Histotripsy systems and methods

A method of treating tissue with an ultrasound therapy system, the method comprising:

• identifying a target tissue volume with the ultrasound therapy system;
• identifying a depth of the target tissue volume;
• dividing the target tissue volume into a plurality of treatment volumes with a processor of the ultrasound therapy system;
• selecting a drive voltage of the ultrasound therapy system for each of the plurality of treatment volumes;
• generating a treatment plan with the processor that includes the plurality of treatment volumes and an anticipated thermal profile based on the depth of the target tissue volume and the drive voltages for each of the plurality of treatment volumes;
• positioning a focus of at least one transducer of the ultrasound therapy system within a first treatment volume of the plurality of treatment volumes with a robotic positioning system and the processor;
• delivering ultrasound pulses at the selected drive voltage with the at least one transducer to form a cavitation bubble cloud at the focus to create tissue fractionation within the tissue;
• mechanically moving the focus to a second treatment volume of the plurality of treatment volumes with the robotic positioning system and the processor,
• repeating the delivering, creating, and mechanically moving steps for each of the remaining plurality of treatment volumes;
• and
• controlling the ultrasound therapy system to apply at least one cooling period with the processor in accordance with the treatment plan and the anticipated thermal profile in which no ultrasound pulses are delivered with the at least one transducer.