MRgFUS for brain and central nervous system disorders has been recognized as an exciting and groundbreaking technology in neurosurgery . It is rapidly evolving with many potential indications including the ability to treat disorders that were previously challenging as well as opening avenues for novel applications.
The ExAblate Neuro system is under clinical evaluation for:
• Functional Neurosurgery including Neuropathic pain and Essential Tremor (treated by Dr. Jeff Elias at UVA)
• Tumor ablation
• Stroke & targeted drug delivery are being evaluated in pre-clinical studies
The benefits of using high intensity focused ultrasound for precision lesioning in the brain have been understood for many years but the need for a craniotomy and the absence of imaging technologies delayed its development. For decades, therapeutic ultrasound through an intact skull was considered impossible due to disruption of the focused acoustic beam and skull heating.
ExAblate Neuro, pioneered by InSightec, combines MR imaging and focused ultrasound into MR guided Focused Ultrasound technology, and overcomes many of the technical barriers to non-invasive brain surgery, paving the way for renewed investigation of this modality to treat brain disorders.
How does MRgFUS work for the treatment of brain tissue?
The MRgFUS technology is being used with the ExAblate system. ExAblate is a medical device that involves a focused ultrasound system and an MRI scanner.
ExAblate delivers a pulse of focused ultrasound energy, called sonication, to the targeted tissue.
The treatment begins with a series of standard diagnostic MR images to identify the location and shape of tumor to be treated. The ExAblate computer uses the physician's designation of the target volume to plan the best way to cover the target volume with small spots during the treatment, a specific MR scan, which can be processed to identify changes in tissue temperature, provides a thermal map of the treatment volume to confirm the therapeutic effect. The thermal map is used to monitor the treatment in progress, and confirm that the ablation is proceeding according to plan.
The ability to provide pinpoint precision treatment at the planned target, without causing damage to any of the normal surrounding tissue, offers many potential advantages. It is non-invasive, incisionless, and bloodless, without bur holes or penetrating electrodes, reducing the risks of hemorrhage and infections. Since the skull remains intact there is no shifting of any tissues or neural structures within the brain during the procedure. Also, as no hardware is implanted, there is no electromagnetic noise interference, no need for programming follow-up or battery replacement or device management.
MRgFUS does not use ionizing radiation, so treatment may be repeated, may be staged as the disease progresses, and has no risks of toxicity and accumulated dose effects.
* Notice of IDE (applicable to USA only): the MRgFUS products and applications discussed here are currently used only for research. They are currently limited by the United States law to investigational use.
The ExAblate Neuro system is under clinical evaluation for:
• Functional Neurosurgery including Neuropathic pain and Essential Tremor (treated by Dr. Jeff Elias at UVA)
• Tumor ablation
• Stroke & targeted drug delivery are being evaluated in pre-clinical studies
The benefits of using high intensity focused ultrasound for precision lesioning in the brain have been understood for many years but the need for a craniotomy and the absence of imaging technologies delayed its development. For decades, therapeutic ultrasound through an intact skull was considered impossible due to disruption of the focused acoustic beam and skull heating.
ExAblate Neuro, pioneered by InSightec, combines MR imaging and focused ultrasound into MR guided Focused Ultrasound technology, and overcomes many of the technical barriers to non-invasive brain surgery, paving the way for renewed investigation of this modality to treat brain disorders.
How does MRgFUS work for the treatment of brain tissue?
The MRgFUS technology is being used with the ExAblate system. ExAblate is a medical device that involves a focused ultrasound system and an MRI scanner.
ExAblate delivers a pulse of focused ultrasound energy, called sonication, to the targeted tissue.
The treatment begins with a series of standard diagnostic MR images to identify the location and shape of tumor to be treated. The ExAblate computer uses the physician's designation of the target volume to plan the best way to cover the target volume with small spots during the treatment, a specific MR scan, which can be processed to identify changes in tissue temperature, provides a thermal map of the treatment volume to confirm the therapeutic effect. The thermal map is used to monitor the treatment in progress, and confirm that the ablation is proceeding according to plan.
The ability to provide pinpoint precision treatment at the planned target, without causing damage to any of the normal surrounding tissue, offers many potential advantages. It is non-invasive, incisionless, and bloodless, without bur holes or penetrating electrodes, reducing the risks of hemorrhage and infections. Since the skull remains intact there is no shifting of any tissues or neural structures within the brain during the procedure. Also, as no hardware is implanted, there is no electromagnetic noise interference, no need for programming follow-up or battery replacement or device management.
MRgFUS does not use ionizing radiation, so treatment may be repeated, may be staged as the disease progresses, and has no risks of toxicity and accumulated dose effects.
* Notice of IDE (applicable to USA only): the MRgFUS products and applications discussed here are currently used only for research. They are currently limited by the United States law to investigational use.
