High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Surgery Based on KUKA Robot: A Computer-Assisted Platform for Noninvasive Surgical Treatments on Static and Moving Organs

High-intensity focused ultrasound surgery based on a KUKA robot (HIFUSK) can address unmet clinical needs in the treatment of pathological tissues, such as cancerous tissues. HIFUSK is the marriage of two technologies: robotics and focused ultrasound (FUS). Such a combination results in a surgical treatment that is precise and noninvasive (no incisions, no anesthesia, and no ionizing energy) thanks to robotics and FUS, respectively. Robotic control and machine learning algorithms ensure safety even in case of target motions during therapy. The platform has been validated in dry lab/ex vivo scenarios, and it was preliminarily tested in terms of safety and efficacy during an in vivo test on a large animal model.