無創手術聚焦超音波熱消融技術

Non-invasive Surgery-Focused Ultrasound Thermal Ablation Technology

超音波真的能不見一滴血、瞬間殺死腫瘤或破壞體內目標組織嗎？產生高能聚焦超音波的絕殺武器－超音波換能器，俗稱探頭又是如何設計與特性化測試的呢？本文首先簡述治療用超音波的發展史，接續說明聚焦超音波的基本原理、換能器的設計和功能特性的測試方法，文末將以乳房腫瘤的聚焦超音波熱消融系統為例，期讓讀者理解聚焦超音波無創手術在臨床上的實境應用。

Focused ultrasound (FUS) thermal ablation can treat the target tumor without surgical incisions. One of the key FUS technologies is the development of FUS transducer. The article will describe the history of therapeutic ultrasound, fundamentals of FUS, design of the FUS transducer and introduction of FUS ablation system specific for treatment of breast tumor.