Technology

 

TOOsonix has developed a HIFU-based method and a device operating at significantly higher frequencies than the approximately max 10 MHz available to medical practitioners and researchers today.

HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) is a new and rapidly growing field in medical therapeutics, that has proved to be extremely successful in treating an increasing range of diseases and conditions from various cancers and Parkinson’s decease to purely cosmetic procedures. Many of these treatments were previously either impossible or extremely expensive to perform, but can now be done non-invasively and without hospitalization.

The HIFU functionality is similar to focusing a light beam with a magnifying glass. In HIFU it is however ultrasonic waves, which are focused into an intense point with very high power density. The HIFU functionality can therefore be characterized as follows:

• Ultrasound is focused into a small point with very high acoustic energy density
• The focal point can be created inside the body without surgical procedures etc.
• The very high power-density in the focal point creates a lesion and/or a thermal effect
• There is no effect from ultrasound outside focal point
• The local heating and cavitation in the focal point kills/activate cells
• The body’s immune system is activated to repair or renew affected cells

Growing cells are less resistant to heating, and doctors are therefore able to selectively target growing malignant cells. Highly efficient non-invasive procedures can therefore be performed without the need for anesthesia, pharmaceuticals or hospitalization.

TOOsonix has developed a HIFU-based method and a device operating at significantly higher frequencies than the approximately max 10 MHz available to medical practitioners and researchers today. The higher frequency (20 MHz) allows for ultrasound to be focused into much smaller points within the body than before. This is relevant in all applications where very small and delicate features must be treated without inflicting damage to near-by areas. Examples of this is:

• General dermatology
• Cosmetology
• Dermato-oncology
• Small-animal model research
• Ultrasound mediated drug delivery
• Fundamental HIFU Research
• Sonochemistry Research
• etc.

If you are interested in more information about this amazing new technology, we recommend that you start with this excellent video featuring Dr. Kassell, founder and chairman of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, and internationally acclaimed author John Grisham: