Method for cavitation-induced tissue healing with low intensity ultrasound

Abstract

A method and kit for therapeutically treating bone and tissue injuries using ultrasound. The method includes the steps of introducing an ultrasound contrast agent into the patient, preferably, the patient's blood stream, and impinging ultrasonic waves in proximity to an injury. The ultrasound contrast agent facilitate in lowering the cavitation threshold, i.e., the energy required for the cavitation, to a level attainable by the ultrasonic waves to induce acoustic intracellular microstreaming to accelerate the healing process. The method further includes the steps of maintaining the resonance bubble frequency of the microbubbles of the ultrasound contrast agent from 0.5 MHz to 10 MHz; maintaining the acoustic transmit frequency of the ultrasound waves from 10 kHz to 10 MHz; and maintaining the acoustic spatial average-temporal average (SATA) intensity of the ultrasonic waves from 5 to 500 mW/cm. The kit of the invention includes at least one ergonomically constructed ultrasonic transducer () configured to cooperate with a placement module () for placement in proximity to an injury and a portable, ergonomically constructed main operating unit () constructed to fit within a pouch () worn by the patient.