Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute partners with INSIGHTEC to research focused ultrasound technology
January 29th, 2018
Researchers at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute (VTCRI) are partnering with INSIGHTEC to develop noninvasive treatments for brain disorders using Exablate Neuro focused ultrasound and Siemens MR imaging.
Through this collaboration, the institute became INSIGHTEC's first nonclinical research site.
“There is considerable basic research to be done in order to develop safe and efficacious protocols for these treatments, and we are excited to be one of the research sites to carry this breakthrough technology forward,” said Stephen LaConte, an associate professor with VTCRI and also with the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics in the College of Engineering.
VTCRI Executive Director Michael Friedlander has worked closely with the Focused Ultrasound Foundation in Charlottesville, Virginia, to develop collaborations on the application of MR-guided Focused Ultrasound research programs at VTCRI.
These approaches include potential noninvasive treatments of cancer, including for brain tumors; targeted disruption of the blood-brain barrier for delivery of therapeutics to the brain; and neuromodulation to treat psychiatric disorders.