smallAnimalMRgHIFU

smallAnimalMRgHIFU provides MR-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) delivery and closed-loop thermal control for preclinical small-animal studies to enable thermal and mechanical interventions, including hyperthermia, drug delivery, and blood–brain barrier modulation.

Key Features:

• Closed-Loop Feedback Controlled Thermometry: Real-time MR phase imaging provides thermometry that feeds a proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller which adjusts voltage output to maintain target focal temperature.
• Real-Time MRI Guidance: Real-time MRI monitoring enables dynamic adjustment of treatments to control both thermal and mechanical HIFU delivery.
• MR Acoustic Radiation Force Imaging (MR-ARFI): MR-ARFI confirms ultrasound focal position during mechanical and thermal treatments.
• Modular Software Architecture: Software controls a waveform generator and amplifier that drive the focused ultrasound (FUS) transducer and manages real-time data acquisition and processing.
• CAD-Designed Therapy Table: Detailed CAD drawings specify a therapy table for integration of the transducer and hardware within preclinical MRI scanner bores.
• Hardware Integration and Transducer Motion: A FUS transducer is coupled to subjects via a water bath, embedded in the therapy table, and designed for two-dimensional translational movement from outside the magnet.
• Validation and Performance: System performance was validated with tissue-mimicking phantoms and in vivo murine tumor hyperthermia experiments, demonstrating precise temperature regulation with minimal overshoot for sustained sonications (up to 20 minutes).

Scientific Applications:

• Cancer Therapy: Controlled thermal dosing supports localized hyperthermia experiments in tumor models.
• Drug Delivery: Precise ultrasound-mediated blood–brain barrier opening facilitates studies of enhanced drug delivery to the brain.
• Mechanical and Thermal Treatments: Capability for both mechanical and thermal FUS enables investigation of diverse therapeutic strategies in small-animal models.

Methodology:

Real-time MR phase imaging is used for thermometry that feeds a PID controller which adjusts voltage output; software controls the waveform generator and amplifier and manages real-time data acquisition and processing; MR-ARFI is used to confirm focal position.