The development of therapeutic ultrasound with assistance of robotic manipulator

High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is finding increasing application and acceptance as a non-invasive approach to the treatment of targeted malignancy. Despite the wealth of research and interest in HIFU, there are still a number of issues that need to be overcome to extend its clinical applications. These relate to the accuracy of placing the HIFU beam, the ability to visualize the target volume, and the understanding of the beam interaction with tissue. In this paper, the output characteristics of a single element HIFU transducer have been investigated with the assistance of a six-axis modified industrial robot. It is shown in the experimental results that clearly defined thermal or mechanical damage can be produced by changing the parameters of the HIFU. The nature and patterns of damage produced by pre-programmed treatment are now being investigated in tissue.