Ultrasonic Image Guidance for HIFU Cancer Treatment

描述（由申请人提供）：我们建议开发和验证基于超声的成像方法，用于图像引导的热疗癌症治疗。近年来，高强度聚焦超声（HIFU）作为一种成功治疗多种癌症的工具显示出相当大的前景。然而，HIFU在无创监测治疗进展以控制热病变的大小、形状和范围方面存在困难，因此受到限制。本研究的目的是利用商业仪器开发和初步验证一种新方法，通过这种新方法，超声成像可以用于指导HIFU治疗。我们组建了一个由东北大学领导的大学-工业联盟，由来自类比公司、波士顿大学和密西西比大学国家物理声学中心的参与者组成。研究计划要求团队的四名成员均衡地分配工作。从技术上讲，我们考虑了一种基于模型的方法来解决病变表征问题，其中成像传感器收集的数据用于估计与hifu诱导病变的大小、形状、位置、方向和对比度直接相关的参数。我们的初步结果表明，在仔细控制的实验条件下，这种方法能够识别病变样区域。我们建议在此基础上进行以下两方面的努力：1/更广泛的幻影和离体实验评估；2/能够解决现实HIFU监测场景的新成像方法的开发和实验评估，包括多病变成像和病变形成跟踪；3/将所有方法初步实施到最先进的硬件平台，最终用于实时治疗监测。病变表征算法的性能验证和优化方法的实用性将使用Analogic公司制造的最先进的超声成像仪器进行。我们提供了关于将本项目的工作转移到诊所的具体计划。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose to develop and validate an ultrasound-based imaging approach to image guided hyperthermia cancer therapy. High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has shown considerable promise in recent years as a tool for successfully treating a range of cancers. HIFU is limited however by difficulties in noninvasively monitoring the progress of the treatment to control the size, shape, and extent of the thermal lesion. The objective of the work here is the development and initial validation using commercial instrumentation of a new approach by which ultrasonic imaging can be used to guide HIFU treatment. We have assembled a university-industrial consortium led by Northeastern University and comprised of participants from Analogic Corporation, Boston University, and the National Center for Physical Acoustics at the University of Mississippi. The research plan calls for a balanced distribution of the effort across the four members of the team. Technically, we consider a model-based approach to the problem of lesion characterization wherein the data collected by the imaging transducer are used to estimate parameters directly related to the size, shape, location, orientation, and contrast of the HIFU-induced lesion. Our initial results indicate the ability of this method to identify lesion-like regions under carefully controlled experimental conditions. We propose here to build on this effort both in terms of : 1/ more extensive phantom and ex vivo experimental evaluation; 2/ the development and experimental evaluation of new imaging methods capable of addressing realistic HIFU monitoring scenarios including multi-lesion imaging and tracking of lesion formation; and 3/ initial implementation of all methods to state-of-the-art hardware platforms for eventual use in real-time treatment monitoring. Validation of the performance of the lesion characterization algorithms and the utility of the optimization approaches will take place using state-of-the-art ultrasound imaging instrumentation built by Analogic. We provide concrete plans concerning the migration of the work in this project to the clinic.