Olmo Alberto, Barroso Pablo, Barroso Fatima, Risco Ramon
IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control. 2021 Mar;68(3):599-607. doi: 10.1109/TUFFC.2020.3016950. Epub 2021 Feb 25.
High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been used in different medical applications in the last years. In this work, we present for the first time the use of HIFU in the field of cryopreservation, the preservation of biological material at low temperatures. An HIFU system has been designed with the objective of achieving a fast and uniform rewarming in organs, key to overcome the critical problem of devitrification. The finite-element simulations have been carried out using COMSOL Multiphysics software. An array of 26 ultrasonic transducers was simulated, achieving an HIFU focal area in the order of magnitude of a model organ (ovary). A parametric study of the warming rate and temperature gradients, as a function of the frequency and power of ultrasonic waves, was performed. An optimal value for these parameters was found. The results validate the appropriateness of the technique, which is of utmost importance for the future creation of cryopreserved organ banks.
近年来，高强度聚焦超声（HIFU）已应用于不同的医学领域。在这项工作中，我们首次展示了HIFU在低温保存（即生物材料在低温下的保存）领域的应用。设计了一种HIFU系统，目的是在器官中实现快速且均匀的复温，这是克服反玻璃化这一关键问题的关键。使用COMSOL Multiphysics软件进行了有限元模拟。模拟了一个由26个超声换能器组成的阵列，在一个模型器官（卵巢）的量级上实现了一个HIFU焦点区域。针对作为超声波频率和功率函数的复温速率和温度梯度进行了参数研究。找到了这些参数的最佳值。结果验证了该技术的适用性，这对于未来建立冷冻保存器官库至关重要。
