Image-guided intensive focused ultrasound: Simulation, development, and applications

应用强聚焦超声（IFUS）治疗各种神经组织和结构（如脑、脊髓和周围神经）的神经系统疾病是超声治疗领域中一个有前途的研究领域。在IFUS能够在医学和生物学中找到一个确定的位置之前，仍有许多科学和/或技术挑战必须解决。IFUS束与神经组织和结构的复杂相互作用以及由此产生的生物效应是一个仍然需要重要研究的重要领域。超声作为一种无创、实时、便携、低成本的成像方式也非常有吸引力。任何新的治疗技术（包括IFUS）的主要组成部分必须包括其指导和准确监测治疗的能力。因此，成功的治疗需要可靠的定量超声引导和通过测量光束焦点处组织的热力学变化来监测治疗进展。该提案的目标是在无创图像引导超声手术领域建立和维持一个先进的研究项目，以进一步提高当前技术的有效性和安全性，并在神经外科和疼痛管理领域开发新的应用。研究计划包括以下主要领域的调查。(a)发展新的非线性超声模型，以准确和有效地模拟IFUS光束与组织的相互作用，并预测产生的热和机械生物效应。(b)设计和开发一种新的体外图像引导双模式治疗超声技术，利用IFUS的机械和热效应来提高治疗效果和安全性。(c)定制和应用所开发的技术，作为神经外科和疼痛管理的非侵入性图像引导手术方式。该方案在无创影像引导超声手术领域具有较大的科技突破潜力。

A promising area of research within the field of therapeutic ultrasound is the application of intensive focused ultrasound (IFUS) to treat neurological disorders in various neural tissues and structures such as brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. There are still a number of scientific and/or technical challenges that must be resolved before IFUS could find an established place in medicine and biology. An important area that still needs significant investigation is the complicated interaction of the IFUS beam with neural tissues and structures and the resulting bioeffects. Ultrasound is also very attractive as a non-invasive, real-time, portable, and cost-effective imaging modality. Primary components of any new therapeutic technology (including IFUS) must include its ability for guidance and accurate monitoring of the treatment. Reliable quantitative ultrasound-based guidance and monitoring of the progression of treatment by measuring the thermo-mechanical changes in tissue at the beam focus is therefore needed for a successful therapy. The objective of the proposal is to establish and maintain an advanced research program in the area of non-invasive image-guided ultrasound surgery toward further improving efficacy and safety of the current technology and developing new applications in the areas of neurosurgery and pain management. The research proposal consists investigations in the following main areas. (a) Development of novel nonlinear ultrasound models to accurately and efficiently simulate the interaction of the IFUS beam with tissue and to predict the resulting thermal and mechanical bioeffects. (b) Design and development of a novel extra-corporeal image-guided dual-mode therapeutic ultrasound technology that makes use of combined mechanical and thermal effects of IFUS to improve treatment efficacy and safety. (c) Customization and application of the developed technology as a non-invasive image-guided surgery modality in neurosurgery and pain management. The proposal has strong potential to lead to scientific and technological breakthroughs in the field of non-invasive image-guided ultrasound surgery.