Thermal Coagulation Points (TCPs)

Thermal coagulation points (TCPs) are the individual, precisely placed spots of heat that focused ultrasound energy creates within tissue — the building blocks of a HIFU treatment grid. Each TCP forms at the exact focal depth the device is calibrated to, where converging ultrasound waves generate enough localised heat to trigger the tissue's natural repair and collagen-remodelling response, while leaving the surrounding, untreated tissue unaffected. A single treatment pass creates a grid of many TCPs across the target area, spaced to ensure thorough coverage without overlapping so intensely that recovery is slowed. This point-by-point approach is central to why HIFU can reach a precise depth without visible damage to the skin's surface — the energy is concentrated exactly where it's needed and nowhere else, which is also what makes focal depth and cartridge calibration such important specifications (see Focal Depth and Ultrasound Cartridges).