In the treatment of a patient using ultrasound, which parameter would be the most critical to adjust if the goal is to increase tissue temperature?

Increasing tissue temperature during ultrasound treatment is primarily influenced by the intensity of the ultrasound waves delivered to the tissues. The intensity directly correlates with the amount of energy that penetrates the tissues, which in turn affects the degree of heating.

While duty cycle can also play a role in heating, it is primarily concerned with the proportion of time that the ultrasound is active versus inactive. A continuous duty cycle would facilitate a greater increase in temperature over time compared to a pulsed duty cycle, but it is the intensity that primarily dictates the amount of energy delivered to the tissues.

Time is another important factor, as longer treatment durations can lead to increased heating. However, without an adequate intensity, extending the treatment duration may not provide the desired temperature increase.

Frequency, on the other hand, refers to the number of sound waves generated per second. Different frequencies penetrate tissues at varying depths, but it does not directly correlate to temperature increase in the same way that intensity does.

Therefore, focusing primarily on increasing the intensity when aiming to elevate tissue temperature is the most critical parameter to adjust in ultrasound treatments.