The acoustic coupling fluid and sterile transfer kit reportedly removes acoustic artifacts that can occur with the use of standard irrigation fluids in ultrasound-guided neurosurgical interventions.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a breakthrough device designation for the SonoClear System, an acoustic coupling fluid and sterile transfer kit that improves the clarity of intraoperative ultrasound in brain tumor surgery.
In contrast to the use of standard irrigation fluids that commonly obscure tumor remnants at the base of a resection cavity, the SonoClear System provides tissue-mimicking properties that facilitate the removal of acoustic artifacts, according to SonoClear, the developer of the system.
Here one can intraoperative ultrasound images showing the obscuring of residual tumor and healthy tissue at the base of a resection cavity (left) and use of the SonoClear System (right), which offers improved clarity for imaging revealing a residual tumor. (Images courtesy of SonoClear.)
SonoClear maintained that the removal of acoustic artifacts with the SonoClear System enables improved confirmation of complete tumor removal with intraoperative ultrasound.
"Toward the end of a resection, with SonoClear fluid in the cavity, I could clearly see whether there was any tumor remnant, which is not always the case when we use standard irrigation fluids as a couplant. This gives me confidence that I can achieve a maximum safe resection using intraoperative ultrasound combined with the SonoClear System,” noted Francesco DiMeco, M.D., the director of neurological surgery at the Neurological Institute Carlo Besta in Milan, Italy, and professor neurosurgery in the Department of Oncology and Hemato-oncology at the University of Milan.
Stay at the forefront of radiology with the Diagnostic Imaging newsletter, delivering the latest news, clinical insights, and imaging advancements for today’s radiologists.
FDA Clears Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Platform and AI Software for Neuraxial Procedures
July 17th 2025The dual FDA clearances for the Accuro 3S point-of-care ultrasound device and the SpineNav-AI machine learning-based software may enhance precision and safety with ultrasound-guided neuraxial procedures.
The Reading Room: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Cancer Screenings, and COVID-19
November 3rd 2020In this podcast episode, Dr. Shalom Kalnicki, from Montefiore and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, discusses the disparities minority patients face with cancer screenings and what can be done to increase access during the pandemic.
FDA Expands Approval of MRI-Guided Ultrasound Treatment for Patients with Parkinson’s Disease
July 9th 2025For patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease, the expanded FDA approval of the Exablate Neuro platform allows for the use of MRI-guided focused ultrasound in performing staged bilateral pallidothalamic tractotomy.
FDA Clears Ultrasound AI Detection for Pleural Effusion and Consolidation
June 18th 2025The 14th FDA-cleared AI software embedded in the Exo Iris ultrasound device reportedly enables automated detection of key pulmonary findings that may facilitate detection of pneumonia and tuberculosis in seconds.