A prototype stimulator system for noninvasive Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound delivery.

A prototype Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound (LIFU) stimulator system was developed to evaluate non-invasive neuromodulation in a large animal model. We conducted a feasibility study on a Göttingen minipig, demonstrating reversible, targeted transcranial neuromodulation. The hypothalamus of the minipig was repeatedly stimulated with LIFU which evoked temporally correlated increases in both heart rate and blood pressure.

A prototype surgical manipulator for robotic intraocular micro surgery.

A prototype manipulator system was developed for ophthalmologic microsurgery. The system, consisting of two parallel X-Y stages, can mechanically maintain a fixed-point of rotation at the surface of the eye, potentially reducing trauma during surgical procedures. The initial prototype was designed to function in concert with the da Vinci Surgical System for gross positioning. Robotic tests demonstrated the mechanical fitness of the prototype while an in vitro surgical sclerectomy was performed to demonstrate functionality of the approach.

A review of low-intensity focused ultrasound pulsation.

With the recent approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's Disease, dystonia and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for epilepsy and depression, and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for the treatment of depression, neuromodulation has become increasingly relevant to clinical research. However, these techniques have significant drawbacks (eg, lack of special specificity and depth for the rTMS, and invasiveness and cumbersome maintenance for DBS). This article reviews the background, rationale, and pilot studies to date, using a new brain stimulation method-low-intensity focused ultrasound pulsation (LIFUP). The ability of ultrasound to be focused noninvasively through the skull anywhere within the brain, together with concurrent imaging (ie, functional magnetic resonance imaging [fMRI]) techniques, may create a role for research and clinical use of LIFUP. This technique is still in preclinical testing and needs to be assessed thoroughly before being advanced to clinical trials. In this study, we review over 50 years of research data on the use of focused ultrasound (FUS) in neuronal tissue and live brain, and propose novel applications of this noninvasive neuromodulation method.