Therapeutic ultrasound

Standardising therapeutic ultrasound

We are at the forefront of standardisation for therapeutic ultrasound, to enable accurate characterisation of devices. Ultrasound has been proven to be effective in a range of therapeutic applications – from physiotherapy, shock-wave lithotripsy, ablation of soft tissue tumours, pain palliation of bone metastases and neurosurgery.  

These applications use a range of intensities and frequencies, and exploit a number of bioeffects. We are active in a number of research areas, including:

• Acoustic holography for measurement-based simulations, as well as for field characterisation for regulatory compliance
• Device design to ensure consistency in acoustic and thermal exposures on cells
• Modelling of transducers, hydrophones, acoustic, thermal and dose field computations on high-performance computing platforms
• Measurements of material nonlinearity and thermal properties – as well as standard properties speed of sound, density and attenuation – in order to accurately model acoustic and thermal dose at clinically relevant frequencies
• Cavitation detection, classification and measurement in therapeutic ultrasound fields

NPL is an active member of EPSRC Network+ THuNDDAR (Therapeutic Ultrasound Network for Drug Delivery and Ablation Research).

Find out more about NPL's Hydrophone calibration service

Find out more about NPL's Ultrasonic measurement and testing service

Find out more about NPL's Ultrasound power and radiation force balance service

Find out more about NPL's Surface temperature test phantom service

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