Ultrasonic contact microprobe: Experimental results

At the Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb , the original ultrasonic contact microprobe (UCM) was designed. The effica cy of the instrument was tested on 120 brains of Wistar strain rats. The au thors have been investigating the possibility of transferring high-energy u ltrasound through the titanium wire probe of the device and the efficacy of UCM in controlled punctiform destruction of brain tissue. Light and electr on microscope assessed the lesions made in the brains of experimental rats, Histological findings in the preparations showed the zone of thermal injur ies from 100 to 200 mu m and the zone of ultrastructural changes from 200 t o 300 mu m, indicating the sparing effect of the microprobe with regard to the adjacent neurovascular structures. The small dimensions of the ultrason ic contact microprobe (1.6 mm) enable its introduction through the operatin g canal of a ventriculoscope. Further research is expected to show the effi cacy of the ultrasonic contact microprobe in endoscopic neurosurgery.