Design and in-vivo evaluation of next-generation laparoscopic HIFU kidney probe

Previously, we reported on the development and clinical evaluation of an ultrasound image-guided laparoscopic high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) probe for kidney tumor ablation compatible with an 18mm trocar. Since then, the relentless march towards miniaturization of laparoscopic tools has led to the obsolescence of this trocar size, prompting a re-design of the probe to accommodate market realities and user expectations. Reducing the probe to be compatible with a 15mm trocar proved challenging, as simply scaling the existing design would have resulted in clinically unacceptable ablation performance.