Ultrasound in a Needle: Minimally-invasive High Resolution Imaging for Neurosurgery

我们要解决的研究挑战是用一根能够进行微创、实时、高分辨率超声成像的针来实现大脑组织的实时可视化。这将首次使神经外科医生能够在术中获得有关病变和大脑关键结构位置的即时信息，从而提供发病率更低、患者预后更好的治疗。我们的具体工程挑战是制造一种携带集成微型超声阵列的针头，用于高分辨率（~100 μ m）神经成像，并证明其未来转化为临床实践的可行性。此前由epsrc资助的伯明翰大学和邓迪大学的合作表明，具有微尺度特征的压电复合材料可以通过网状微成型技术实现。基于这些材料的单元件换能器已经进行了评估，赫瑞瓦特大学的探索性研究已经证明了在低温和低压下将致密互连连接到新材料上的能力，从而将无kerless成像阵列连接到外部成像电子设备。我们现在提出的研究将扩展并整合神经外科技术工作，以确定在软防腐尸体中使用脑组织的基本能力，并探索潜在的手术益处和应用。除了三所大学的合作伙伴外，这项工作还将受益于四家公司的支持，涵盖该技术的各个方面以及将其转化为临床实践。

The research challenge we will tackle is to realise real-time visualisation of tissue in the brain with a needle capable of minimally-invasive, real-time, high resolution ultrasound imaging. This will, for the first time, enable the neurosurgeon to obtain immediate information about lesions and the location of critical structures in the brain intraoperatively, and thus to provide treatment with less morbidity and better patient outcomes. Our specific engineering challenge is to create a needle carrying an integrated, miniature ultrasound array for high-resolution (~100 um) neurological imaging and to demonstrate feasibility for future translation into clinical practice. Previous EPSRC-funded collaboration by the Universities of Birmingham and Dundee has shown that piezocomposite material with microscale features can be realised with net-shape micromoulding techniques. Single element transducers based on these materials have been evaluated already and exploratory studies with Heriot-Watt University have demonstrated the capability to bond dense interconnects onto the new materials at low temperature and pressure to connect kerfless imaging arrays to external imaging electronics.The research we now propose will extend and integrate this technical work with neurosurgery to determine basic capabilities using brain tissue in soft-embalmed cadavers and to explore potential surgical benefits and applications. As well as the three university partners, the work will benefit from support from four companies, covering all aspects of the technology as well as its translation into clinical practice.