CAREER: Ultrasound Histotripsy System Development to Improve Cancer Treatment

ECCS-0643860T。北达科他州毕格罗大学这份职业建议书的重点是发展超声波组织诊断术，作为传统癌症治疗的微创替代方案。组织摩擦学使用高强度的声波，通过空化微泡的产生和猛烈的崩溃来“液化”软组织。像手术一样，组织会在声波和气泡的作用下被“移除”，但与手术不同的是，介入组织和周围组织不会受到手术的影响。智力价值：这项拟议的研究将通过设计一种新的超声治疗系统，并通过使用超声组织检查确定液化组织的最佳超声参数，从而在微创外科领域取得实质性进展。此外，通过进行初步的动物实验，该研究将为最终将该疗法推广到临床奠定基础。这些进展是由北达科他大学工程学院和医学院之间独特的合作关系实现的。广泛的影响：在建立外科超声实验室的同时，将通过邀请明尼苏达州和北达科他州小型高中、农村学校和部落高中的数学和科学教师在夏季积极参与研究，鼓励所有年龄段的学生学习工程学。然后，教师将在他们的学校赞助学生生物工程项目，这些项目将提交给中小学生，最大限度地向北达科他州/明尼苏达州地区的儿童传播知识，同时鼓励所有学生将工程作为未来的职业。此外，还将制定生物医学工程重点课程和课程，希望吸引更多年轻女性学习电气工程。

ECCS-0643860T. Bigelow, U of North DakotaThis career proposal focuses on developing ultrasound histotripsy as a minimally invasive alternative to traditional cancer treatment. Histotripsy uses high intensity acoustic waves to "liquefy" soft tissue by the generation and violent collapse of cavitating microbubbles. Like surgery, the tissue would be "removed" by the action of the sound waves and bubbles, but unlike surgery the intervening and surrounding tissues will remain unaffected by the procedure. Intellectual Merit: The proposed study will make substantial advances to the field of minimally invasive surgery by designing a new ultrasound therapy system and by determining the optimal ultrasound parameters for liquefying tissue using ultrasound histotripsy. In addition, by conducting preliminary animal experiments, the study will lay the ground work for ultimately extending the therapy to the clinic. These advances are made possible by the unique collaborative relationships between the College of Engineering and the College of Medicine at the University of North Dakota.Broader Impacts: While establishing a surgical ultrasound lab, students of all ages will be encouraged to study engineering by inviting math and science teachers from small high schools, rural schools, and tribal high schools in Minnesota and North Dakota to actively participate in the research in the summer. The teachers will then sponsor student bioengineering projects at their schools which will be presented to middle school and grade school children maximizing the dissemination of the knowledge to the children in the North Dakota/Minnesota region while encouraging all of the students to consider engineering as a future career. In addition, a biomedical engineering focus program and curriculum will be developed with the hope of attracting more young women to study electrical engineering.