Macular Degeneration 

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Focused Ultrasound Therapy

Focused ultrasound is a noninvasive, therapeutic technology with the potential to improve the quality of life and decrease the cost of care for patients with macular degeneration, and a number of other ocular diseases where microvessel accumulation is problematic. This novel technology focuses beams of ultrasound energy precisely and accurately on targets in the eye without damaging surrounding normal tissue.

How it Works
Histotripsy is applied to the targeted microvessels in combination with low energy laser, resulting in the destruction of the microvessels. While significant preclinical work has been accomplished, there is still much to be done before this technology will be widely available.

Advantages
The primary options for treatment of macular degeneration include other combinations of medication and light, which have a higher risk for side effects.

For certain patients, focused ultrasound could provide a noninvasive alternative to surgery with less risk of complications at a lower cost. It can reach the desired target without damaging surrounding tissue and is repeatable, if necessary.

Clinical Trials

At the present time, there are no clinical trials recruiting patients for focused ultrasound treatment of macular degeneration. 

Regulatory Approval and Reimbursement 

Focused ultrasound treatment for macular degeneration. is not yet approved by regulatory bodies or covered by medical insurance companies.

Notable Papers

Zhang H, Xie X, Li J, Qin Y, Zhang W, Cheng Q, Yuan S, Liu Q, Paulus YM, Wang X, Yang X. Removal of choroidal vasculature using concurrently appliedultrasound bursts and nanosecond laser pulses. Sci Rep. 2018 Aug 27;8(1):12848. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-31045-w.

Click here for additional references from PubMed.

Early Stage