A research team has been recognised for developing histotripsy – a cutting-edge treatment that uses focused sound waves to disintegrate diseased tissue.
The pioneering technology employs precision-focused ultrasound waves to disrupt targeted tissue without resorting to thermal ablation techniques.
And as histotripsy emerges as a viable non-invasive alternative to conventional surgical interventions, the researchers’ work has been rewarded as they scooped this year’s prestigious Distinguished University Innovator Award.
The award recognises the outstanding contributions of University of Michigan faculty members who have nurtured transformative concepts, processes, or technologies and guided their journey to the broader market for societal benefit.
The innovative team from the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering and Medical School includes:
- Zhen Xu, Professor of biomedical engineering
- Timothy Hall, a dedicated research scientist in the field of biomedical engineering
- Jonathan Sukovich, an assistant research scientist also specialising in biomedical engineering
- J Brian Fowlkes, Professor of radiology and biomedical engineering; and William Roberts, an accomplished urology and biomedical engineering professor.
Mary-Ann Mycek, interim chair and professor of biomedical engineering, commended the collaborative team’s remarkable achievements and highlighted how their contribution has taken the innovation towards clinical translation and commercialisation.
A start-up enterprise called HistoSonics was established in 2010 and dedicated to steering research commercialisation initiatives.
While minimally invasive and non-invasive techniques have become standard practice in clinical settings, they have limitations.
HistoSonics has accomplished the seemingly unattainable feat of using sound wave energy to obliterate diseased tissue.
Zhen Xu expressed gratitude for the support from the University of Michigan during the journey of inventing and developing histotripsy.
She said: ‘Science’s most thrilling aspect lies in converting the impossible into reality. Our team’s achievement of providing a painless, non-toxic method to obliterate diseased tissue through sound wave energy is truly remarkable.’
She sees further applications for histotripsy across many medical domains, including stroke, neurological diseases, cardiovascular disorders and skin ailments.
Earlier this year, a ground-breaking milestone was achieved as 73-year-old Anthony Harris became the world's first cancer patient to undergo kidney tumour ‘removal’ using histotripsy.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and HistoSonics jointly announced the momentous achievement that marked the inaugural treatment in the CAIN Trial, a Phase I prospective, multi-centre study designed to evaluate the safety and technical success of the histotripsy system in targeting and obliterating primary solid renal tumours in a completely non-invasive manner.
Example of HistoSonics technology targeting kidney tissue to be destroyed in a non-invasive histotripsy procedure.
