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Simple, inexpensive, and ergonomic phantom for quality assurance control of MRI guided Focused Ultrasound systems

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Abstract

Purpose

The popularity of Magnetic Resonance guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) as a beneficial therapeutic solution for many diseases is increasing rapidly, thus raising the need for reliable quality assurance (QA) phantoms for routine testing of MRgFUS systems. In this study, we propose a thin acrylic film as the cheapest and most easily accessible phantom for assessing the functionality of MRgFUS hardware and software.

Methods

Through the paper, specific QA tests are detailed in the framework of evaluating an MRgFUS preclinical robotic device comprising a single element spherically focused transducer with a nominal frequency of 2.75 MHz. These tests take advantage of the reflection of ultrasonic waves at a plastic–air interface, which results in almost immediate lesion formation on the film at a threshold of applied acoustic energy.

Results

The phantom offered qualitative information on the power field distribution of the FUS transducer and the ability to visualize different FUS protocols. It also enabled quick and reliable assessment of various navigation algorithms as they are used in real treatments, and also allowed for the assessment of the accuracy of robotic motion.

Conclusion

Therefore, it could serve as a useful tool for detecting defects in system’s performance over its lifetime after establishing a baseline while concurrently contributing to establish QA and calibration guidelines for clinical routine controls.

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Acknowledgements

The study was co-funded by the European Structural & Investment Funds (ESIF) and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) under the project SOUNDPET (INTEGRATED/0918/0008).

Funding

This research was supported by Research and Innovation Foundation of Cyprus, SOUNDPET (INTEGRATED/0918/0008).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, 30 Archbishop Kyprianou Street, 3036, Limassol, Cyprus

    Anastasia Antoniou & Christakis Damianou

Authors
  1. Anastasia Antoniou
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  2. Christakis Damianou
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Contributions

AA contributed to the drafting of manuscript and scientific methods. CD had the overall supervision of the study.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christakis Damianou.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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The study does not involve animals or human participants.

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Antoniou, A., Damianou, C. Simple, inexpensive, and ergonomic phantom for quality assurance control of MRI guided Focused Ultrasound systems. J Ultrasound 26, 401–408 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-022-00740-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-022-00740-w

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