System, apparatus, and method for delivering ultrasound

A method comprising:

• placing a probe proximate a first location of a designated treatment volume of a patient and energizing a transducer of the probe to ablate a first treatment site on or in the designated treatment volume;
• de-energizing the transducer;
• focusing or moving the transducer to a second location on or in the designated treatment volume, the second location being spaced-apart from the first location;
• reenergizing the transducer to ablate a second treatment site on or in the treatment volume;
• de-energizing the transducer for a second time;
• focusing or moving the transducer to a third location on or in the designated treatment volume, the third location being spaced-apart from each of the first and second location;
• reenergizing the transducer to ablate a third treatment site on or in the treatment volume;
• and
• de-energizing the transducer for a third time,
• wherein each treatment site is located at one of every other adjacent node on a grid of a three-dimensional image or rendering of the designated treatment volume of the patient to create a checkerboard pattern,
• wherein the plurality of spaced-apart treatment sites coalesce into a single volumetric lesion to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or prostate cancer (PCa) of the patient.

A system for delivering high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in a checkerboard pattern to a patient, the system comprising:

• a HIFU probe assembly including at least one transducer configured to deliver ultrasound energy to a designated treatment volume located beneath subcutaneous fat of the patient;
• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more memories operatively coupled to the one or more processors and having computer readable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, causes the at least one of the one or more processors to perform the following in series:
• a) energize the transducer for a first predetermined amount of time to deliver a thermal or cavitation dose of ultrasound energy to ablate a first treatment site on or in the designated treatment volume at a first location, the first location being positioned on one node of a grid of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image or rendering of the designated treatment volume of the patient;
• b) de-energize the transducer for a second predetermined amount of time;
• c) focus or move the transducer to a second location on or in the designated treatment volume, the second location being spaced-apart from the first location such that any nodes of the grid immediately adjacent to the first location are skipped or not ablated by the transducer;
• d) reenergize the transducer for the first predetermined amount of time to ablate a second treatment site on or in the treatment volume at the second location;
• e) de-energize the transducer for the second predetermined amount of time;
• f) focus or move the transducer to a third location on or in the designated treatment volume, the third location being spaced-apart from each of the first and second location such that nodes of the grid immediately adjacent to the second location are skipped or not ablated by the transducer;
• g) reenergize the transducer for the first predetermined amount of time to ablate a third treatment site on or in the treatment volume at the third location;
• and
• h) de-energize the transducer for the second predetermined amount of time;
• i) wherein the plurality of spaced-apart treatment sites coalesce into a single volumetric lesion to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or prostate cancer (PCa) of the patient.