Sonalleve MR-HIFU

Sonalleve MR-HIFU is a medical system developed by Philips Healthcare for the treatment of uterine fibroids without surgery. The system uses non-invasive high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) guided by magnetic resonance (MR), whence the acronym MR-HIFU. The procedure involves volumetric heating of fibroids with real-time feedback.

Technology overview

The Sonalleve high frequency focused ultrasound uses a special transducer to focus a beam of ultrasound waves on to the fibroid located within the body. The focused ultrasound waves generate high temperatures within smaller areas. The temperature when maintained for sufficient a period of time results in the ablation of the fibroids. The therapy procedure guided by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) with real time feedback helps in the focused ablation of the target location. The real-time feedback loop ensures that adequate heating takes place, treating every bit of tissue that has been targeted and volumetric ablation (a Philips proprietary technology) helps treat larger volumes efficiently and quickly.