# In vivo feasibility of a smart needle ablation treatment for liver cancer

> **NIH NIH R43** · CURRENT SURGICAL INC. · 2023 · $400,000

## Abstract

Project Summary
A significant number (~30-50%) of liver cancers have no curative treatments due to their proximity to critical
anatomy. Minimally invasive thermal ablation is a promising treatment for these untreatable solid tumors. If
delivered precisely, ablations offer the treatment efficacy of traditional surgery with lower patient risk,
clinician time, and overall cost. Existing ablation technology, however, does not offer the necessary precision.
Ablation tools do not provide feedback on (1) whether or not the probe has been accurately placed within the
tumor, (2) if the tumor has been completely destroyed, or (3) if surrounding healthy tissue has been left
intact. Because of this lack of precision and feedback, ablation cannot currently be used to treat tumors near
critical anatomy.
A proposed solution to these currently untreatable cancers is an ultraprecise ablation needle, embedded with
high-resolution ultrasound sensors at its tip. These sensors will provide multiple benefits: aiding the clinician
in placing the device correctly by imaging the tumor relative to the needle, delivering the treatment energy to
a precise location through focusing, and providing real-time monitoring of the procedure by detecting the
thermal changes in tissue-all without the need for a large imaging system. This innovation will allow
surgeons to complete an ablation with the required precision to treat even the most difficult-to-reach cancers.
This Phase 1 SBIR proposal will demonstrate the capabilities of small-scale ultrasound transducers to
precisely control ablations near critical anatomical structures (e.g., arteries) in an in vivo porcine model
through three specific aims: (1) optimization of previously developed ultrasound-based ablation zone
estimation in ex vivo liver tissue using deep learning and physics-based simulations, (2) ablation zone
estimation in an in vivo porcine liver model, and (3) demonstration of in vivo closed-loop ablation zone
control near critical anatomy (artery in liver). Completion of this phase will demonstrate the key technology
in a pilot animal study, where Phase 2 work would address critical development milestones to
commercialization for an anticipated Class 2 device (approval via de nova regulatory pathway).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10699190
- **Project number:** 1R43CA277895-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** CURRENT SURGICAL INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Alireza Mashal
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $400,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-04-01 → 2025-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10699190

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10699190, In vivo feasibility of a smart needle ablation treatment for liver cancer (1R43CA277895-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10699190. Licensed CC0.

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