title: MRI guided focused ultrasound robotic system for animal experiments.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this paper an MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) robotic system was developed that can be used for conducting experiments in small animals.The target for this robotic system regarding motion was to move a therapeutic ultrasound transducer in two Cartesian axes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A single element spherically focused transducer of 3 cm diameter, focusing at 7 cm and operating at 0.4 MHz was used. The positioning device incorporates only MRI compatible materials. The propagation of ultrasound is a bottom to top approach. The 2-D positioning device is controlled by custom-made software and a custom-made electronic system which controls the two piezoelectric motors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The system was tested successfully in agar/silica/evaporated milk phantom for various tasks (robot motion, MR compatibility, and MR thermometry). The robotic system is capable of moving the focused ultrasound transducer to perform MR-guided focused ultrasound experiments in small animals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This system has the potential to be deployed as a cost effective solution for performing experiments in small animals.
authors.affiliation: Electrical Engineering Department, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Marinos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yiannakou
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, City University, London, UK.
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Menikou
authors.affiliation: Electrical Engineering Department, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus.|R&D, MEDSONIC LTD, Limassol, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yiallouras
authors.affiliation: Radiology, Ygia Polyclinic, Limassol, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Cleanthis
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ioannides
authors.affiliation: Electrical Engineering Department, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Christakis
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0424-2851
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Damianou
mesh_terms: D032761:Animal Experimentation; D000818:Animals; D004867:Equipment Design; D057086:High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D009038:Motion; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D066330:Printing, Three-Dimensional; D012371:Robotics; D012984:Software; D014465:Ultrasonics; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: MRI; robot; ultrasound