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A Fully Populated Transrectal Array for Boiling Histotripsy Ablation of the Prostate.
Summary
Researchers developed a new 128-element transrectal high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) array for mechanical tissue ablation using boiling histotripsy (BH). This novel array enables precise volumetric lesion creation under ultrasound guidance, overcoming limitations of current thermal ablation methods.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Imaging
- Acoustic Physics
Background:
- High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a key technology for prostate cancer focal therapy.
- Current thermal HIFU methods face challenges like heat diffusion and prefocal heating.
- Mechanical HIFU ablation, specifically boiling histotripsy (BH), offers a non-thermal alternative.
- Existing HIFU transducer designs require mechanical translation, leading to target shifts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design, fabricate, and evaluate a novel 1.5-MHz 128-element transrectal HIFU array.
- To enable mechanical tissue ablation via boiling histotripsy (BH) with real-time ultrasound guidance.
- To address limitations of current HIFU systems, including transducer translation and form-factor challenges.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a randomized, fully-populated mosaic array design for the 128-element transrectal HIFU array.
- Employed a Verasonics system for driving the HIFU array and integrating with a coaxial ultrasound imaging probe.
- Conducted focus steering range measurements in the BH regime and stress tests on a prototype.
- Performed volumetric BH lesion generation in tissue-mimicking phantoms.
Main Results:
- The fabricated array demonstrated focus steering ranges of 26 mm axially and 12 mm laterally in the BH regime.
- Achieved driving voltage compensation below 43% with no grating lobe formation.
- Prototype stress tests confirmed safe operating voltage (850 V peak-to-peak) and acoustic intensity (542 W/cm²).
- Successfully produced volumetric BH lesions in phantoms using the integrated HIFU array and ultrasound probe.
Conclusions:
- The developed 128-element transrectal HIFU array is suitable for mechanical ablation via boiling histotripsy.
- This technology offers precise volumetric lesion creation under real-time ultrasound guidance.
- The array design overcomes limitations of mechanical translation and addresses form-factor challenges for transrectal applications.
