First approved by the FDA in 2004 as a treatment for uterine fibroids, focused ultrasound has gained an increasing variety of potential uses, generating excitement among many doctors. “There are 18 ways, or mechanisms of action, by which focused ultrasound affects tissue. That fact creates the opportunity to treat a whole variety of medical disorders,” says Dr. Neal Kassell, UVA’s former co-chair of neurosurgery and founder and chair of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, which seeks to speed the development and adoption of the technology.