The development of a robotic system for HIFU surgery applied to liver tumours

High intensity focused ultrasound is receiving increasing attention as a non-invasive method of destroying deep-seated tumours. This paper describes the early development of a novel system comprising of small multiple focused ultrasound transducers, attached to the end of a robotic manipulator, to ablate liver tumours. Small multiple transducers are proposed to minimise effects of off-focus hot spots, cavitation and to provide better access into the abdominal cavity. The design of a unique robotic manipulator is proposed to effectively scan the small combined focal region of the acoustic field throughout the volume of large tumours. This paper discusses the specification of the multiple HIFU transducers and the design of a concept robotic manipulator required for use in a surgical environment.