Based on silicon micromachining technology and taking advantage of electronics integration, CMUT technology is gradually finding its place in medical ultrasound applications. Large 2D CMUT arrays with integrated CMOS electronics (CMUT-on-CMOS) have recently enabled commercialization of low-cost handheld ultrasound systems with 3D imaging capability operating in the 1-10MHz range.
When paired with MRI-guidance, focused ultrasound (FUS) can target mechanical energy into deep-seated anatomical or physiological sites within the body. This focused energy application can alter tissue function through either thermal or mechanical interactions. Introducing micron-sized gas bubble contrast agents alongside FUS further enhances this approach by locally increasing blood vessel wall permeability, facilitating improved diffusion of drugs from the bloodstream into specific tissues.
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) represents a challenging clinical problem affecting 15–20% of people over 70 years of age due to the diffuse nature of atheroma deposition throughout the arterial bed. Management of PAD with angioplasty and bare metal stents is complicated by restenosis.
Over the last 4 years significant strides have been made in the field of imaging . The use of AI in the field of radiology has significantly developed in recent years, particularly in the diagnosis of chest, liver, thyroid and breast diseases. The journey of AI in obstetric ultrasound has just begun. Fetal mobility, changing fetal anatomy with gestational age , and obtaining large datasets of specific anatomical planes and artifacts in images are some of the challenges that need to be overcome while preparing training datasets . Inter and intraobserver variability in real time ultrasound adds another layer of difficulty to fix the “ground truth”.
