Ultrasound Technologies for use in High-Resolution Imaging and Precision Ablation Applications

这项提案描述了一项高度技术性和原创性的研究计划的延续和更新，该计划侧重于开发用于微创手术的超声波技术。微创手术是指对患者的健康组织造成最小损害的外科手术。与开放手术相比，这已经成为许多外科手术的标准护理，因为它导致更少的出血，更少的并发症，以及更快的患者恢复时间。为了最大限度地减少对健康组织的损害，同时接触到患病组织，需要创建小切口和进入路径。这彻底改变了大多数脑肿瘤切除的方法，即只在头骨上钻一个小孔，并使用小型内窥镜工具进行切除，主要是在手术显微镜的指导下进行。类似的开创性方法最近也被用于脊柱、腹部、心脏等。这些手术通常是在光学内窥镜和光学显微镜的指导下进行的。随着外科手术的总体趋势朝着微创的方向发展，对更先进的内窥镜设备的需求已经产生。例如，光学成像显微镜和内窥镜提供的信息不会超出你要切割的表面。术中CT和MRI成像已经尝试了一些微创手术，但这些方法昂贵，往往不能提供所需的分辨率水平的程序。不仅需要高分辨率的深度分辨率内窥镜成像工具，而且还需要内窥镜外形的精密治疗技术。这项建议将进一步推进最近在这项研究计划中开发的内窥镜技术。具体地说，目标是推进之前开发的高分辨率微型超声成像内窥镜和高速电子硬件。我们已经证明，实时2D超声成像和引导组织消融可以在微小的外形系数中实现，然而，由于微创方法中的空间限制，仅捕获2D图像是有限的。这与体外超声成像不同，在体外超声成像中，探头可以自由移动，使2D图像足以满足大多数应用。拟议的研究计划将使用先进的微制造和新开发的成像方法来建立能够实时高分辨率3D成像的超声内窥镜和电子硬件。这项技术不仅可以为下一代外科手术方法带来革命性的变化，还可以在很大程度上为加拿大新兴的医疗技术部门做出贡献。

This proposal describes the continuation and renewal of a highly technical and original research program focused on developing ultrasound technologies for use in minimally invasive surgery. Minimally invasive surgery refers to surgical procedures that result in minimal damage to healthy tissue in patients. This has become the standard of care in numerous surgical procedures as it results in less blood loss, fewer complications, and faster recovery times for patients when compared to open surgery. To minimize damage to healthy tissue while gaining access to the diseased tissue, small incisions and access pathways are created. This has revolutionized the approach to the majority of brain tumor resections where only a small hole is drilled into the skull, and the resection is performed using small endoscopic tools, mostly under the guidance of a surgical microscope. Similar ground-breaking approaches have also recently been adapted for the spine, abdomen, heart, etc. These surgeries are typically performed under the guidance of optical endoscopes and optical microscopes. As the overall trend in surgery moves towards minimally invasive approaches, a need has been created for more advanced endoscopic instruments. For example, optical imaging microscopes and endoscopes provide no information beyond the surface of what you are about to cut. Intra operative CT and MRI imaging has been attempted in a few minimally invasive procedures, but these modalities are expensive and often do not provide the required level of resolution for the procedure. Not only is there a need for high resolution depth resolved endoscopic imaging tools, but also for precision therapeutic technology in an endoscopic form factor. This proposal will further advance endoscopic technologies hat have recently been developed in this research program. Specifically, the objectives are to advance the previously developed high-resolution miniature ultrasound imaging endoscope, and high-speed electronic hardware. We have demonstrated that real-time 2D ultrasound imaging and guided tissue ablation can be achieved in a miniature form factor, however, due to space constraints in minimally invasive approaches, there are limitations to capturing only a 2D image. This is in contrast to ultrasound imaging from outside the body where the probe can be moved around freely making 2D images sufficient for most applications. The proposed research program will use advanced microfabrication and newly developed imaging methods to establish an ultrasound endoscope and electronic hardware that is capable of real-time high-resolution 3D imaging. Not only could this technology revolutionize the next generation of surgical methods, it could also majorly contribute to Canada's emerging medical technology sector.