Patent ID: 8137276

Claim:
An ultrasonic diagnostic and therapy system for reducing blood flow of a peripheral blood vessel by ultrasonic heating comprising: a transducer cuff configured for attachment to a limb, including at least one diagnostic transducer and at least one therapy transducer; a flow transceiver coupled to the diagnostic transducer for controlling a transmission of ultrasound by the diagnostic transducer and receiving echo signals from blood flow in response to the transmitted ultrasound; a flow processor coupled to the flow transceiver and responsive to the echo signals for identifying a location of blood flow; a therapy processor, responsive to the identification of a location of blood flow, for producing therapy control signals for the identified location; and a therapy transmitter, coupled to the therapy transducer, and operable to cause the therapy transducer to deliver high intensity focused ultrasound to the identified location of blood flow, wherein the therapy transmitter is operable to deliver high intensity focused ultrasound at intensity levels which produce heating at the identified location of blood flow, the therapy processor includes a therapy controller which acts to cause the therapy transducer to produce heat in a blood vessel until flow velocity in the vessel determined by the flow processor declines to an acceptable level, and the therapy controller acts to suspend the delivery of high intensity focused ultrasound by the therapy transducer while the diagnostic transducer acquires flow echo information.