Chongqing Minimally Invasive Treatment Research Center for External Genital Diseases
Chongqing Minimally Invasive Treatment Research Center for Benign Uterine Diseases
November 2009, Xinhua News Agency of Chongqing invited the inventor of focused HIFU ultrasound -
Interview Record:
Professor Wang Zhibiao: Hello everyone!
Host: Professor Wang led a team in 1997, developed the first HIFU focused ultrasound, and completed the world's first HIFU (ultrasound ablation) treatment of bone tumors and treatment of malignant breast tumors. To ordinary people, HIFU is still relatively mysterious; would you like to tell us about this technology?
Professor Wang Zhibiao: Scientific advances in human medicine has its own rules, we spent 30-40 years in the last century, human medicine passed from invasive to non-invasive. In 1983, we need to open the stomach for checking if inside diagnosis unclear. After the emergence of laparoscopy, followed by development, B-ultrasound and magnetic resonance, we can directly know diagnosis of the disease. Surgical techniques in medicine occupied most of minimally invasive, 20-30 years of research and development through technology promotion , the medical profession has been fully accepted , from doctors and patients able to know minimally invasive techniques , the next step will be from diagnostic medicine to non-invasive , this is the inevitable trend of development of medical science .
We talked about focused ultrasound ablation; we know that when we play magnifier, we gather up the light, if you can focus the light gather up, it will burn up the paper, if it is biological then killed. So ultrasound is very good, which can get through the tissue, neither the light. Ultrasound ablation is a state-of-the-art non-invasive therapy, which can treat human diseases but avoiding surgery. A focused ultrasound beam can be directed into the tissue through a focusing lens and at the focal point the temperature may increase to 60 to 100 degree centigrade. Under this temperature the tissue can be cooked and become coagulative necrosis. The principle is similar to using magnifying glass to focalize sun shines.
Host: I have a question. I am a layman; it (ultrasound) can kill cancer cells, would it hurt the skin?
Professor Wang Zhibiao : Yes, the sunlight did not hurt , but the focus can burn up the paper , temperature of the skin surface is very low , but in the body can reach 3000 times, so the characteristics of ultrasonic is that it can penetrate the tissue inside the focus .
Host: This ultrasonic effect is magical. Indeed it is also widely used; it is the biggest bright spot is the non-invasive treatment.
Professor Wang Zhibiao: We just talked about this technology, this technology is a new technology in the world, in fact, is an American who first proposed the concept, but the Chinese people made their own inventions to solve lots of key and difficult problems. Just now, you mentioned, the 1st one is that we need to focus to burn the point issue instead of skin; the 2nd is that we need to make the focus into a tip shape, to destroy the whole tumor; the 3rd is how to confirm the focus and the degree when outside the body. All of these problems are Chinese researched first. Now we can see the change of the focus point.
Host: In fact, talking about the effect of ultrasound ablation , patients are most qualified to speak today, here we have someone received ultrasound ablation of bone tumors 11 years ago, Mr. Leng; and uterine fibroids patient, Mrs. He. Welcome both of you here! Under normal circumstance, Bone cancer would cause amputation. Can you talk about your situation at that time?
Mr. Leng: at that time, I was found that bone tumor was malignant, knowing the new HIFU, as a patient, I definitely want to cure. I was also in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, I got relapse after an operation. My family told me to cut the legs altogether, because it was seemed that only amputation can help me survive.
Professor Wang Zhibiao: he has family history of cancer.
Mr. Leng: My brother is also a bone cancer, and then metastasized to his head inside.
Professor Wang Zhibiao: when did he die?
Mr. Leng: about half of a year. It was so scared when cancer mentioned.
Professor Wang Zhibiao: it is now indeed.
Host: how do you get to know this technique?
Mr. Leng: when relapse was found, I went to a hospital, Professor Zhou and Professor Wang introduced HIFU to me, which was tried by nobody.
Host: how long had you received HIFU before getting better?
Mr. Leng: about half of a year, I left hospital.
Host: just half of a year? How is the effect?
Mr. Leng: after getting home, I began to walk 4 months later. My leg was supposed to be cut as my family suggested, but it is so good now.
Host: I remember that you walk so comfortable while getting up to the platform. Is it believable that your leg function is very good?
Mr. Leng: Yes!
Host: what about your life now, such as your action and sports?
Mr. Leng: it is so good, I work every day. No one knows I am a patient unless told.
Professor Wang Zhibiao: No! You are not a patient, you’re fully recovered. Now he attends some exams, everything goes well!