Intracranial dual-mode IVUS transducer for image-guided brain therapy preliminary experiments

摘要

In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using 3.5-Fr IVUS catheters for minimally-invasive, image-guided hyperthermia treatment of tumors in the brain. Feasibility is demonstrated in two ways: 1) by fitting a 3.5-Fr IVUS catheter with a 5 × 0.5 × 0.22 mm PZT-4 transducer for 9-MHz imaging, and 2) by testing an identical transducer for therapy potential with 3.3-MHz CW excitation. The imaging transducer''s performance was compared to a 9-Fr, 9-MHz ICE catheter as a gold standard, visualizing a 2.5-cm cyst phantom and a postmortem ovine brain. The therapy transducer was able to maintain a power output of 700 mW, achieving a temperature rise of +19°C at a depth of 1.5 mm in excised brain tumor tissue.