Apparatus for ultrasound treatment

The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for delivering ultrasonic energy to a pre-selected target in a small animal, such as a mouse, rat, rabbit, dog, or macaque, among others, enabling ultrasonic treatments in small animals in vivo with a single device. The apparatus can be adapted for the treatment of non-human primates and humans. The apparatus consists of an ultrasonic emitter that allows the focusing of an ultrasound beam at a known distance, a coupling medium between the ultrasonic emitter and the surface of the animal, and a treatment guidance system integrated with the ultrasonic emitter. The guidance system is a laser emitter or an optical system, such as a camera, coaxial to the ultrasound beam, which allows the location of the point on the animal's surface where the ultrasound beam should strike to deliver ultrasonic energy to the pre-selected target. The device can be used for treatments from either the lower or upper side of the table or support where the animal is placed, allowing the ultrasound focus to move over the treatment area with submillimeter precision without requiring the device to move over the animal's surface.