Star Trek at 50 - Focused Ultrasound Surgery

In the late 1980s holograms seemed like the next big thing in imaging, after computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), because they added depth. Imaging systems were becoming increasingly important as minimally invasive surgical procedures – such as endoscopy (surgery using a tube camera) and laparoscopy (belly surgery, usually through the navel) – took off. By taking the data from the MRI and CT to create a hologram of a tumor and then projecting that into the body during surgery, a surgeon could cut out a tumor while avoiding healthy tissue. Lasers might be able to accomplish this, but so would high-frequency waves of sound. And why not use the ultrasound for the surgery itself?

This week, a look at the greatest leap in medicine since the scalpel, focused ultrasound surgery,

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "After a time, you may find that 'having' is not so pleasing a thing, after all, as 'wanting.' This is not logical, but it is often true." - Commander Spock, Star Trek: The Original Series, “Amok Time”

ST50 - Focused Ultrasound Surgery