Neuromodulation energy application techniques

A neuromodulation system, comprising:

• a noninvasive ultrasound probe configured to apply nonablative ultrasound energy to activate axon terminals of one or more nerve pathways in a region of interest in a patient's body such that activation of the one or more nerve pathways causes a change in concentration of a circulating molecule, the noninvasive ultrasound probe comprising:
• an ultrasound therapy transducer;
• an ultrasound imaging transducer;
• and
• a haptic device;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• receive ultrasound image data from the ultrasound imaging transducer from a plurality of positions and/or orientations of the noninvasive ultrasound probe on the patient's body;
• identify one or more anatomical features within a region of interest based on the ultrasound image data;
• identify one or more aligned positions and/or orientations of the plurality that are aligned with a predetermined treatment position and orientation of the noninvasive ultrasound probe based on the ultrasound image data, wherein the predetermined treatment position and orientation corresponds to a location of a surface marking on the patient's body;
• transmit instructions to activate the haptic device of the noninvasive ultrasound probe in a first operating mode while the noninvasive ultrasound prove in a first operating mode while the noninvasive ultrasound probe is at one of the one or more aligned positions and/or orientations;
• and
• transmit instructions to active the haptic device of the noninvasive ultrasound probe in a second operating mode while the noninvasive ultrasound probe is not one of the one or more aligned positions and/or orientations.

A method for treating a patient with a metabolic disorder using a noninvasive ultrasound probe comprising an ultrasound therapy transducer and an ultrasound imaging transducer, comprising:

• accessing a prior ultrasound image associated with a predetermined treatment position and orientation of the noninvasive ultrasound probe, wherein the predetermined treatment position and orientation corresponds to a location of a surface marking on the patient's body;
• acquiring ultrasound image data from the ultrasound imaging transducer associated with a position and orientation of the noninvasive ultrasound probe on the patient's body;
• identifying one or more anatomical features within a region of interest based on the ultrasound image data;
• determining that the noninvasive ultrasound probe is aligned with the predetermined treatment position and orientation based on the ultrasound image data and the prior ultrasound image associated with the predetermined treatment position and orientation of the noninvasive ultrasound probe;
• and
• controlling application of a nonablative ultrasound energy to activate axon terminals of one or more nerve pathways in the region of interest via the noninvasive ultrasound probe responsive to determining that the noninvasive ultrasound probe is aligned with the predetermined treatment position and orientation, wherein the activation of the one or more nerve pathways causes a change in concentration of a circulating molecule.