Non-invasive device destroys tumors with sound waves

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a device that uses ultrasound waves to destroy tumors in the liver.

HistoSonics' tumor-destroying device. Photo: Erica Bass — HistoSonics' tumor-destroying device. Photo: *Erica Bass*

The device, called histotripsy, requires no needles, no knives, and no drugs. It was developed by HistoSonics, a company founded in 2009 by engineers and doctors at the University of Michigan, Popular Science reported on October 15. The decision to grant the license came after a series of clinical trials showed that the device could effectively destroy liver tumors while still being safe for patients. Hospitals in the US can now purchase the device and provide treatment options to patients.

The machine works by directing high-energy ultrasound pulses at the tumor, creating clusters of microbubbles inside. As the bubbles form and burst, they put pressure on surrounding cells and tissues, causing the tumor’s internal structure to break down, leaving behind fragments that the immune system can then deal with.

After the patient is anesthetized, a treatment head that looks like a pair of virtual reality goggles is placed over their abdomen. The doctor looks through a monitor screen to see and locate the tumor. Then they send out sound waves. The process is quick and painless, and recovery time after treatment is very short.

The dual cameras also allow doctors to see the sound waves directed at the tumor while avoiding other parts of the body. The robotic arm removes obstacles to better target the tumor. In the process, the patient’s immune system also learns to recognize tumor cells as a threat, preventing reinfection or metastasis in 80 percent of mice.

The results are encouraging. Tissue milling has been used in many preclinical studies for tumors outside the brain, such as kidney, breast, pancreatic, and musculoskeletal cancers. Outside tumors, a similar technique called lithotripsy can also painfully break up kidney stones until they are small enough to pass naturally through the body.

An Khang (According to Popsci )

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