Design and Development of System Components for Therapeutic Ultrasound Devices: Enhancing Focused Ultrasound Treatments Using Cones with Clinical and Ergonomic Considerations

Focused ultrasound (FUS) is an emerging technique with the potential to revolutionize traditional treatment methods in the fields of oncology and neurosurgery. Recently, FUS treatments have shown potential for altering neural activity in the spinal cord, with the intent to alleviate pain. Preliminary animal studies using FUS have demonstrated the need for transducer accessories that can simplify the implementation of the transducer in the clinic. The coupling cone that was supplied with the transducer was designed for larger target tissues. Thus, surgeons have expressed a desire to adapt the cone design to be easier to use for smaller targets, such as the spinal cord. Here, we developed 3D printed cones, with smaller aperture sizes, for FUS transducers to assist surgeons in localizing the focal point of the transducers in a faster, and more intuitive manner. The cones were designed to not alter the original focal region of the transducers. This was experimentally confirmed by measuring the size of the focal region for the transducer with the new cones and comparing this data to measurements provided by the manufacturer. The new coupling cones will make the FUS transducers more ergonomic for use in stimulating the spinal cord in an animal model.