Systems and methods for real-time, transcranial monitoring of blood-brain barrier opening

1. A system for real-time, transcranial monitoring of safe blood-brain barrier opening, comprising:

an ultrasound transducer;

a monitoring component configured to transcranially monitor opening of the blood-brain barrier by acquiring an emission from a microbubble; and

a targeting component, coupled to the ultrasound transducer and configured to:

determine an approach angle for targeted blood-brain barrier opening proximate a predetermined region in a brain of a patient, and

position the ultrasound transducer to generate a ultrasound signal at the determined approach angle to the predetermined region in the brain.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound transducer operates at an intermediate frequency of 500 kHz.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the targeting component is configured to target the predetermined region of the brain without use of a magnetic resonance image monitoring.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the targeting component comprises a stereotactic manipulator to target the predetermined region in the brain.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the monitoring component monitors a frequency of a backscattered acoustic signal generated from the microbubble in response to the targeting by the ultrasound transducer.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the monitoring component comprises a passive cavitation detector.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the approach angle for targeted blood-brain barrier opening transcends a skull of the patient.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the monitoring component is configured to perform a noninvasive real-time monitoring.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound signal is a focused ultrasound signal.

10. A method for real-time, transcranial monitoring of safe blood-brain barrier opening, comprising:

providing an ultrasound transducer;

determining an approach angle for targeted blood-brain barrier opening proximate a predetermined region in a brain of a patient; and

positioning the ultrasound transducer to generate a ultrasound signal at the determined approach angle to the predetermined region in the brain;

administering microbubbles to the patient;

generating the ultrasound signal at the determined approach angle to the predetermined region in the brain; and

monitoring an occurrence of the blood-brain barrier opening by transcranially acquiring an emission from the microbubbles.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising operating the ultrasound transducer at an intermediate frequency of 500 kHz.

12. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising targeting the predetermined region of the brain without use of a magnetic resonance image monitoring.

13. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising targeting the predetermined region in the brain using a stereotactic manipulator.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the monitoring is performed by acquiring a frequency of a backscattered acoustic signal generated from the microbubbles in response to the targeting by the ultrasound transducer.

15. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the monitoring is performed using a passive cavitation detector.

16. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the patient is anesthetized during the blood-brain barrier opening.

17. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the patient is awake during the blood-brain barrier opening.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the approach angle for targeted blood-brain barrier opening transcends a skull of the patient.

19. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the monitoring is noninvasive and real-time.

20. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the ultrasound signal is a focused ultrasound signal.