New semi-analytical method for fast transcranial ultrasonic field simulation

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Acoustic Simulation

Background:

• Personalized transcranial ultrasound simulations are crucial for optimizing ultrasound brain therapy safety.
• Current numerical methods for these simulations are computationally intensive and require significant memory.
• A need exists for faster, yet realistic, simulation methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel semi-analytical method for transcranial ultrasound simulations.
• The goal is to combine computational speed with simulation realism.
• To create a tool for real-time pressure field prediction during therapy.

Main Methods:

• Ultrasonic path computation using time of flight minimization.
• Pressure field calculation via the pencil method, requiring a smooth skull model.
• Development and validation of the SplineBeam algorithm.

Main Results:

• SplineBeam achieved high accuracy, with focus position differences comparable to experimental error.
• Maximum pressure differences were below 6.02% compared to experimental measurements.
• SplineBeam demonstrated a two-orders-of-magnitude reduction in computation time compared to k-Wave.

Conclusions:

• The SplineBeam method offers a significant advancement in simulating transcranial ultrasound fields.
• Its speed and accuracy make it a promising tool for real-time applications in ultrasound brain therapy.
• This method has the potential to improve the safety and efficacy of therapeutic interventions.