Biaxial technology for ultrasound therapeutic devices in preclinical research for brain disorders

Focused ultrasound (FUS) is a clinical approach that aim at non-invasive treatment of brain disorders. There are however technical barriers for its adoption, in particular for clinical applications that require selective stimulation of brain areas for therapy. This is particularly critical when validating these applications preclinically, where the size of the effect should compatible with small animals. Our group recently patented a method for better focusing the effect of ultrasound transducers. The method allows for controlled and small focus in conditions and sizes of devices that can be used in small animals, and later extended to clinical applications. The main objective of the project is to develop a new FUS transducer capable of achieving small spatial resolution enabling selective stimulation in a mouse brain, while remaining relevant for transcranial use in humans. We will use simulation studies to test different designs and optimize focusing. We will then design and build prototypes that ensure the optimum focusing with adequate ergonomics to perform animal studies.

Faculty Supervisor:

Bruce Pike;Samuel Pichardo

Student:

Sagid Delgado

Partner:

NovusTX Devices

Discipline:

Other

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Calgary