Development of 3-D Tissue Tracking System for Detection of Treatment Effect in High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Treatment

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K16404
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Medical systems
• Research Institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (2017-2018); Tohoku University (2016)
• Principal Investigator: Takagi Ryo 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, 生命工学領域, 研究員 (20771885)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 強力集束超音波 / 超音波診断 / 超音波イメージングプローブ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In high intensity focused ultrasound treatment, it has been difficult to track the target region when the tissue to be treated deviates from the imaging plane of ultrasound probe. In this study, a new 1.5-dimensional (1.5D) prototype phased array probe consisting of transducer elements along both the lateral and elevation axes was developed to track tissue motion along the elevation axis of the probe.From the results, it was found that the effective tracking range using this prototype probe was up to 3mm, about 3 times that of a conventional 1D imaging probe. The proposed 1.5D phased array probe has the potential to track target tissue with intrafractional motion.

Free Research Field

医用超音波

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的意義は、超音波治療時の組織変位を追従するにあたり、最適な超音波プローブ設計パラメータの抽出や治療時の変位形状・パターンを体系化することができた点である。従来、医師の知見やスキルに依存した超音波治療において、組織変位を追従しながら半自動で超音波治療が行える新手法は、医師・患者の身体的・精神的負担軽減のみならず、安全な治療を行える、という点で社会的な意義がある。