Feasibility Study of Noninvasive Tumor Treatment with Focused Ultrasound
Date
2009-12-31Type
ArticleAuthor
Lweesy, Khaldon
Fraiwan, Luay
Al-Shalabi, Mais
Mohammad, Layali
Al-Oglah, Razan
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
This paper describes the design, construction, and evaluation of a three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound system to be
used for tumor treatment using high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). The system consists of two parts: an
ultrasonic therapy part and a treatment planning part. The ultrasonic therapy part consists of an ultrasound bowl-shaped
transducer made from lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and with a resonance frequency of 0.5 MHz. Electrical LC
matching circuit built for maximum electrical power delivery to the transducer, a function generator, and a power
amplifier. The ultrasonic therapy part is designed for generating a focus with high acoustical powers. The treatment
planning part consists of three stepper motors (responsible for moving the setup in the x- y- and z-directions), three
high-voltage high-current Darlington arrays (to supply the stepper motors with the required voltages and currents), and
C# software to perform the treatment planning. To assess the movement of the treatment planner, each of the three
stepper motors was moved forward and backward from end to end. Then the treatment planner was successfully driven
to cover cubes of dimensions of 1 × 1 × 1 cm3
, 2 × 2 × 2 cm3
, 4 × 4 × 4 cm3
, and 8 × 8 × 8 cm3
, with step sizes 0.5 mm,
1 mm, 2 mm, and 4 mm, respectively. Ex vivo experiments were performed and indicated the capability of the system
to generate lesions both on- and off-axis. Three different lesions, one on-axis and two off-axis, were successfully
generated.