Dual-mode ultrasound transducer for image-guided interstitial thermal therapy

Deep-seated tumors can be treated by minimally invasive interstitial ultrasound thermal therapy. A miniature transducer emitting high-intensity acoustic waves is placed in contact with the targeted area to induce local thermal necrosis. Accurate positioning of the probe and treatment monitoring must be achieved for the technique to be effective. A piezocomposite technology was used for obtaining both high-quality imaging and effective treatment with the same transducer. Prototypes were designed and built to be compatible with an endoscopic approach for treating cholangiocarcinomas in the biliary ducts. The transducer had dimensions of 2.5 x 7.5 mm(2), it was cylindrically focused at 10 mm and it was operated at a center frequency of 11 MHz. Transducer efficiency was measured at 71%, and the impulse response corresponded to an axial resolution of 0.2 mm. In-vitro tests were conducted on samples of pig liver in which lesions up to 10 mm in depth were induced. B-mode images were obtained by mechanically rotating the transducer. Treatments were monitored in three ways: (i) classical M-mode images, (ii) images of local deformation of ultrasound lines during heating and (iii) comparison of the displacements induced in the tissue by radiation force, before and after treatments. The successful use of piezocomposite materials to manufacture dual-mode transducers opens new perspectives for interstitial ultrasound thermal therapy.