Sonic Concepts Develops Novel, Customized Platform for Neuromodulation

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Under the branding of “NeuroFUS™,” Seattle-based Sonic Concepts, Inc. has developed strategic partnerships with software and distribution companies to further expand its ability to provide custom technology solutions to researchers – now in the area of focused ultrasound neuromodulation. We interviewed company President, Kyle Morrison, to learn more.

Tell us about your new focused ultrasound neuromodulation product.
NeuroFUS™ is a turnkey focused ultrasound neuromodulation system that can be used for various types of low-intensity transcranial or peripheral nervous system stimulation or suppression. The state-of-the-art system has been designed to support either medical device development or basic neuroscience research and are compatible with other neuroscience methods and neurotechnologies.

NF clrFor which applications can NeuroFUS be used?
Among other applications, the systems can be used to neuromodulate human behavior targets and peripheral nerves. They are compatible with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), optical imaging, electroencephalography, augmented reality/virtual reality immersion, and other scientific tools.

Kyle Morrison Sonic ConceptsCan you explain the differences between each version?
NeuroFUS hardware is available in LT and PRO versions for large subjects or a micro-TX version for small subjects. The LT, or “lite” version, offers the bare bones set up of a transducer, a cone/target, our Transducer Power Output (TPO™) drive electronics, and MATLAB Commander Suite. The PRO version includes everything in the LT version plus safety peripherals, a software development kit, and content from the Brainbox Initiative workshops. Both the LT and the PRO packages include the micro-TX options for small subjects.

Tell us about your collaborations with Dr. Jamie Tyler, IST, and Brainbox.
To add custom neuromodulation software that works seamlessly with the NeuroFUS hardware, SCI formed a strategic licensing partnership with longtime collaborator, Jamie Tyler, PhD, Associate Professor of Bioengineering at Arizona State University and cofounder of a neurotechnology company called IST. IST has developed a full library of pulsatility scripts to be used with the NeuroFUS MATLAB Commander Suite. To help distribute the systems worldwide, Sonic Concepts is collaborating with Brainbox, Ltd., a company in the United Kingdom with extensive experience and connections in the neuromodulation and brain mapping space.

How is NeuroFUS different from your other product lines?
The NeuroFUS brand offers the culmination of Sonic Concepts’ technology with licensed methods in the use of ultrasound for neuromodulation. In parallel to the exciting development efforts of the NeuroFUS system, it is paramount to the company that we continue to support our customers in their efforts to develop neuromodulation ultrasound solutions outside of the NeuroFUS brand.

Why does NeuroFUS include a software development kit?
One innovative feature of purchasing the PRO version is in its expanded capabilities. The NeuroFUS PRO’s software development kit (SDK) is essentially an international collaboration portal that includes accumulated pulsatility sequences and scripts. The PRO version also offers safety peripherals and hardware to explore aberration correction. In the spirit of allowing the field to more rapidly expand through collaboration, the SDK includes the option to store neuromodulation sequences contributed by researchers around the world. This academically motivated feature allows researchers to share and validate one another’s work and collaborate toward common goals when seeking the most efficacious parameters for a specific nerve, region, or disease model. The PRO version also includes a workshop, training, and consulting package and access to integration packages including TMS and neuronavigation systems.

Is there anything else that researchers should know?
All NeuroFUS transducers are upgradable to be MRI compatible. The system’s current limitations are that it is not CE marked and is not agency compliant. However, the PRO version offers acoustic calibration and system limiting based on free field peak intensities, best engineering practices in shock mitigation, EM shielding, ground bonding, and real-time power monitoring with automatic power shutdown. Each NeuroFUS system sold must pass the customer’s internal review board or an equivalent agency before it may be used on humans.

How can researchers get pricing information and read more about NeuroFUS?
Visit www.NeuroFUS.com to read more about the products. From there, you can fill out our inquiry form, email sales@sonicconcepts.com, or call us in Seattle at (425) 485-2564. We are interested in providing custom solutions for any type of project.