Patent ID: 7553284

Claim:
A method of pain reduction, comprising: providing an ultrasound transducer having a focal zone; administering a first level of anesthesia to a patient, the first level of anesthesia sufficient to place the patient into a conscious state of sedation; targeting the focal zone of the ultrasound transducer on a nerve of the patient; providing ultrasonic energy to the nerve using the ultrasound transducer, the ultrasonic energy beginning at a zero or quiescent level, and increasing to a first level of ultrasonic energy to the nerve, the first level sufficient to stimulate the nerve and insufficient to cause nerve dysfunction; verifying the stimulated nerve is a nerve desired for the reduction of pain using a response of the, stimulated nerve from the first level of ultrasonic energy, wherein the response of the stimulated nerve is determined by the patient acknowledging via a conscious action that the stimulated nerve is the nerve desired for the reduction of pain; recording the first level of ultrasonic energy provided; associating the recorded first level of ultrasonic energy to a corresponding second level of ultrasonic energy, the second level of ultrasonic energy sufficient to cause temporary or permanent nerve dysfunction; administering, subsequent to verifying the stimulated nerve is the nerve desired for the reduction of pain, a second level of anesthesia sufficient to place the patient into an unconscious state; and providing, subsequent to verifying the stimulated nerve is the nerve desired for the reduction of pain, the associated second level of ultrasonic energy to the nerve using the ultrasound transducer.