Ultrasonic Image Guidance for HIFU Cancer Treatment

描述(由申请人提供)：我们建议开发和验证一种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)作为一种成功治疗一系列癌症的工具显示出相当大的前景。然而，HIFU在非侵入性监测治疗进展以控制热损伤的大小、形状和范围方面存在困难。这项工作的目标是开发一种新的方法，并使用商业仪器进行初步验证，通过这种方法，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，成员包括来自Analogic Corporation、波士顿大学和密西西比大学国家物理声学中心的参与者。研究计划要求在团队的四名成员之间平衡分配工作。从技术上讲，我们考虑了一种基于模型的方法来描述病变的特征，其中成像换能器收集的数据被用来估计与HIFU诱导的病变的大小、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，在严格控制的实验条件下，该方法能够识别病变样区。我们在此建议从以下两个方面加强这方面的工作：1/更广泛的体模和体外实验评估；2/能够应对现实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的跟踪；以及3/所有方法的初步实施，以及最终用于实时治疗监测的最新硬件平台。将使用由Analogic制造的最先进的超声成像仪器来验证病变表征算法的性能和优化方法的实用性。我们提供了将该项目中的工作移植到临床的具体计划。

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.