Diagnostic ultrasound--interests include the response of individuals to the stimulation delivered in ultrasonic exposures for the purposes of diagnosis, the most common example of which is the routine use of ultrasound in pregnancy. Efforts in this area concentrate on determining whether such exposures cause harm to the individual, and on describing the specific nature of injury. Researchers in this area are also involved in the development of safety criteria for the administration of diagnostic ultrasonic stimulation.

Therapeutic ultrasound--interests include the response of individuals to the stimulation delivered in ultrasonic exposures for the purpose of remediation of an existing condition, for example in lithotripsy, the destruction of kidney stones via ultrasonic stimulation. Efforts in this area include describing the action of the ultrasonic stimulus in heating and disintegrating the targeted structures, and any effects of the stimulus on surrounding tissues. As above, researchers in this area are concerned with the development of safety criteria for the use of therapeutic ultrasound.