Therapy Ultrasound Network for Drug Delivery & Ablation Research (ThUNDDAR)
Lead Research Organisation:
Institute of Cancer Research
Department Name: Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging
Abstract
Therapeutic ultrasound (ThUS) has enormous potential as a minimally invasive treatment modality with applications ranging from the treatment of cancer and stroke, to fracture healing and neuromodulation. It is uniquely versatile, offering a non-invasive technique with the ability to thermally ablate tissue, to mechanically fragment tissue or to enhance drug delivery, depending on the way in which the acoustic energy is delivered. However, despite highly promising initial trials and its considerable advantages in terms of cost and patient safety, widespread clinical adoption has been hindered by a combination of factors. These include: poor understanding of the mechanisms of action, lack of effective treatment monitoring, absence of standardised treatment protocols and poor communication between basic scientists, engineers and clinicians. The main focus of the Therapeutic Ultrasound for Drug Delivery and Ablation Research (ThUNDDAR) Network is to address these factors by stimulating translational research that will enable the potential of therapeutic ultrasound to be fully realised. The Network brings together engineers, physicists, mathematicians, chemists, biologists, industry and clinicians as well as patient groups and regulatory bodies to identify and break down existing, and future, barriers to the use of therapeutic ultrasound in the UK and throughout the world.
ThUNDDAR's activities will include the organisation of specialist meetings, seed funding for pilot studies that cross disciplinary and institutional boundaries, and the production of web based information about therapy ultrasound for the benefit of industry, clinical users, health commissioners and patient groups.
ThUNDDAR's activities will include the organisation of specialist meetings, seed funding for pilot studies that cross disciplinary and institutional boundaries, and the production of web based information about therapy ultrasound for the benefit of industry, clinical users, health commissioners and patient groups.
Planned Impact
There are many beneficiaries of the work of ThUNNDAR. The potential benefits of therapeutic ultrasound as a minimally-invasive treatment for many types of cancer, neurological disorders, hypertension and cardiovascular disease could have a huge impact on the lives of thousands of people every year. The economic benefits will follow due to a healthier workforce. One of the main objectives of ThUNDDAR is to establish and maintain a leading role for the UK research community in therapeutic ultrasound and to see much shortened timelines to first-in-man trials for the resulting research outputs. Additionally the Network will actively seek ways of increasing the revenue of UK industry in this area by creating a viable lab-to-product pipeline. The Network will engage with MHRA and NICE at the outset to identify any bottlenecks in the regulatory approval pathway for academic-led therapeutic ultrasound projects. Early clinical application of outcomes leading to more efficacious treatments could produce significant cost-savings for the NHS. Through the portfolio of collaborative, interdisciplinary projects, the Network will aim to increase the international profile of the UK research community. By fostering old and new collaborations and generating novel and exciting research ThUNNDAR will strengthen the knowledge base of the UK community in both the applications and the underlying mechanisms involved in therapeutic ultrasound. Senior clinicians will be involved with the Network from the outset to ensure their direct input into defining a UK-wide strategy for research, translation of the outputs and identification of resources for follow-on activities such as clinical trials. The research strategies developed by the Network will also be expected to impact on research investment policies in the UK. ThUNDDAR will encourage the involvement of early career researchers in networking activities who will be thus exposed to a wide community of academic, clinical and industrial contacts. ThUNDDAR will also aim to increase the public awareness of advances with this exciting new therapeutic tool for many life-threatening and debilitating diseases. The Network boasts some of the best science communicators in UK academia today with experience of engaging with the public via routes such as The Royal Society Summer Exhibition, radio and TV, YouTube, school visits etc. ThUNDDAR website will be professionally designed with a section for explaining the science and applications of therapeutic ultrasound in easy to digest language for the general public. The Network Newsletter will also keep the public informed about the latest progress within the community.
Organisations
- Institute of Cancer Research (Lead Research Organisation)
- University of Glasgow (Collaboration)
- University of Granada (Collaboration)
- University College London (Collaboration)
- University of Twente (Collaboration)
- Technical University of Munich (Collaboration)
- British Medical Ultrasound Society (Collaboration)
- National Physical Laboratory (Collaboration)
- Royal Marsden Hospital (Collaboration)
- The Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg (Collaboration)
- IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH (Collaboration)
- University of Geneva (Collaboration)
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) (Collaboration)
- City, University of London (Collaboration)
- Sorbonne Universités (Collaboration)
- Institute of Cancer Research UK (Collaboration)
- St Thomas' Hospital (Collaboration)
- Precision Acoustics Ltd (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE (Collaboration)
- KING'S COLLEGE LONDON (Collaboration)
Publications
Abou-Saleh RH
(2019)
Molecular Effects of Glycerol on Lipid Monolayers at the Gas-Liquid Interface: Impact on Microbubble Physical and Mechanical Properties.
in Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
Adams C
(2018)
HIFU Drive System Miniaturization Using Harmonic Reduced Pulsewidth Modulation.
in IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control
Ambrogio S
(2020)
A Polyvinyl Alcohol-Based Thermochromic Material for Ultrasound Therapy Phantoms.
in Ultrasound in medicine & biology
Awad NS
(2021)
Ultrasound-Responsive Nanocarriers in Cancer Treatment: A Review.
in ACS pharmacology & translational science
Bawiec CR
(2021)
Inertial Cavitation Behaviors Induced by Nonlinear Focused Ultrasound Pulses.
in IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control
Betcke T
(2019)
Boundary Element Methods with Weakly Imposed Boundary Conditions
in SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing
Brüningk SC
(2020)
3D tumour spheroids for the prediction of the effects of radiation and hyperthermia treatments.
in Scientific reports
Brüningk SC
(2019)
A cellular automaton model for spheroid response to radiation and hyperthermia treatments.
in Scientific reports
Brüningk SC
(2019)
Focused Ultrasound-Mediated Hyperthermia in Vitro: An Experimental Arrangement for Treating Cells under Tissue-Mimicking Conditions.
in Ultrasound in medicine & biology
| Title | A week in the mountains - Therapy Ultrasound Under Scrutiny |
| Description | Film maker Martin Freeth follows delegates attending the ThUNDDAR network sponsored winter school through a series of interviews. This week long event was designed as an introduction to the wide ranging field of ultrasound therapy, accessible to students of any discipline. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Impact | The interviews have received over 300 views on youtube |
| URL | https://thunddar.org/video-resources/ |
| Title | Haifu: The Patients' Story |
| Description | Film maker Martin Freeth documents a medical team in Chong Qing successfully treating thousands of women for Utirine fibroids. They are collaborating with medics in Oxford to bring this treatment to the UK. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Impact | This video has received 47 views so far via the ThUNDDAR website |
| URL | https://vimeo.com/347696439 |
| Title | The case of the disappearing essential tremor |
| Description | Film maker Martin Freeth has created a series of films on therapeutic ultrasound. In this film Professor Wady Gedroyc and his colleagues at St Mary's Hospital cure Dinesh Kotecha's debilitating tremor |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Impact | This video has been watched 45,171 times since 2017 according to YouTube |
| URL | https://thunddar.org/video-resources/ |
| Title | Ultrasound Therapy: The Basics |
| Description | Professor Gail ter Haar and animator Anne Marie Walsh team up to provide an engaging basic explanation of how focused ultrasound can be used both for treatment and to target drug therapy. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Impact | This video has received 2431 views on youtube since it's initial posting. |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8F24Y_tOg4 |
| Description | This grant funded a Network that was designed to inform both the public, and professionals about the potential of therapy ultrasound. This was done by funding pilot projects, running workshops, a website and webinars. As a result of this Network a number of UK groups have started to collaborate, resulting in new grant funding, and peer reviewed publications. The website introduces therapy ultrasound, hosts webinars on specialist topics, and has interviews with some group leaders in this area. We believe that this has raised the profile of UK therapy ultrasound, and allowed us to grow the network. The YouTube channel associated with this award has attracted 321 subscribers. |
| Exploitation Route | It is hoped that clinicians will recognise the potential applications of these techniques. The British Medical Ultrasound Society has agreed to help to continue to raise the profile of therapy ultrasound by hosting a one day session on this topic at their AGM, and by trying to include more on this topic in their other activities. IPEM is also interested in introducing therapy ultrasound sessions to their meetings. In addition, the newly formed UK focused ultrasound charity (UK FUSF) has agreed to help continue the aims of this network once they have gained traction in the UK, with particular emphasis on clinical translation. The Health Economics grant funded by ThUNDDAR contributed to the approval of HIFU for the treatment of essential tremor by NICE. |
| Sectors | Environment Healthcare Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| URL | https://thunddar.org/ |
| Description | ThUNDDAR has sponsored 4 (lay) films targeted at potential therapy ultrasound patients. The film on essential tremor has been viewed 55,000 times since 2017 according to YouTube, and that explaining therapy ultrasound more than 3000 times. ThUNDDAR Live webinars have been viewed by many people, with as many as 1400 viewing some. The YouTube channel has 373 subscribers. The numbers suggest that this website is visited by patients looking for more information about therapy ultrasound treatments, and for alternatives to more available therapies. ThUNDDAR network members report an increase in the number of unsolicited contacts requesting advice on potential therapy ultrasound treatments. The ThUNDDAR website has had an average of 770 visits per month since March 2022. We know that potential patients visit the website when trying to decide whether to undergo ultrasound therapy or when looking for alternative treatments. Despite presentations in specialist clinical meetings, it has been disappointing that the increase in clinical uptake has been slow. In part this is due to the lack of available devices, but it is hoped that this will be addressed by the new UK Focused Ultrasound Foundation charity. They have been very involved with ThUNDDAR activities, and cite ThUNDDAR wherever they can. ThUNDDAR sponsored a health economics study that contributed to the approval of NICE of HIFU for essential tremor. Members of the ThUNDDAR community have also worked together to gain NICE approval of HIFU treatment of uterine fibroids. |
| Sector | Healthcare |
| Impact Types | Societal Policy & public services |
| Description | AAPM Group on characterisation of MRgHIFU |
| Geographic Reach | North America |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Impact | Better characterisation of MR guided HIFU treatments will lead to more effective and safer treatments. A document describing this is in Press. The committee is still working (2023) |
| Description | Executive committee of Centre for Convergent Science |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
| Description | Reporting Guidelines |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Description | CRCE (Joint ICR/Imperial College fund) |
| Amount | £20,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Institute of Cancer Research UK |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2018 |
| End | 12/2018 |
| Description | Optimising patient specific treatment plans for ultrasound ablative therapies in the abdomen (OptimUS) |
| Amount | £930,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/P013309/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2017 |
| End | 01/2020 |
| Description | Optimising patient specific treatment plans for ultrasound ablative therapies in the abdomen (OptimUS) |
| Amount | £706,803 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/P012434/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2017 |
| End | 08/2021 |
| Description | ScotPEN-Wellcome Research Enrichment Funding Pilot Scheme |
| Amount | £29,950 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2020 |
| End | 09/2021 |
| Description | Semi-autonomous non-invasive surgery: The "outside in" of molecular-targeted theranostics for cancer |
| Amount | £666,643 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/S001069/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2018 |
| End | 06/2022 |
| Description | The Cure Starts Now / The DIPG Collective |
| Amount | $100,000 (USD) |
| Organisation | DIPG Collaborative |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 12/2018 |
| End | 12/2019 |
| Description | UCL therapeutic innovation network, devices and diagnostics scheme |
| Amount | £9,494 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Ultrasound guided high intensity focused ultrasound for non-invasive cancer treatments |
| Amount | £79,800 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | POC 000129 |
| Organisation | Grow MedTech |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Title | Fibre optic hydrophones for cavitation detection |
| Description | It is necessary to monitor acoustic cavitation during clinical HIFU exposures. The use of an implanted fibre optic hydrophone has allowed this. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | We routinely use fibre optic hydrophones now for cavitation monitoring, and other groups are also beginning to do so following publication of our paper on the subject |
| Title | OptimUS |
| Description | Library of routines for the propagation of ultrasonic waves in heterogeneous media with a Python interface. Accurate simulation of ultrasound interaction with human anatomical features and pathologies will reduce the reliance on the use of animal models in the long run. |
| Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The computer models in the repository will soon be released to the public. The date for going public has been pushed back due to the Covid pandemic, but it is hoped it will happen in 2022. |
| URL | https://github.com/UCL/OptimUS_Bempp |
| Description | A Pilot Study on the Treatment of Age-related Macular Degeneration by Ultrasound |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Department | Institute of Ophthalmology UCL |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | ICR provided the methods for growing cells in collagen gels |
| Collaborator Contribution | UCL mechanical engineering, The Institute of Ophthalmology and ICR worked together to develop an in vitro model of the back of the eye. |
| Impact | in preparation; "Evaluation of a viscoelastic multi-layered phantom as a potential in vitro model of the back of the eye", aiming for the Journal of Materials Science. 1. invited talk at British Mathematical Colloquium; the Symposium of Multiscale Modelling, Theory, Simulations, and Experiments: Application to Real- world Biophysical Systems, Glasgow, Scotland (April 2021). 2. invited talk on the applications of therapeutic ultrasound in ophthalmology at a Research Network Meeting, UCL IoO (March 2021). Developed a computational tool in MATLAB and Python, using a hybrid Boundary Element Method-Finite Difference Time Domain (BEM-FDTD) method (2D axisymmetric) to calculate the propagation of focused ultrasound and induced shear waves in multiple viscous/viscoelastic domains. |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | BMUS |
| Organisation | British Medical Ultrasound Society |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | ThUNDDAR decides the final programme for one day meetings as a part of BMUS AGM |
| Collaborator Contribution | ThUNDDAR holds a one day meeting at the BMUS annual general meeting, thus exposing a wider audience to the potential of therapy ultrasound. BMUS organizes meeting registration and facilities |
| Impact | Annual meetings attended by up to 50 meetings. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | CRCE |
| Organisation | Imperial College London |
| Department | Department of Bioengineering |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Study of nanodroplet enhanced histotrispy to provide pilot data for grant funding |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaborators facilitated and participated in studies |
| Impact | Pilot data which is being used in grant applications currently being drafted |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | CRCE ICR/Imperial Joint studentship |
| Organisation | Imperial College London |
| Department | Faculty of Engineering |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Development of project, application for funding, supervision of student |
| Collaborator Contribution | Development of project, application for funding, supervision of student |
| Impact | PhD studentship |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | CRCE ICR/Imperial Joint studentship |
| Organisation | Imperial College London |
| Department | Faculty of Engineering |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Development of project, application for funding, supervision of student |
| Collaborator Contribution | Development of project, application for funding, supervision of student |
| Impact | PhD studentship |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Development of contrast microbubbles for preclinical applications |
| Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
| Department | School of Clinical Sciences and Community Health Edinburgh |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | 6-week research visit to Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies, La Sapienza University Oct- Nov 2021 |
| Collaborator Contribution | Development of contrast microbubbles for preclinical applications |
| Impact | Development of contrast microbubbles for preclinical applications |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Dundee/Oxford |
| Organisation | University of Dundee |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | University of Dundee provided the tissue mimicking phantoms and University of Oxford the photoacoustic imaging required for the project |
| Collaborator Contribution | University of Dundee provided the tissue mimicking phantoms and University of Oxford the photoacoustic imaging required for the project |
| Impact | Rapid three-dimensional mapping of HIFU-induced hyperthermia,"James Joseph, Jason L Raymond. Presented at the 52ND ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING OF THE BRITISH MEDICAL ULTRASOUND SOCIETY, 30 November 2021. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Edinburgh/Leeds |
| Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | ThUNDDAR funded pilot study 'Investigation of the ability of gas-filled nano-bubbles to deliver hydrophobic and hydrophilic com-pounds to the brain by disruption of the blood brain barrier (BBB) using focused ultrasound' to establish collaboration |
| Collaborator Contribution | ThUNDDAR funded pilot study 'Investigation of the ability of gas-filled nano-bubbles to deliver hydrophobic and hydrophilic com-pounds to the brain by disruption of the blood brain barrier (BBB) using focused ultrasound' to establish collaboration |
| Impact | Results presented at British Medical Ultrasound Society's Annual Scientific Meeting 2017, BNA Festival of Neursocience 2017 |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Edinburgh/Leeds |
| Organisation | University of Leeds |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | ThUNDDAR funded pilot study 'Investigation of the ability of gas-filled nano-bubbles to deliver hydrophobic and hydrophilic com-pounds to the brain by disruption of the blood brain barrier (BBB) using focused ultrasound' to establish collaboration |
| Collaborator Contribution | ThUNDDAR funded pilot study 'Investigation of the ability of gas-filled nano-bubbles to deliver hydrophobic and hydrophilic com-pounds to the brain by disruption of the blood brain barrier (BBB) using focused ultrasound' to establish collaboration |
| Impact | Results presented at British Medical Ultrasound Society's Annual Scientific Meeting 2017, BNA Festival of Neursocience 2017 |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Imperial |
| Organisation | Imperial College London |
| Department | Faculty of Medicine |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | co-director of Network |
| Collaborator Contribution | co-director of network |
| Impact | We have held workshops and training schools. Multidisciplinary network, involving physicists, engineers, biologists, clinicians, vets, industry and others |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Imperial College |
| Organisation | Imperial College London |
| Department | Department of Chemical Engineering |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We co-supervise a student working on the effects of acoustic streaming set up by single bubbles on blood vessel walls. Much of the experimental work is carried out at ICR |
| Collaborator Contribution | Imperial College is funding the research, and leading the theoretical aspects of this work |
| Impact | presentations at informal seminars |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | King's College London |
| Organisation | King's College London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Added to network |
| Collaborator Contribution | network participation |
| Impact | Participation in network events |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Leeds |
| Organisation | University of Leeds |
| Department | School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering Leeds |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | co-director of Network |
| Collaborator Contribution | co-director of Network |
| Impact | We have held workshops and training schools. Multidisciplinary network, involving physicists, engineers, biologists, clinicians, vets, industry and others |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Leeds/Glasgow pilot |
| Organisation | University of Glasgow |
| Department | School of Engineering Glasgow |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | ThUNDDAR pilot study: A mechanistic study of acoustic emissions from controlled microbubble populations exposed to focused ultrasound |
| Collaborator Contribution | ThUNDDAR pilot study: A mechanistic study of acoustic emissions from controlled microbubble populations exposed to focused ultrasound Project Aim: This collaborative project between the ultrasound groups based and the Universities of Glasgow and Leeds, was aiming to combine the use of high speed optical imaging with passive acoustic mapping (PAM) in order to investigate the behaviour of microbubble clusters under exposure from 692 kHz high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). Outcome Summary: A BK medical high frequency (8-40 MHz) linear ultrasound array, was integrated with the ultrasound array research platform (UARP). This involved the manufacture of a new connector plate (Figure 1a) to ensure each element of the array was connected to the correct system channel, enabling the saving of the raw RF data generated during HIFU exposures. A contact at BK medical was able to provide a pin-out diagram for this specific model of transducer to achieve this. The unavailability of this information for the originally stated Visualsonics probe was why the BK medical probe was used in this study. The UARP was transported and installed in the ultrasound lab at the University of Glasgow for a period of a month. It was integrated in the experimental setup shown in Figure 1b, for studying the interaction of bubble clusters in a 500 µm capillary tube exposed to HIFU. A TTL timing circuit was used to ensure correct synchronisation, allowing for time of flight, between the HIFU transducer, UARP and high speed optical cameras and illumination source. Low concentrations of SonoVue and Sonozoid microbubbles were used to ensure that single microbubbles were present in the imaging region. The acoustic emissions were detected using both a needle hydrophone (Figure 1c) and the UARP (Figure 1d), in conjunction with high speed optical imaging (Figure 1e). This approach was repeated approximately 100 times with varying peak negative pressures, ranging from 0.38 - 1.14 MPa. Both optical and needle hydrophone detection demonstrated the presences of periodic shockwaves, specifically those with subharmonic component (Figure 1c). However, the PAM algorithms used were not sufficient to identify this temporal behaviour. Nevertheless, it was able to spatially locate the presence of these bubble clusters in the capillary tube. |
| Impact | Outputs related to award: Abou-Saleh, R.H., McLaughlan, J.R., Bushby, R.J., Johnson, B.R., Freear, S., Evans, S.D. and Thomson, N.H., 2019. Molecular Effects of Glycerol on Lipid Monolayers at the Gas-Liquid Interface: Impact on Microbubble Physical and Mechanical Properties. Langmuir, 35(31), pp.1009710105. S. Cleve, C. Inserra, P. Prentice, Contrast agent microbubble jetting during initial interaction with 200-kHz focused ultrasound. Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology 45(11) 3075-3080 (2019) J. H. Song, A. Moldovan, P. Prentice, Non-linear acoustic emissions from therapeutically driven contrast agent microbubbles. Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology 45(8) 2188-2204 (2019) Adams, C., Carpenter, T.M., Cowell, D., Freear, S. and McLaughlan, J.R., 2018. Hifu drive system miniaturization using harmonic reduced pulsewidth modulation. IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control, 65(12), pp.2407-2417. Nie, L., McLaughlan, J.R., Cowell, D.M., Carpenter, T.M. and Freear, S., 2018, October. Subharmonic Plane Wave Imaging of Liposome-Loaded Microbubbles. In 2018 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS) (pp. 1-4). IEEE. Nie, L., Harput, S., Cowell, D.M., Carpenter, T.M., McLaughlan, J.R. and Freear, S., 2018. Combining acoustic trapping with plane wave imaging for localized microbubble accumulation in large vessels. IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control, 65(7), pp.1193-1204. Dissemination Activities: Oral presentation: IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS), 'Modified passive acoustic mapping with diagnostic-array angular response for cavitation monitoring during HIFU ablation in ex vivo tissue'. SUBMITTED 2020 Invited presentation: ASA (special session on polydisperse scatterers); Contrast agent microbubble response to sub-resonant ultrasonic driving. May 2020 Oral presentation: British Medical Ultrasound Society, 'Interleaving passive acoustic mapping with compounded diverging-wave imaging for HIFU treatment monitoring'. New technologies for clinical and clinical research into ultrasound therapy and imaging. December 2019. Oral presentation: IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS), 'Volumetric Thermal HIFU Therapy Using Continuous Phase Modulation'. Tumor Therapy and Drug Delivery. October 2019. Poster presentation: IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS), 'Spectral peak suppression in the acoustic emissions from multiple microbubbles cavitating in focused ultrasound'. October 2019. Poster presentation: IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS), 'The influence of bubblebubble interactions on contrast agent microbubble-jetting during initial exposure to 200 kHz focused ultrasound'. October 2019. Oral presentation: British Medical Ultrasound Society, 'Non-linear acoustic emissions from therapeutically driven contrast microbubbles'. New technologies for clinical and clinical research into ultrasound therapy and imaging. December 2018. Further funding related to award: 2020 'Characterising tissue disruption and inflammatory response to resolved microbubble cavitation' EPSRC with council - decision pending £720,000 2019 'Ultrasound guided high intensity focused ultrasound for non-invasive cancer treatments' Grow MedTech (Research England), POC 000129, £79,800. 2018 'Semi-autonomous non-invasive surgery: The "outside in" of molecular-targeted theranostics for cancer', EPSRC UKRI Innovation Fellowship, EP/S001069/1, £850,000. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Leeds/Glasgow pilot |
| Organisation | University of Leeds |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | ThUNDDAR pilot study: A mechanistic study of acoustic emissions from controlled microbubble populations exposed to focused ultrasound |
| Collaborator Contribution | ThUNDDAR pilot study: A mechanistic study of acoustic emissions from controlled microbubble populations exposed to focused ultrasound Project Aim: This collaborative project between the ultrasound groups based and the Universities of Glasgow and Leeds, was aiming to combine the use of high speed optical imaging with passive acoustic mapping (PAM) in order to investigate the behaviour of microbubble clusters under exposure from 692 kHz high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). Outcome Summary: A BK medical high frequency (8-40 MHz) linear ultrasound array, was integrated with the ultrasound array research platform (UARP). This involved the manufacture of a new connector plate (Figure 1a) to ensure each element of the array was connected to the correct system channel, enabling the saving of the raw RF data generated during HIFU exposures. A contact at BK medical was able to provide a pin-out diagram for this specific model of transducer to achieve this. The unavailability of this information for the originally stated Visualsonics probe was why the BK medical probe was used in this study. The UARP was transported and installed in the ultrasound lab at the University of Glasgow for a period of a month. It was integrated in the experimental setup shown in Figure 1b, for studying the interaction of bubble clusters in a 500 µm capillary tube exposed to HIFU. A TTL timing circuit was used to ensure correct synchronisation, allowing for time of flight, between the HIFU transducer, UARP and high speed optical cameras and illumination source. Low concentrations of SonoVue and Sonozoid microbubbles were used to ensure that single microbubbles were present in the imaging region. The acoustic emissions were detected using both a needle hydrophone (Figure 1c) and the UARP (Figure 1d), in conjunction with high speed optical imaging (Figure 1e). This approach was repeated approximately 100 times with varying peak negative pressures, ranging from 0.38 - 1.14 MPa. Both optical and needle hydrophone detection demonstrated the presences of periodic shockwaves, specifically those with subharmonic component (Figure 1c). However, the PAM algorithms used were not sufficient to identify this temporal behaviour. Nevertheless, it was able to spatially locate the presence of these bubble clusters in the capillary tube. |
| Impact | Outputs related to award: Abou-Saleh, R.H., McLaughlan, J.R., Bushby, R.J., Johnson, B.R., Freear, S., Evans, S.D. and Thomson, N.H., 2019. Molecular Effects of Glycerol on Lipid Monolayers at the Gas-Liquid Interface: Impact on Microbubble Physical and Mechanical Properties. Langmuir, 35(31), pp.1009710105. S. Cleve, C. Inserra, P. Prentice, Contrast agent microbubble jetting during initial interaction with 200-kHz focused ultrasound. Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology 45(11) 3075-3080 (2019) J. H. Song, A. Moldovan, P. Prentice, Non-linear acoustic emissions from therapeutically driven contrast agent microbubbles. Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology 45(8) 2188-2204 (2019) Adams, C., Carpenter, T.M., Cowell, D., Freear, S. and McLaughlan, J.R., 2018. Hifu drive system miniaturization using harmonic reduced pulsewidth modulation. IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control, 65(12), pp.2407-2417. Nie, L., McLaughlan, J.R., Cowell, D.M., Carpenter, T.M. and Freear, S., 2018, October. Subharmonic Plane Wave Imaging of Liposome-Loaded Microbubbles. In 2018 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS) (pp. 1-4). IEEE. Nie, L., Harput, S., Cowell, D.M., Carpenter, T.M., McLaughlan, J.R. and Freear, S., 2018. Combining acoustic trapping with plane wave imaging for localized microbubble accumulation in large vessels. IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control, 65(7), pp.1193-1204. Dissemination Activities: Oral presentation: IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS), 'Modified passive acoustic mapping with diagnostic-array angular response for cavitation monitoring during HIFU ablation in ex vivo tissue'. SUBMITTED 2020 Invited presentation: ASA (special session on polydisperse scatterers); Contrast agent microbubble response to sub-resonant ultrasonic driving. May 2020 Oral presentation: British Medical Ultrasound Society, 'Interleaving passive acoustic mapping with compounded diverging-wave imaging for HIFU treatment monitoring'. New technologies for clinical and clinical research into ultrasound therapy and imaging. December 2019. Oral presentation: IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS), 'Volumetric Thermal HIFU Therapy Using Continuous Phase Modulation'. Tumor Therapy and Drug Delivery. October 2019. Poster presentation: IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS), 'Spectral peak suppression in the acoustic emissions from multiple microbubbles cavitating in focused ultrasound'. October 2019. Poster presentation: IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS), 'The influence of bubblebubble interactions on contrast agent microbubble-jetting during initial exposure to 200 kHz focused ultrasound'. October 2019. Oral presentation: British Medical Ultrasound Society, 'Non-linear acoustic emissions from therapeutically driven contrast microbubbles'. New technologies for clinical and clinical research into ultrasound therapy and imaging. December 2018. Further funding related to award: 2020 'Characterising tissue disruption and inflammatory response to resolved microbubble cavitation' EPSRC with council - decision pending £720,000 2019 'Ultrasound guided high intensity focused ultrasound for non-invasive cancer treatments' Grow MedTech (Research England), POC 000129, £79,800. 2018 'Semi-autonomous non-invasive surgery: The "outside in" of molecular-targeted theranostics for cancer', EPSRC UKRI Innovation Fellowship, EP/S001069/1, £850,000. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | MRC grant Christoph Lees |
| Organisation | Imperial College London |
| Department | Faculty of Medicine |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Grant writing, physics/engineering research |
| Collaborator Contribution | Grant writing, medical/pre-clinical research |
| Impact | Several papers Follow on MRC grant funding Commercial collaboration with Canon (previously Toshiba) medical imaging |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | NPL |
| Organisation | National Physical Laboratory |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We carried out the major part of this project, developing measurement methods |
| Collaborator Contribution | NPL contributed advice and expertise to help develop measurement methods |
| Impact | Papers, conference presentations |
| Start Year | 2007 |
| Description | NPL/ICR/UCL |
| Organisation | Institute of Cancer Research UK |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | ThUNDDAR funded pilot study 'Machine learning for cavitation detection' to enable collaboration |
| Collaborator Contribution | ThUNDDAR funded pilot study 'Machine learning for cavitation detection' to enable collaboration |
| Impact | Internal report |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | NPL/ICR/UCL |
| Organisation | National Physical Laboratory |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | ThUNDDAR funded pilot study 'Machine learning for cavitation detection' to enable collaboration |
| Collaborator Contribution | ThUNDDAR funded pilot study 'Machine learning for cavitation detection' to enable collaboration |
| Impact | Internal report |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | National Physical Laboratories Studentship Gomis |
| Organisation | National Physical Laboratory |
| Department | Acoustics Group |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Joint supervision of a CASE studentship, ICR being the primary host/supervisors |
| Collaborator Contribution | Expertise on radiotherapy, measurement standards |
| Impact | Conference presentations |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | National Physical Laboratories Studentship Gomis |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Department | Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Joint supervision of a CASE studentship, ICR being the primary host/supervisors |
| Collaborator Contribution | Expertise on radiotherapy, measurement standards |
| Impact | Conference presentations |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Oxford University |
| Organisation | University of Oxford |
| Department | Institute of Biomedical Engineering |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | co-director of the Network |
| Collaborator Contribution | co-director of the Network |
| Impact | We have held workshops and training schools. Multidisciplinary network, involving physicists, engineers, biologists, clinicians, vets, industry and others |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Precision Acoustics |
| Organisation | Precision Acoustics Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Member of the ThUNDDAR network |
| Collaborator Contribution | collaboration within Network |
| Impact | Collaboration in pilot studies, especially with UCL |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Royal Marsden Hospital |
| Organisation | Royal Marsden Hospital |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Hospitals |
| Start Year | 2004 |
| Description | St Thomas' Hospital |
| Organisation | St Thomas' Hospital |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Hospitals |
| PI Contribution | added to the ThUNDDAR network |
| Collaborator Contribution | network members |
| Impact | Participation in network events |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | UCL pilot study |
| Organisation | University of Granada |
| Country | Spain |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | UCL carried out the research |
| Collaborator Contribution | Granada provided the transducer technology |
| Impact | Paper in preparation |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | UCL/ICR pilot study |
| Organisation | Institute of Cancer Research UK |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | ThUNDDAR pilot funding: Treatment of Age-related Macular Degeneration by Ultrasound |
| Collaborator Contribution | ThUNDDAR pilot funding: Treatment of Age-related Macular Degeneration by Ultrasound. ICR is providing the biological expertise needed for this project - UCL is providing the engineering |
| Impact | none yet |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | UCL/ICR pilot study |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | ThUNDDAR pilot funding: Treatment of Age-related Macular Degeneration by Ultrasound |
| Collaborator Contribution | ThUNDDAR pilot funding: Treatment of Age-related Macular Degeneration by Ultrasound. ICR is providing the biological expertise needed for this project - UCL is providing the engineering |
| Impact | none yet |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | UCL/Imperial College/Precision Acoustics |
| Organisation | Imperial College London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | ThUNDDAR Pilot study: Quantifying the effects of standing waves within the skull for ultrasound-mediated opening of the blood-brain barrier |
| Collaborator Contribution | ThUNDDAR Pilot study: Frequency optimisation for opening the blood-brain-barrier |
| Impact | Final report submitted. In this pilot project, a novel large diameter 1-3 piezocomposite transducer was designed, constructed, and characterised. The final transducer had a broad bandwidth and reasonable beam characteristics. Experimental and numerical simulations were conducted to assess the importance of standing waves within the skull when using low frequencies for the targeting opening of the BBB. The standing waves effects were clearly visible in both the experiments and simulations. However, in general, the distortions to the main focal lobe were small, and any secondary side lobes or hot spots were much smaller in amplitude. It is known from previous work that the effects of standing waves are reduced when using larger aperture diameter transducers (i.e., smaller f-numbers) [Song2011]. This is because the focal gain depends on waves arriving from a wider range of angles, so is less sensitive to perturbations. Thus, the large-aperture realised in this pilot project can be considered to strike a good balance between construction feasibility and cost, and the presence of standing waves. Regarding pulse length, the presence of standing waves in the field increased with the duration of the pulse. However, these effects were relatively small, and overall there was not a significant difference in the beam stability for the locations within the skull that were tested. The transducer design and construction process has increased the technology readiness level of Precision Acoustics for this type of piezocomposite design, and established a new and ongoing collaboration between the project partners. The preliminary data will form the basis of grant application between the project partners related to opening the BBB in humans. The data will also be used as part of future publications |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | UCL/Imperial College/Precision Acoustics |
| Organisation | Precision Acoustics Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | ThUNDDAR Pilot study: Quantifying the effects of standing waves within the skull for ultrasound-mediated opening of the blood-brain barrier |
| Collaborator Contribution | ThUNDDAR Pilot study: Frequency optimisation for opening the blood-brain-barrier |
| Impact | Final report submitted. In this pilot project, a novel large diameter 1-3 piezocomposite transducer was designed, constructed, and characterised. The final transducer had a broad bandwidth and reasonable beam characteristics. Experimental and numerical simulations were conducted to assess the importance of standing waves within the skull when using low frequencies for the targeting opening of the BBB. The standing waves effects were clearly visible in both the experiments and simulations. However, in general, the distortions to the main focal lobe were small, and any secondary side lobes or hot spots were much smaller in amplitude. It is known from previous work that the effects of standing waves are reduced when using larger aperture diameter transducers (i.e., smaller f-numbers) [Song2011]. This is because the focal gain depends on waves arriving from a wider range of angles, so is less sensitive to perturbations. Thus, the large-aperture realised in this pilot project can be considered to strike a good balance between construction feasibility and cost, and the presence of standing waves. Regarding pulse length, the presence of standing waves in the field increased with the duration of the pulse. However, these effects were relatively small, and overall there was not a significant difference in the beam stability for the locations within the skull that were tested. The transducer design and construction process has increased the technology readiness level of Precision Acoustics for this type of piezocomposite design, and established a new and ongoing collaboration between the project partners. The preliminary data will form the basis of grant application between the project partners related to opening the BBB in humans. The data will also be used as part of future publications |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | UCL/Imperial College/Precision Acoustics |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | ThUNDDAR Pilot study: Quantifying the effects of standing waves within the skull for ultrasound-mediated opening of the blood-brain barrier |
| Collaborator Contribution | ThUNDDAR Pilot study: Frequency optimisation for opening the blood-brain-barrier |
| Impact | Final report submitted. In this pilot project, a novel large diameter 1-3 piezocomposite transducer was designed, constructed, and characterised. The final transducer had a broad bandwidth and reasonable beam characteristics. Experimental and numerical simulations were conducted to assess the importance of standing waves within the skull when using low frequencies for the targeting opening of the BBB. The standing waves effects were clearly visible in both the experiments and simulations. However, in general, the distortions to the main focal lobe were small, and any secondary side lobes or hot spots were much smaller in amplitude. It is known from previous work that the effects of standing waves are reduced when using larger aperture diameter transducers (i.e., smaller f-numbers) [Song2011]. This is because the focal gain depends on waves arriving from a wider range of angles, so is less sensitive to perturbations. Thus, the large-aperture realised in this pilot project can be considered to strike a good balance between construction feasibility and cost, and the presence of standing waves. Regarding pulse length, the presence of standing waves in the field increased with the duration of the pulse. However, these effects were relatively small, and overall there was not a significant difference in the beam stability for the locations within the skull that were tested. The transducer design and construction process has increased the technology readiness level of Precision Acoustics for this type of piezocomposite design, and established a new and ongoing collaboration between the project partners. The preliminary data will form the basis of grant application between the project partners related to opening the BBB in humans. The data will also be used as part of future publications |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | UCOM |
| Organisation | City, University of London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Grant application, hosting of 2 ESR, collaborative research |
| Collaborator Contribution | Grant application, hosting of 12 ESR, collaborative research |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | UCOM |
| Organisation | Sorbonne Universités |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Grant application, hosting of 2 ESR, collaborative research |
| Collaborator Contribution | Grant application, hosting of 12 ESR, collaborative research |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | UCOM |
| Organisation | Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Grant application, hosting of 2 ESR, collaborative research |
| Collaborator Contribution | Grant application, hosting of 12 ESR, collaborative research |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | UCOM |
| Organisation | Technical University of Munich |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Grant application, hosting of 2 ESR, collaborative research |
| Collaborator Contribution | Grant application, hosting of 12 ESR, collaborative research |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | UCOM |
| Organisation | The Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Grant application, hosting of 2 ESR, collaborative research |
| Collaborator Contribution | Grant application, hosting of 12 ESR, collaborative research |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | UCOM |
| Organisation | University of Geneva |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Grant application, hosting of 2 ESR, collaborative research |
| Collaborator Contribution | Grant application, hosting of 12 ESR, collaborative research |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | UCOM |
| Organisation | University of Twente |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Grant application, hosting of 2 ESR, collaborative research |
| Collaborator Contribution | Grant application, hosting of 12 ESR, collaborative research |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Title | "Ultrasound Array Research Platform UARP" |
| Description | "The Ultrasound Array Research Platform UARP is a fully programmable combined imaging and therapy system. Capable of prototyping next generation image guided therapeutic systems aiding research and translation to the clinic." |
| Type Of Technology | Systems, Materials & Instrumental Engineering |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Impact | The ThUNDDAR grant has help support the progress of a UK based ultrasonic therapy research platform - Ultrasound Array Research Platform or UARP. The system is being made freely available on a loan to network members |
| URL | https://eps.leeds.ac.uk/medical-electronics/doc/developing-ultrasound-systems-better-imaging-cancer-... |
| Title | OptimUS |
| Description | OptimUS is an open- source treatment simulation platform which models the nonlinear propagation of ultrasonic waves in heterogeneous media. It features treatment planning capabilities based on constrained optimisation techniques. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | OptimUS represents a disruptive innovation in fast and accurate patient specific therapeutic ultrasound treatment planning. |
| Title | shear waves in multiple viscous/viscoelastic domains |
| Description | a computational tool in MATLAB and Python, using a hybrid Boundary Element Method-Finite Difference Time Domain (BEM-FDTD) method (2D axisymmetric) to calculate the propagation of focused ultrasound and induced shear waves in multiple viscous/viscoelastic domains. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Impact | This software is being used to model ultrasound propagation in the eye |
| Description | Article for Pan-European networks |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Article just published. It is hoped it will stimulate pan-European research collaborations Too early to tell yet |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | British Mathematical Colloquium |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 1. invited talk at British Mathematical Colloquium; the Symposium of Multiscale Modelling, Theory, Simulations, and Experiments: Application to Real- world Biophysical Systems, Glasgow, Scotland (April 2021). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Insitute of Ophthalmology |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | invited talk on the applications of therapeutic ultrasound in ophthalmology at a Research Network Meeting, UCL IoO (March 2021). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | International Society for Therapeutic Ultrasound - Tutorial Lecture |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Over 200 people logged into listen to the lecture which was followed by a live question and answer session and subsequent engagement by email. Excellent feedback was received from the audience including a proposal for a research collaboration. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://istu.org/february-25-2021-webinar/ |
| Description | Interview for the Economist |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Interview by the Economist and featured in their special feature 'Closing in on Cancer' (September 16th 2017) which covered the importance of radiation therapy research and recent progress. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21728893-science-will-win-technical-battle-against-cancer-onl... |
| Description | Invited Talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | "FUS-mediated immune response". Educational Lecture, International Society for Therapeutic Ultrasound Annual Meeting, South Korea |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Invited Talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | "Can focused ultrasound induce the abscopal effect in pancreatic cancer patients?" Focused Ultrasound Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Symposium, Bethesda, USA. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Invited Talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | "The combined effects of focused ultrasound and immune checkpoint inhibitors in pancreatic cancer." OxCD3 Drug Delivery Conference, Oxford, UK |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Invited Talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | "Focused ultrasound and immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer treatment." IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium, Virtual Conference. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Invited Talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | "The use of focused ultrasound in cancer therapy." Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Invited Talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | "The effects of low intensity pulsed focused ultrasound on the immune response." Focused Ultrasound Foundation (FUSF) / Cancer Research Institute (CRI) Cancer Immunotherapy Workshop. Virtual Conference, USA |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022 |
| Description | KTN |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Knowledge Transfer meeting. One day meeting designed to introduce Therapy Ultrasound to funders, clinicians and senior people in the NHS |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Les Houches 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Les Houches Therapy Ultrasound Winter School. This was a one week school which covered all topics in therapy Ultrasound. 80 participants. 14 UK students were sponsored to attend by ThUNDDAR. This introduced students and young researchers to the field, and allowed them to interact with the international faculty . |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Les Houches 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Introductory Winter School for those entering the field of Therapy Ultrasound. ThUNDDAR funded 10 UK students to attend. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://thunddar.org/ |
| Description | NPL meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | One day workshop held at NPL. Young researchers presented their results. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Newspaper article |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Newspaper Article, Daily Mail, UK, 'Biggest breakthrough' on pancreatic cancer is on the horizon that could even CURE the disease, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10483145/Biggest-breakthrough-pancreatic-cancer-horizon-CURE-disease.html |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Oral presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | "Single cell analysis of KPC pancreatic tumours treated with histotripsy and reovirus", Focused Ultrasound Foundation Symposium, USA. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | PAI for HIFU |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | "Rapid three-dimensional mapping of HIFU-induced hyperthermia,"James Joseph, Jason L Raymond. Presented at the 52ND ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING OF THE BRITISH MEDICAL ULTRASOUND SOCIETY, 30 November 2021. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Presentation/Abstract |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | "The feasibility of combining focused ultrasound to enhance oncolytic virus infection (Reovirus) in pancreatic tumours", International Society for Therapeutic Ultrasound Annual Meeting (Virtual) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Presentation/Abstract |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | "Multimodal imaging of irradiated tumours", European Materials Research Society Analytical Techniques Conference (Virtual) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Presentation/Abstract |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | "The feasibility of using microbubbles and pHIFU to induce acoustic cavitation in pancreatic tumours", International Society for Therapeutic Ultrasound Annual Meeting, South Korea |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Presentation/Abstract |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | "A preclinical study of the combined effects of pulsed focused ultrasound and immune checkpoint inhibitors in pancreatic cancer." International Society for Therapeutic Ultrasound Annual meeting, Barcelona, Spain |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Presentation/Abstract |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | "Microbubbles and pHIFU to Enhance Therapeutics Anti-Tumor Effects in Pancreatic Tumours", Focused Ultrasound Foundation Symposium, USA |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Radio interview |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Radio Interview, The Breakfast Show with Danny Watson, Magic Talk Radio, New Zealand, "2 in 1 treatment that holds promise for pancreatic cancer patients". |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | STEM Potential Women in Science Webinar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Online panel discussion of female scientists with an audience of university students (post and undergraduate). Feedback following the session indicate students had found the session very helpful and it had positively influenced their career choices. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://youtu.be/oXk8RUSVpZg |
| Description | Sandpit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A 'sandpit' meeting was organised, the aim of which was to promote therapy ultrasound to a wider audience. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Speed dating |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 'Speed dating' event in which practitioners with a need presented, and researchers proposed solutions to these needs. These were pitched, and 2 pilot grants were awarded |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://thunddar.org/ |
| Description | THUGs |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Therapy Ultrasound Group one day seminar as a satellite meeting of the British Medical Ultrasound Society annual general meeting. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | THUGs 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Seminar Day as a part of the annual BMUS meeting, proffered & invited papers. Sparked interest int he existing & extended ultrasound community |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | THUGs 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | One day seminar held during the annual BMUS meeting, This promulgates the interest in therapy ultrasound to the wider diagnostic ultrasound audience |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017,2018,2019 |
| Description | THUGs 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Seminar Day as a part of the annual BMUS meeting, proffered & invited papers. Sparked interest int he existing & extended ultrasound community |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Talk to Trainee surgeons in Oxford (Duthie Memorial Day) on Therapeutic Ultrasound |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | A presentation to trainee surgeons in Oxford on therapeutic Ultrasound. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | ThUNDDAR BMUS day |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | ThUNDDAR held a one day Therapy Ultrasound Symposium during the British Medical Society's AGM in Cardiff Dec 2022. This was an opportunity for the wider ultrasound community to become more familiar with therapy ultrasound. There was interested discussion during the meeting and in the breaks. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | ThUNDDAR BMUS day |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | ThUNDDAR held a one day Therapy Ultrasound Symposium during the British Medical Society's AGM in Cardiff Dec 2022. This was an opportunity for the wider ultrasound community to become more familiar with therapy ultrasound. There was interested discussion during the meeting and in the breaks. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | ThUNDDAR Live |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | ThUNDDAR Live was set up to provide introductory lectures on key topics in Therapeutic Ultrasound aimed at doctoral students, medical practitioners and other interested groups (including patients and industry representatives). Since its creation in July 2020 the youtube channel has had 3791 views with the lecture breakdown as follows: Mike Gray - 2 March 2021 Message in a Bubbl 11 Dario Carugo 2 December 2020 Acoustofluidics for Cell Manipulation and Stimulation 128 Robin Cleveland 28 October 2020 Ultrasound Propagation the Fundamentals II 136 Manxing Tang 30 July 2020 Super Resolution Ultrasound 213 Eleanor Stride 22 July 2020 Bubble Basics 172 Robin Cleveland Ultrasound Propagation the Fundamentals 15 July 2020 214 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020,2021 |
| URL | https://thunddar.org/thunddar-live/ |
| Description | ThUNDDAR seminar day |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Therapy ultrasound seminar day held during the annual BMUS meeting |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | ThUNDDAR session at BMUS annual general meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | ThUNDDAR day at the annual meeting of BMUS. Lectures on the topic from international speakers |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | ThUNDDAR session at BMUS annual general meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | We ran a session on Therapy Ultrasound that was incorporated into the annual meeting of British Medical Ultrasound Society. This showcased therapy ultrasound to a community that is expert in imaging ultrasound in medicine |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | ThUNDDAR session at BMUs annual meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | We ran a session on Therapy Ultrasound at the annual meeting of the British Medical Ultrasound Society. This exposed the potential of therapy ultrasound to the wider ultrasound community, most of whom are involved in diagnostic ultrasound |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | ThUNDDAR website |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Patients, carers and/or patient groups |
| Results and Impact | thUNDDAR website with video descriptions of Therapy Ultrasound. The videos on this site have been frequently visited, with the video on essential tremor having has 50,000 views, and that introducing therapy ultrasound 2800 views. The ThUNDDAR live webinars on specific topics have been well received, with the most vistied having received 611 views. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | http://www.thunddar.org |
| Description | Therapy Ultrasound Winter School |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | ThUNDDAR sponsored 8 UK participants at the Therapy Ultrasound Winter School. This is an introductory School designed to teach postgraduates and other researchers about all aspects of therapy Ultrasound |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Ultrasonics 2021 lecture |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited lecture on therapy ultrasound in general, but focusing on immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | WFUMB invited lecture |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited lecture entitled 'Ultrasound enhancement of immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer' to World Federation of Ultrasound in Medicine meeting |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | ongoing discussions with UK FUSF |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Discussions with tha FUSF and UK FUSF about continuation of ThUNDDAR activities now funding has ended |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | • Invited presentation: ASA |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | • Invited presentation: ASA (special session on polydisperse scatterers); Contrast agent microbubble response to sub-resonant ultrasonic driving - James McLaughlan, recipient of ThUNDDAR pilot study |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | • Oral presentation: British Medical Ultrasound Society |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | • Oral presentation: British Medical Ultrasound Society, 'Non-linear acoustic emissions from therapeutically driven contrast microbubbles'. New technologies for clinical and clinical research into ultrasound therapy and imaging. December 2018. by James Mcaughlan, recipient of ThUNDDAR funding |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |