System and method for pretreatment of a volume of tissue slated for treatment

A method for delivering ultrasound to a patient, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) performing preoperative imaging of a first volume of targeted tissue of a patient using an ultrasound probe;
• b) creating a first treatment plan based on the results of step a), the first treatment plan being determined by calculating an amount of heat required to be delivered to the first volume to cause the first volume to swell;
• c) delivering energy, via the ultrasound probe, in accordance with the first treatment plan into at least a portion of the first volume that is distal to the probe, the amount of energy delivered by the ultrasound probe being sufficient to produce swelling of tissue in the first volume;
• d) reimaging the first volume using the ultrasound probe to identify if any changes have occurred in the first volume of the targeted tissue, any changes being identified by employing an ultrasound fusion algorithm that compares two or more data sets from the ultrasound probe and identifies differences between the two or more data sets;
• e) creating a second treatment plan designed to treat a second volume of the targeted tissue based on the results of step d);
• and
• f) delivering energy, via the ultrasound probe, in accordance with the second treatment plan into the second volume of the targeted tissue,
• wherein the second volume of the targeted tissue at least partially overlaps with the first volume of the targeted tissue, and wherein the method ensures full treatment of the targeted tissue.

A method for delivering ultrasound to a patient to ensure full treatment of targeted tissue, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) performing preoperative imaging of a first volume of targeted tissue of a patient using an ultrasound probe;
• b) creating a first treatment plan based on the results of step a), the first treatment plan being determined by calculating an amount of heat required to be delivered to the first volume to cause the first volume to swell;
• c) delivering energy, via the ultrasound probe, in accordance with the first treatment plan into at least a portion of the first volume that is distal to the probe, the amount of energy delivered by the ultrasound probe being sufficient to produce swelling of tissue in the first volume;
• d) reimaging the first volume using the ultrasound probe to identify if any changes have occurred in the first volume of the targeted tissue, any changes being identified by comparison of two or more image data sets from the ultrasound probe;
• e) creating a second treatment plan designed to treat a second volume of the targeted tissue based on the results of step d);
• and
• f) delivering energy, via the ultrasound probe, in accordance with the second treatment plan into the second volume of the targeted tissue,
• wherein the second volume of the targeted tissue at least partially overlaps with the first volume of the targeted tissue.

A system for delivering ultrasound to a patient to ensure full treatment of targeted tissue, the system comprising:

• 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:
• a) perform preoperative imaging of a first volume of targeted tissue of a patient using an ultrasound probe;
• b) create a first treatment plan based on the results of step a);
• c) deliver energy, via the ultrasound probe, in accordance with the first treatment plan into at least a portion of the first volume that is distal to the probe, the amount of energy delivered by the ultrasound probe being sufficient to produce swelling of tissue in the first volume;
• d) reimage the first volume using the ultrasound probe to identify if any changes have occurred in the first volume of the targeted tissue;
• e) create a second treatment plan designed to treat a second volume of the targeted tissue based on the results of step d);
• and
• f) deliver energy, via the ultrasound probe, in accordance with the second treatment plan into the second volume of the targeted tissue.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable code stored thereon that, when executed by one or more computing devices, causes the one or more computing devices to:

• a) perform, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, preoperative imaging of a first volume of targeted tissue of a patient using an ultrasound probe;
• b) create, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a first treatment plan based on the results of step a);
• c) deliver, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, energy, via the ultrasound probe, in accordance with the first treatment plan into at least a portion of the first volume that is distal to the probe, the amount of energy delivered by the ultrasound probe being sufficient to produce swelling of tissue in the first volume;
• d) reimage, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the first volume using the ultrasound probe to identify if any changes have occurred in the first volume of the targeted tissue;
• e) create, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a second treatment plan designed to treat a second volume of the targeted tissue based on the results of step d);
• and
• f) deliver, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, energy, via the ultrasound probe, in accordance with the second treatment plan into the second volume of the targeted tissue.