Combined Therapy Planning, Real-Time Monitoring, and Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound Treatment Using a Diagnostic Imaging Array.

Miles Thies,Michael L Oelze

doi:10.1109/tmi.2021.3140176

Miles Thies, Michael L Oelze

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1109/tmi.2021.3140176

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Abstract

Low intensity focused ultrasound (FUS) therapies use low intensity focused ultrasound waves, typically in combination with microbubbles, to non-invasively induce a variety of therapeutic effects. FUS therapies require pre-therapy planning and real-time monitoring during treatment to ensure the FUS beam is correctly targeted to the desired tissue region. To facilitate more streamlined FUS treatments, we present a system for pre-therapy planning, real-time FUS beam visualization, and low intensity FUS treatment using a single diagnostic imaging array. Therapy planning was accomplished by manually segmenting a B-mode image captured by the imaging array and calculating a sonication pattern for the treatment based on the user-input region of interest. For real-time monitoring, the imaging array transmitted a visualization pulse which was focused to the same location as the FUS therapy beam and ultrasonic backscatter from this pulse was used to reconstruct the intensity field of the FUS beam. The therapy planning and beam monitoring techniques were demonstrated in a tissue-mimicking phantom and in a rat tumor in vivo while a mock FUS treatment was carried out. The FUS pulse from the imaging array was excited with an MI of 0.78, which suggests that the array could be used to administer select low intensity FUS treatments involving microbubble activation.

Highlights

F OCUSED ultrasound (FUS) is a versatile and powerful therapeutic tool
We describe a system for combined low intensity FUS treatment, therapy planning, and real-time qualitative monitoring using a diagnostic imaging array
The treatment region is outlined with a white line and the focal point grid is depicted with red points. (c) B-mode image with FUS beam visualization overlay

Summary

Introduction

F OCUSED ultrasound (FUS) is a versatile and powerful therapeutic tool. FUS allows for the non-invasive treatment of a wide variety of diseases by targeting FUS waves to a well-localized region [1], [2]. To ensure a safe and effective procedure, an FUS therapy requires therapy planning before treatment and real-time monitoring during treatment. Therapy planning is the process of aligning the FUS beam to the treatment region and determining a sonication pattern. Real-time monitoring of the FUS beam’s position is important to make certain that the beam does not drift out of the treatment region due to tissue motion.

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