High-resolution ultrasound for guiding minimally invasive procedures
High Resolution Ultrasound in Interventional Radiology
Using a new real-time ultrasound device to help doctors guide biopsies and ablations in adults without radiation or iodinated contrast.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11286797 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project aims to build a new high-resolution real-time ultrasound that lets doctors watch needles and ablations in 3D without radiation or contrast. The team will create a wide 2D transducer made of tiled modules, image multiple adjacent planes to visualize instruments, and use fast plane-wave transmissions to produce about 30 volumetric updates per second. They will add software for aberration correction and implement B-Mode, color Doppler, volumetric flow, and contrast imaging to show anatomy and blood flow. The work will move from device and algorithm development toward use in adult abdominal image-guided procedures.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (21+) who are scheduled for or considering image-guided abdominal procedures such as biopsies, tumor ablations, or other minimally invasive interventions.
Not a fit: People under 21, patients whose procedures do not use ultrasound guidance, or those who specifically need CT-based imaging details are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let clinicians target biopsies and ablations more precisely and safely while avoiding ionizing radiation and iodinated contrast.
How similar studies have performed: Prior work has improved ultrasound resolution and plane-wave imaging, but this particular integrated high-resolution volumetric approach is relatively novel and not yet widely tested in patients.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ferrara, Katherine W — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Ferrara, Katherine W
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.