BME Senior Design: Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation
Project Background
Focused ultrasound (FUS) is a technology that uses the penetration of ultrasound waves to non-invasively and precisely target bones and body tissues with millimeter spatial precision. Due to this, FUS has emerged as a novel neuromodulation technology critical in developing therapies for neurological diseases. The nature of FUS allows for typical applications of this technology to require no incisions, allow for rapid recovery, and are minimally painful with few complications, serving as an effective tool in the outpatient setting.
Unfortunately, long-term FUS neuromodulation of target tissue is an unexplored technology that does not currently exist on the market, creating a problem for patients with Alzheimer’s disease who desire continuing noninvasive treatment. Creating this device would solve the problem of a current lack of a long-term FUS neuromodulation technique and unlock a promising way to non-invasively treat neurological diseases with great precision and efficiency. Keith Hengen’s lab at WashU is interested in exploring the development of this technology to operate in tandem with their research on how neural networks change with the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Need Statement
A device capable of adapting ultrasound technology to modulate targeted mouse brain regions over an extended period while simultaneously recording neural signals is necessary for the research efforts of the Hengen Lab in improving the current understanding of neural networks and brain structures in Alzheimer’s patients using animal models.