ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To implement a skull-conformal phased array for ultrasound-guided transcranial focused ultrasound therapy with improved patient comfort. METHODS: Using patient-specific computed tomography and MRI neuroimaging data, tightly-conforming helmet scaffolds were designed computationally. The helmet scaffolds were designed to hold reusable transducer modules at near-normal incidence in an optimal configuration for the treatment location(s) of interest. Numerical simulations of trans-skull ultrasound propagation were performed to evaluate different conformal array designs and to compare with hemispherical arrays similar to those employed clinically. A 4096-element phased array was constructed by 3D printing a helmet scaffold optimised for an ex vivo human skullcap, and its performance was evaluated via benchtop and in vivo experiments. RESULTS: Acoustic field measurements confirmed the system's ability to focus through human skull bone using simulation-based transcranial aberration corrections. Preliminary in vivo testing demonstrated safe trans-human skull blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening in rodents. CONCLUSION: Patient-specific conformal ultrasound phased arrays appear to be a feasible and safe approach for conducting transcranial BBB opening procedures. SIGNIFICANCE: Skull-conformal phased arrays stand to improve patient comfort and have the potential to accelerate the adoption of transcranial FUS therapy by improving access to the technology.
Subject(s)
Skull , Ultrasonic Therapy , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Skull/diagnostic imaging , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , UltrasonographyABSTRACT
Focused ultrasound (FUS)-mediated blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening recently entered clinical testing for targeted drug delivery to the brain. Sources of variability exist in the current procedures, motivating the development of real-time monitoring and control techniques to improve treatment safety and efficacy. Here we used three-dimensional (3D) transcranial microbubble imaging to calibrate FUS exposure levels for volumetric BBB opening. Methods: Using a sparse hemispherical transmit/receive ultrasound phased array, pulsed ultrasound was focused transcranially into the thalamus of rabbits during microbubble infusion and multi-channel 3D beamforming was performed online with receiver signals captured at the subharmonic frequency. Pressures were increased pulse-by-pulse until subharmonic activity was detected on acoustic imaging (psub), and tissue volumes surrounding the calibration point were exposed at 50-100%psub via rapid electronic beam steering. Results: Spatially-coherent subharmonic microbubble activity was successfully reconstructed transcranially in vivo during calibration sonications. Multi-point exposures induced volumetric regions of elevated BBB permeability assessed via contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). At exposure levels ≥75%psub, MRI and histological examination occasionally revealed tissue damage, whereas sonications at 50%psub were performed safely. Substantial intra-grid variability of FUS-induced bioeffects was observed via MRI, prompting future development of multi-point calibration schemes for improved treatment consistency. Receiver array sparsity and sensor configuration had substantial impacts on subharmonic detection sensitivity, and are factors that should be considered when designing next-generation clinical FUS brain therapy systems. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that 3D subharmonic imaging can be used to calibrate exposure levels for safe FUS-induced volumetric BBB opening, and should be explored further as a method for cavitation-mediated treatment guidance.
Subject(s)
Blood-Brain Barrier/diagnostic imaging , Drug Delivery Systems , Microbubbles , Animals , Brain/diagnostic imaging , Contrast Media , Imaging, Three-Dimensional , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Rabbits , Retrospective Studies , Ultrasonic Therapy , UltrasonographyABSTRACT
Dynamic contrast enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US) is evolving as a promising tool to noninvasively quantify relative tissue perfusion in organs and solid tumours. Quantification using the method of disruption replenishment is best performed using a model that accurately describes the replenishment of microbubble contrast agents through the ultrasound imaging plane. In this study, the lognormal perfusion model was validated using an exposed in vivo rabbit kidney model. Compared against an implanted transit time flow meter, longitudinal relative flow measurement was (×3) less variable and correlated better when quantification was performed with the lognormal perfusion model (Spearman r = 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.05) vs. the prevailing mono-exponential model (Spearman r = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.18). Disruption-replenishment measurements using the lognormal perfusion model were reproducible in vivo to within 12%.