Ultrasonic Thermal Monitoring of the Brain Using Golay-Coded Excitations-Feasibility Study.

Thermal monitoring during focused ultrasound (FUS) transcranial procedures is mandatory and commonly performed by MRI. Transcranial ultrasonic thermal monitoring is an attractive alternative. Furthermore, using the therapeutic FUS transducer itself for this task is highly desirable.

Ultrasound-induced and MRI-monitored CuO nanoparticles release from micelle encapsulation.

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) have anticancer and antimicrobial activities. Moreover, they have a contrast enhancing effect in both MRI and ultrasound. Nonetheless, encapsulation is needed to control their toxic side effects and a mechanism for release on demand is required.

In vivo noninvasive three-dimensional (3D) assessment of microwave thermal ablation zone using non-contrast-enhanced x-ray CT.

Purpose: To develop an image processing methodology for noninvasive three-dimensional (3D) quantification of microwave thermal ablation zones in vivo using x-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging without injection of a contrast enhancing material.

Methods: Six microwave (MW) thermal ablation procedures were performed in three pigs. The ablations were performed with a constant heating duration of 8 min and power level of 30 W.

Copper oxide nanoparticles inhibit pancreatic tumor growth primarily by targeting tumor initiating cells.

Cancer stem cells, also termed tumor initiating cells (TICs), are a rare population of cells within the tumor mass which initiate tumor growth and metastasis. In pancreatic cancer, TICs significantly contribute to tumor re-growth after therapy, due to their intrinsic resistance. Here we demonstrate that copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) are cytotoxic against TIC-enriched PANC1 human pancreatic cancer cell cultures.

CORE-PI: Non-iterative convolution-based reconstruction for parallel MRI in the wavelet domain.

Purpose: To develop and test a novel parameter-free non-iterative wavelet domain method for reconstruction of undersampled multicoil MR data.

Theory And Methods: A linear parallel MRI method that operates in the Stationary Wavelet Transform (SWT) domain is proposed. The method is coined COnvolution-based REconstruction for Parallel MRI (CORE-PI).

Copper oxide loaded PLGA nanospheres: towards a multifunctional nanoscale platform for ultrasound-based imaging and therapy.

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) are increasingly becoming the subject of investigation exploring their potential use for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Recent work has demonstrated their anticancer potential, as well as contrast agent capabilities for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and through-transmission ultrasound. However, no capability of CuO-NPs has been demonstrated using conventional ultrasound systems, which, unlike the former, are widely deployed in the clinic.

Assessment of Coded Excitation Implementation for Estimating Heat-Induced Speed of Sound Changes.

Speed of sound (SoS) is an acoustic property that is highly sensitive to changes in tissues. SoS can be mapped non-invasively using ultrasonic through transmission wave tomography. This however, practically limits its clinical use to the breast.

Optical flow and image segmentation analysis for noninvasive precise mapping of microwave thermal ablation in X-ray CT scans - ex vivo study.

Purpose: To develop image processing algorithms for noninvasive mapping of microwave thermal ablation using X-ray CT.

Methods: Ten specimens of bovine liver were subjected to microwave ablation (20-80 W, 8 min) while scanned by X-ray CT at 5 s intervals. Specimens were cut and manually traced by two observers.

Ultrasonic computed tomography imaging of iron oxide nanoparticles.

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are becoming increasingly used and intensively investigated in the field of medical imaging. They are currently FDA approved for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and it would be highly desirable to visualize them by ultrasound as well. Previous reports using the conventional ultrasound B-scan (pulse-echo) imaging technique have shown very limited detectability of these particles.

Noninvasive microwave ablation zone radii estimation using x-ray CT image analysis.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to noninvasively and automatically estimate both the radius of the ablated liver tissue and the radius encircling the treated zone, which also defines where the tissue is definitely untreated during a microwave (MW) thermal ablation procedure.

Methods: Fourteen ex vivo bovine fresh liver specimens were ablated at 40 W using a 14 G microwave antenna, for durations of 3, 6, 8, and 10 min. The tissues were scanned every 5 s during the ablation using an x-ray CT scanner.

Non-invasive Measurement of Thermal Diffusivity Using High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound and Through-Transmission Ultrasonic Imaging.

Thermal diffusivity at the site ablated by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) plays an important role in the final therapeutic outcome, as it influences the temperature's spatial and temporal distribution. Moreover, as tissue thermal diffusivity is different in tumors as compared with normal tissue, it could also potentially be used as a new source of imaging contrast. The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of combining through-transmission ultrasonic imaging and HIFU to estimate thermal diffusivity non-invasively.

Copper oxide nanoparticles as contrast agents for MRI and ultrasound dual-modality imaging.

Multimodal medical imaging is gaining increased popularity in the clinic. This stems from the fact that data acquired from different physical phenomena may provide complementary information resulting in a more comprehensive picture of the pathological state. In this context, nano-sized contrast agents may augment the potential sensitivity of each imaging modality and allow targeted visualization of physiological points of interest (e.

Planar strain analysis of liver undergoing microwave thermal ablation using x-ray CT.

Purpose: To study the planar strain effects in liver during microwave (MW) thermal ablation as a means for tracking tissue expansion and contraction as a method for improving ablation monitoring.

Methods: 1.4 mm circular metallic markers were inserted into 16 ex-vivo bovine fresh liver specimens, that were subsequently ablated (with the markers inside the specimen) by 40 W of microwave energy, for 1, 2, 3, 6, and 10 min.

Noninvasive lipoma size reduction using high-intensity focused ultrasound.

Background: Lipomas are common benign mesenchymal tumors commonly removed using excision, but in certain cases, surgery is undesirable or ineffective. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) offers a noninvasive tumor ablation tool increasingly used in the clinic.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a noninvasive lipoma size reduction technology using HIFU.

Feasibility study of contrast-enhanced automated acoustic mammography.

The feasibility of implementing image subtraction in through-transmission breast sonography was examined. Acoustic mammograms of women with suspicious findings were obtained using through-transmission imaging. Precontrast images were initially acquired.

Safety and tolerability of a focused ultrasound device for treatment of adipose tissue in subjects undergoing abdominoplasty: a placebo-control pilot study.

Background: High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) lipolysis is a noninvasive alternative to existing surgical body-sculpting methods.

Objective: To evaluate the safety, tolerability, and histologic outcome of HIFU lipolysis using a novel device in human subjects.

Methods And Materials: In a single-blind pilot study, six healthy subjects scheduled to undergo abdominoplasty within 4 weeks received HIFU lipolysis on one side of the umbilicus.