The development of ultrasound transducers started with the work of P. Langevin, who used, in the 20th century, the piezoelectric properties of quartz crystal to built the first submarine sonar.

In the 1950s, the Fry brothers - Francis and William - imagined the first medical application of ultrasonic waves. Their first works were related to the extra-corporeal treatment of neurologic disorders - Parkinson disease. Using a set of ultrasound transducers focused on the area to be treated, they could realize tiny biological lesions located deep inside the cerebral cortex. But the lack of an imaging device with enough performances and accuracy stopped the development of this type of therapies.

In the 80s, Lizzi, with a more advanced technology, set up a device for the treatment of glaucoma and intra-ocular tumors. This approach has been rapidly replaced by laser.

At the end of the 80s, the INSERM - French National Institute for Medical Research - Lyon Hospitals and Edaptechnomed, engaged in a research program on the interaction of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) on tissues. The main purpose of this work was to develop applications to treat malignant tumors: the prototype of the Ablatherm was born.