Noninvasive transvaginal acoustic thermal treatment of female stress urinary incontinence

A method of treating stress urinary incontinence comprising:

• identifying an anatomic structure beyond a vaginal mucosa and submucosa on either side of a urethra to be treated by an applicator, the applicator comprising:
• a first planar transducer array;
• a second planar transducer array;
• an imaging transducer array pivotable between the first planar transducer array and the second planar transducer array;
• an acoustic coupling balloon;
• and
• a positioning balloon;
• mapping a treatment focal depth and a treatment focal zone;
• placing the applicator at the anatomic structure;
• inflating the positioning balloon, maintaining a position of the applicator;
• inflating the acoustic coupling balloon;
• applying acoustic energy to a first therapeutic zone associated with the first planar transducer array and to a second therapeutic zone associated with the second planar transducer array, wherein the first therapeutic zone and the second therapeutic zone are not overlapping, with a central urethral dead zone in between the first therapeutic zone and the second therapeutic zone, to raise a temperature of at least a portion of the anatomic structure to 50° C. to 80° C. for a period of time in a range between at least 2 minutes and 5 minutes, the period of time sufficient to affect remodeling of a collagenous structure of the portion of the anatomic structure;
• and
• pivoting the imaging transducer array to image the first therapeutic zone, the central urethral dead zone, and the second therapeutic zone, confirming the position of the applicator and monitoring changes in tissue density and elasticity in the portion of the anatomic structure.

A computer-implemented system for treatment of stress urinary incontinence, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a tangible computer-readable medium operatively connected to the processor and including computer code configured to:
• identify an anatomic structure beyond a vaginal mucosa and submucosa on either side of the urethra to be treated by an applicator, the applicator comprising:
• a first planar transducer array;
• a second planar transducer array;
• an imaging transducer array configured to pivot between the first planar transducer array and the second planar transducer array;
• an acoustic coupling balloon;
• and
• a positioning balloon;
• map a treatment focal depth and a treatment focal zone;
• place the applicator at the anatomic structure;
• inflate the positioning balloon to maintain a position of the applicator;
• inflate the acoustic coupling balloon;
• apply acoustic energy to a first therapeutic zone associated with the first planar transducer array and to a second therapeutic zone associated with the second planar transducer array, wherein the first therapeutic zone and the second therapeutic zone are not overlapping, with a central urethral dead zone between the first therapeutic zone and the second therapeutic zone, to raise a temperature of at least a portion of the anatomic structure to 50° C. to 80° C. for a period of time in a range between at least 2 minutes and 5 minutes, the period of time sufficient to affect remodeling of a collagenous structure of the portion of the anatomic structure;
• and
• pivot the imaging transducer array to image the first therapeutic zone, the central urethral dead zone, and the second therapeutic zone, confirming the position of the applicator and monitoring changes in tissue density and elasticity in the portion of the anatomic structure.