Project description
Improving medical sound wave therapies
Medical sound wave therapies are used to treat neurological diseases, tumours, blood clots, bacterial infections, and kidney stones. However, further advancements in their medical applications are needed. The ERC-funded CAVIAR project will enhance the medical use of high-intensity focused sound waves, specifically ultrasound and shock waves. It will clarify the physics underlying ultrasound, microbubble-mediated targeted drug delivery, and non-thermal cavitation-based ablation of biological tissues and stones. Through in vitro experiments, the project will explore the mechanisms of mechanical bioeffects produced by cavitation under various acoustic conditions, from gentle ultrasound for reversible cellular sonopermeabilisation to stone fragmentation in shock wave lithotripsy. The anticipated outcomes will improve the safety, precision, and efficacy of medical sound wave therapies.
Objective
The proposed research will critically advance the medical use of high-intensity focused sound waves, namely ultrasound and shock waves. In particular, the project aims to break grounds by elucidating the physics behind ultrasound and microbubble-mediated targeted drug delivery and non-thermal, cavitation-based ablation of biological tissues and stones, relevant in the treatments of neurological diseases, tumours, blood clots, bacterial infections and kidney stones. Through carefully designed in-vitro experiments, the project aims at explaining and comprehensively characterising, uniquely within a single framework, the currently elusive mechanisms behind the mechanical bioeffects produced by cavitation activity across a wide range of acoustic driving conditions from gentle, low-amplitude ultrasound for reversible cellular sonopermeabilisation to drugs up to the fragmentation of stones in shock wave lithotripsy. This will be achieved using a unique combination of advanced measurement techniques such as ultrafast videomicroscopy and synchrotron X-ray imaging, and leveraging the PI's expertise in acoustics, microbubble technology and the physics of cavitation.
The expected outcomes of the proposed research are to i) help optimise the mechanical effects in medical sound wave therapies to improve their safety, precision and efficacy and allowing swift clinical translation for emerging medical therapies; ii) significantly advance experimental techniques to spatiotemporally resolve ultrafast microevents; iii) refine acoustic cavitation detection techniques in the clinical setting by correlating specific visually observed cavitation activities to their acoustic signatures; and iv) propose a new, rigorous measure to assess safety against mechanical bioeffects caused by cavitation in clinical applications using high-amplitude sound waves.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-STG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
8092 Zuerich
Switzerland
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.