Abstract #2915

High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) for Dissolution of Clots in a Rabbit Model of Embolic Stroke

Alison Burgess¹, Yuexi Huang¹, David Goertz¹,², Kullervo Hynynen¹,²

¹Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; ²Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

In this study, we examine if stand-alone, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), can induce clot dissolution in a rabbit model of acute ischemic stroke. Emboli were delivered through the internal carotid artery and angiography was used to confirm blockage of the proximal middle cerebral artery. MRI was used to further characterize and target the clot for HIFU. At the highest power tested, HIFU restored flow in 5 of 7 (~71%) of blocked vessels. Histology was used to show that the targeted vessels remained intact following sonication. These results suggest that HIFU warrants further investigation as a thrombolytic therapy for ischemic stroke.