Non-invasive ultrasonic soft-tissue treatment apparatus

An electrically powered apparatus for non-invasive ultrasonic treatment of subcutaneous soft-tissue of a human or other mammalian subject, the apparatus comprising:

• at least three simultaneously operable acoustic assemblies retained in fixed relation to each other, the apparatus being configured for operation when connected to an electrical power source to energize the acoustic assemblies and simultaneously generate ultrasonic energy from each said acoustic assembly, wherein:
• (i) each said acoustic assembly generates ultrasonic energy at a resonant frequency in a range of from 275 kHz to 800 kHz;
• (ii) each said acoustic assembly comprises an ultrasonic transducer acoustically coupled with an acoustic lens oriented to produce a geometrically focused beam of ultrasonic energy generated by the ultrasonic transducer;
• (iii) the ultrasonic energy of the geometrically focused beam of each said acoustic assembly is focused in an individual focal zone located distal to the apparatus;
• and
• (iv) the acoustic assemblies are oriented so that at least a portion of the highest concentrated energy of each said individual focal zone spatially coincides in a group focal zone;
• the apparatus being configured for positioning in a treatment configuration relative to a skin of a subject to perform a non-invasive ultrasonic treatment on the subject;
• an acoustic pad with an acoustic emission surface that, in the treatment configuration, is configured for positioning adjacent a surface of the skin of the subject through which at least a portion of the ultrasonic energy generated by the acoustic assemblies exits the apparatus directed toward the group focal zone located within a range of from 0.5 centimeter to 10 centimeters distal to the acoustic emission surface;
• and wherein:
• the apparatus is configured for operation with each said geometrically focused beam, by itself, not being sufficient to cause destruction of a portion of the soft-tissue located within the corresponding individual focal zone of said geometrically focused beam during a treatment;
• and
• the acoustic assemblies are electrically connected in series to drive the acoustic assemblies in phase at a resonant frequency, whereby the apparatus is configured for operation with the ultrasonic energies of the geometrically focused beams of the different acoustic assemblies being additive in the group focal zone to produce a larger concentrated ultrasonic energy in the group focal zone with a larger amplitude of vibration than from any one of the acoustic assemblies, with the larger concentrated energy being sufficient to cause destruction of a portion of the soft-tissue within the group focal zone during the treatment due primarily to positive and negative pressure effects caused by the larger amplitude.