Ultrasonic treatment device

An ultrasonic treatment device that uses a phase-change contrast agent that is in a liquid state at administration and vaporizes once irradiated with an ultrasonic wave, the ultrasonic treatment device comprising:

• a transmission beam former configured to generate an ultrasonic wave transmission beam to generate a bubble generation pulse that causes the phase-change contrast agent to form into a bubble, and a bubble stabilization pulse that increases a diameter of the bubble;
• a transducer configured to transmit the bubble generation pulse and the bubble stabilization pulse to a target area of a subject to which said phase-change contrast agent in said liquid state has been previously administered;
• and
• a receiving/transmitting sequence controller configured to control switching among the bubble generation pulse, the bubble stabilization pulse, and a diagnostic pulse,
• wherein the receiving/transmitting sequence controller controls switching between transmitting solely the bubble generation pulse and transmit one pulse in which the bubble generation pulse and the bubble stabilization pulse successively take place,
• wherein an intensity of the bubble stabilization pulse is at least an order of magnitude less than an intensity of the bubble generation pulse, and
• wherein said ultrasonic treatment device is configured to irradiate a target area of the subject to which said phase-change contrast agent in said liquid state has been administered with the bubble generation pulse to form a bubble, and after irradiate said target area with said bubble stabilizing pulse with lower intensity than said bubble generation pulse to increase a diameter of the bubble.