A robotic platform to navigate mri-guided focused ultrasound system

An MRI-guided focused ultrasound (FUS) positioning system that can focus ultrasound from a FUS transducer towards specific targets in a patient's body to induce micro-mechanical effects, said system including

• an MRI-compatible robot platform that provides multiple degrees of freedom (DoFs) of motion, comprising:
• a bottom framework;
• a lower translation platform mounted on the bottom framework for linear motion with respect to the bottom framework;
• a robot base mounted on the lower translation platform;
• a rotation platform mounted on the robot base for rotational motion with respect to the robot base;
• an upper translation platform mounted on the rotation platform for linear motion with respect to the rotation platform;
• and
• an end-effector mounted on the upper translation platform such that motion of the end-effector is due to motion of the lower, rotation and upper platforms, in aiming the transducer focal point;
• at least one actuator connected to the robot platform to cause the system to move according to at least one of its DoFs,
• a FUS transducer provided on the end effector to generate ultrasound energy with a focal point, which transducer can be steered electronically by adjusting the phase of the transducer or mechanically by moving the robot platform;
• at least one marker embedded in the end-effector that provides signals that allow registration and tracking of the end-effector in the MRI coordinate system;
• and
• a control system for remotely controlling the motions of the robot platform and for receiving intra-op MRI data.