Integrated device for optoacoustically-guided ultrasound surgery

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering
• Acoustic Therapy

Background:

• High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) shows promise for thermal lesion generation in treating pathologies.
• Accurate targeting and real-time monitoring are crucial for effective HIFU treatment outcomes.
• Current guidance methods like MRI increase cost and complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an integrated system for real-time 3D optoacoustic imaging and concurrent HIFU emission.
• To evaluate the system's performance in preclinical models and assess clinical translatability.
• To enable precise lesion targeting and dynamic thermal dose adjustment during HIFU therapy.

Main Methods:

• Integration of real-time 3D tomographic optoacoustic imaging with HIFU using a high-frequency spherical array transducer.
• Ex vivo evaluation in mouse brain models.
• In vivo assessment of clinical translatability in a living sheep model.

Main Results:

• Successful induction of a confined thermal lesion beneath the cortical surface in a sheep model, confirmed by MRI and histology.
• Demonstrated precise treatment targeting capabilities.
• Optoacoustic signal changes reliably indicated thermal lesion progression, enabling on-the-fly thermal dose adjustments.

Conclusions:

• The integrated optoacoustic imaging and HIFU system provides real-time feedback for precise lesion formation.
• This system enhances safety by allowing adjustments to minimize off-target effects and vascular damage.
• The technology shows significant potential for improving HIFU therapy guidance and outcomes.