Ultrasound Therapy
Ultrasound-guided therapy
Ultrasound is increasingly used for real鈥憈ime guidance during minimally invasive procedures. Within PULS/e, we have recently started working on the development of ultrasound鈥慴ased navigation strategies that improve the accuracy, safety, and efficiency of image鈥慻uided interventions, together with industrial and clinical partners. This includes research on multimodal navigation, integration of X鈥憆ay with intracardiac echocardiography (ICE), and advanced tracking or registration methods to provide clinicians with spatial feedback during complex procedures.
A key focus of our work is intracardiac echocardiography for valve replacement surgery, where ultrasound images acquired from within the heart are used to support navigation and improve procedural control. By enhancing image clarity, designing dedicated markers for ICE鈥慴ased tracking, and integrating model鈥慴ased interpretation, we aim to reduce dependence on fluoroscopy and enable radiation鈥慺ree or radiation鈥憆educed guidance.
In parallel, we study how ultrasound can be used to monitor and evaluate catheter鈥慴ased ablation therapies, including both thermal and pulsed鈥慺ield approaches. Ultrasound provides real鈥憈ime information about lesion formation, tissue response, and catheter position. By combining data acquisition with signal processing and image analysis, we explore how ablation delivery can be monitored more reliably and how safety margins can be assessed during treatment.
Ultrasound鈥慏riven Tissue Regeneration & Engineering
Beyond its diagnostic and guiding capabilities, ultrasound can directly influence biological tissue. Together with the Soft Tissue Engineering & Mechanobiology (STEM) group of Prof. Carlijn Bouten, we investigate how acoustic fields can be used to modulate cellular behavior, stimulate tissue regeneration, and assess engineered constructs in a non鈥慸estructive manner using (photo)acoustic imaging.
This work explores the therapeutic potential of ultrasound in areas such as ultrasound鈥慸riven regeneration of damaged myocardium, and characterization of tissue鈥慹ngineered constructs without impairing structural integrity.
By integrating ultrasound physics, tissue biomechanics, and mechanobiology, this research line aims to create new therapeutic strategies that combine imaging, stimulation, and monitoring within a single platform.