This research combines engineering programs at Riverside Research Institute (RRI) and medical programs at Cornell University Medical College (CUMC) to study the alterations which can be induced in ocular tissues by highly intensity ultrasound. The objective of the research is to provide the knowledge and practical means for applying ultrasound as a therapeutic modality in ophthalmology. A therapeutic ultrasound system will be used to provide stable repeatable exposures over small well-defined volumes. It will be coupled with a diagnostic ultrasound visualization system to enable accurate exposure of target tissues regardless of the optical status of the media. Therapeutic applications will be investigated on in vitro and in vivo animal models as a prelude to human insonification. The potential for this modality in treatment of ophthalmic disorders includes disruption and dispersion of vitreous hemorrhages and membranes, creation of chorioretinal lesions to confine retinal tears, destruction of ocular tumors and treatment of intractable glaucoma. The effect of intense ultrasound on tissues will be studied by indirect ophthalmoscopy, fundus photography and diagnostic ultrasonography, and histologically by light, electron, and acoustic microscopy. Knowledge gained concerning fundamental mechanisms of tissue-ultrasound interactions will insure the safety of the intended therapies. RRI's efforts under its grant involve design and construction of ultrasound systems, which will be used by qualified medical personnel at CUMC under its separate grant.
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