emitting an acoustic wave from the at least one transducer acoustically coupled to the modal converter at an angle relative to the bottom surface of the modal converter, such that the acoustic wave emitted from the at least one transducer reflects upon striking the interface and after reflection travels parallel to and along the interface, whereby said acoustic wave impinges and has a therapeutic effect on organic tissue.