Feasibility of Transcranial Focused Ultrasound to Measure Brain Tumor

Summary

Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) offers a platform for non-invasive imaging and treatment of the brain and pathology of the brain -- allowing high resolution imaging in both spatial and temporal dimensions. Compared with the gold- standard for brain imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound offers reduced contrast while providing improved sampling in time through a significantly more cost-effective approach. In addition, while MRI is used to guide invasive treatments, only ultrasound can offer treatments through three primary mechanisms: 1) neuromodulation, 2) blood brain barrier modulation, and thermal/mechanical ablation through high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). All three treatment options require targeting therapy through the skull, which remains a barrier to clinical translation. This proposal is to test the feasibility of acquiring noninvasive targeting imaging intraoperatively prior to clinically indicated cranial neurosurgery. By acquiring volumetric ultrasound images while coregistered to previously obtained stereotactic magnetic resonance imaging, the study will be able to compare the ability of tFUS to identify and focus on brain pathology.

Eligibility

Age range

18+ years

Sex

All

Healthy volunteers

No

Interventions

• Device
  Brain imaging using transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS)

  All enrolled patients will be imaged using the MRI as standard of care. The patient will additionally be imaged using the tFUS system, ICC HIFU Synthesizer. Total imaging time will be limited to 15 minutes. Following image acquisition by the ultrasound, the standard of care surgery will be performed.

Location