Ultrasound as Transcranial Neuroablation Tool in Phantoms: Preliminary Experimental Results
摘要
Ultrasound is gaining attention as a non-invasive technique for neuromodulation and ablation with potential applications to treat neurological conditions such as epilepsy. This study evaluates the feasibility of delivering focused ultrasound energy through cranial bone using brain phantoms with human skull. Experiments were conducted with the presence of adult temporal bones to assess the effects of bone on ultrasound transmission, energy deposition, and temperature increase. The results indicate significant attenuation and aberration caused by the bone, limiting energy delivery at the focal point. Temperature measurements in phantoms with bone showed a modest increase of 1.2 °C after 30 seconds of sonification at maximum excitation, insufficient to induce ablation. Energy calculations and comparison with literature data highlight the challenges in delivering therapeutic doses through the skull and suggest that multi-transducer arrays or increased power may be required. The study emphasizes the importance of precise energy quantification in neuromodulation and ablation protocols and identifies thinner skull windows as promising targets for future applications. These findings provide a foundation for developing focused ultrasound devices aimed at neurological therapies and contribute to the understanding of ultrasound-bone interaction in clinical contexts.