3-Point support mechanical steering system for high intensity focused ultrasound.

We have developed a simple approach for mechanically scanning a focused bowl ultrasound (US) transducer for either hyperthermia or tissue ablation therapies called the 3-point support (3PS) mechanical steering technique. The scanning involves translation of the required 3D motion of the ultrasound transducer to the more manageable linear movement of three support rods. It is a cost-effective alternative, especially compared with electronic scanning and other previous implementations of mechanically scanned systems. The 3PS approach is particularly well suited for integration with our microwave breast imaging technique--the combination of which could be an effective, low-cost thermal therapy/monitoring approach. The results show that the US focus can be moved laterally in a spiral pattern 3 cm below the surface in a gel phantom and that similar patterns can be moved to multiple locations within the phantom volume in succession. The feasibility of simultaneously acquiring microwave thermal images is also demonstrated.