Ultrasound Mediated Drug Delivery

Ultrasound imaging technology is already used to image what is going on inside the patient. Scientists at Philips Research are developing a localized drug delivery system based on ultrasound and microbubbles that are partially filled with cancer drugs.

Drug-loaded microbubbles, no larger than red blood cells, can be injected into the patient’s bloodstream, tracked via ultrasound imaging, and then ruptured by a focused ultrasound pulse to release their drug payload when they reach the desired spot. Because the drugs would only be released at the site of the diseased tissue, the patient’s total body exposure to them could be limited. For certain types of treatment – for example, chemotherapy for breast cancer – this could help to reduce unpleasant side effects.

The two major challenges that scientists at Philips Research have successfully addressed are the construction of the drug-filled microbubbles and the accurate focusing of microbubble rupturing pulses into living tissue. These are both key enablers to bringing the technology one step closer to reality.