This technology is a wearable focused ultrasound device that can simultaneously modulate and map the brain by temporarily disrupting the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
Current focused ultrasound techniques can be used for noninvasive treatment of brain tissue during various neurological disorders that would be otherwise difficult to treat due to the impermeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Repetitive courses of focused ultrasound treatment can be used to provide consistent drug delivery or neuromodulation. However, most systems for focused ultrasound utilize bulky and immovable equipment that can be unsuitable for use outside of a clinical setting. There are currently no convenient and simple techniques for the modulation and mapping of brain tissue using functional ultrasound.
This device is a wearable ultrasound assembly designed for modulating and mapping brain tissue. This wearable ultrasound device includes a flexible circuit with housing and ultrasound transducers and a CMOS chip that can be secured to the patient’s head and aligned to target specific regions of brain tissue with processors to spatially map the cavitation signal magnitude. In addition, EEG sensors are attached to the assembly to detect a neuronal signal. As a result, focused ultrasound can be provided at an acoustic pressure to modulate the target region. Microbubbles can then be introduced prior to or during treatment to induce mechanical stress into the brain tissue and temporarily open the blood-brain barrier. This device, therefore, offers a simplified and effective approach for using focused ultrasound for numerous neurological conditions such as Central Nervous System (CNS) diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease, neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s Disease and Huntington’s Disease, and psychiatric disorder (e.g., schizophrenia and depression).
This technology has been validated in mouse models.
Patent Issued (US11,577,096)
