Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus.
Int J Med Robot. 2023 Oct;19(5):e2525. doi: 10.1002/rcs.2525. Epub 2023 May 7.
Herein, a robotic system offering Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) therapy of thyroid nodules was developed.
The robotic system offers linear motion in 2 PC-controlled axes that navigate a 3 MHz single-element focused transducer. The system, through a C-arm structure attaches to the table of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners and couples to the neck of patients lying in the supine position. The MRI compatibility of the developed system was assessed inside a 3 T scanner. Benchtop and MRI feasibility studies evaluating the heating performance of the system were executed on excised pork tissue and on homogeneous and thyroid model agar-based phantoms.
The MRI compatibility of the system was successfully established. Grid sonications executed using robotic motion inflicted discrete and overlapping lesions on the excised tissue, while magnetic resonance (MR) thermometry successfully monitored thermal heating in agar-based phantoms.
The developed system was found to be efficient with ex-vivo evaluation. The system can perform clinical MRgFUS therapy of thyroid nodules and other shallow targets after further in-vivo evaluation.
本文开发了一种提供磁共振引导聚焦超声（MRgFUS）治疗甲状腺结节的机器人系统。
该机器人系统提供 2 个由 PC 控制的线性运动轴，用于导航 3MHz 单元素聚焦换能器。该系统通过 C 臂结构连接到磁共振成像（MRI）扫描仪的桌子上，并连接到仰卧位患者的颈部。在 3T 扫描仪内评估了所开发系统的 MRI 兼容性。在离体猪肉组织以及同质和甲状腺模型琼脂基模型上进行了台式机和 MRI 可行性研究，以评估系统的加热性能。
成功建立了系统的 MRI 兼容性。使用机器人运动执行的网格超声在离体组织上造成离散且重叠的损伤，而磁共振（MR）测温成功地监测了琼脂基模型中的热加热。
离体评估发现该系统效率高。在进一步的体内评估后，该系统可用于临床 MRgFUS 治疗甲状腺结节和其他浅层靶标。
