Patent ID: 7951095

Claim:
An ultrasound medical system comprising: an ultrasound end effector, wherein the ultrasound end effector includes a sheath having an exterior surface, and wherein the ultrasound end effector is an ultrasound interstitial end effector which is interstitially insertable into patient tissue; at least one non-ultrasound tissue-property-measuring sensor, wherein the at-least-one non-ultrasound tissue-property-measuring sensor is attached to the ultrasound interstitial end effector and is fixedly disposed substantially flush with the exterior surface; and a medical ultrasound transducer assembly having at least one medical-treatment ultrasound transducer, wherein the medical ultrasound transducer assembly including the medical-treatment ultrasound transducer is surrounded by the sheath; wherein the at-least-one non-ultrasound tissue-property-measuring sensor is supported by the ultrasound interstitial end effector and is disposable in contact with patient tissue; and wherein the exterior surface includes at least one balloon portion which is expandable and contractible and which is expandable against patient tissue to provide at least some stabilization of the ultrasound interstitial end effector with respect to patient tissue, wherein a first balloon portion surrounds the medical ultrasound transducer assembly and acts as an acoustic window and longitudinally overlaps the medical-treatment ultrasound transducer, and wherein an acoustic coupling medium is disposable between the medical ultrasound transducer assembly and the first balloon portion.