Enhancement and Mapping of Oncological Drug Delivery by Ultrasound

A low-cost ultrasound device called SonoTran will blast cancer drugs deep into solid tumours, overcoming a key barrier that has limited the effectiveness of even the most advanced therapies. The core problem is that solid tumours are dense, poorly organised masses with high internal pressure. Drugs injected into the bloodstream struggle to penetrate beyond the tumour’s outer edge, leaving the interior untouched. SonoTran uses targeted ultrasound waves to create temporary, reversible gaps in tumour tissue, allowing drugs to reach deeper regions that would otherwise remain untreated. The device also maps and monitors treatment in real time, in 3D—a feature that could let clinicians see exactly where drugs are going during a procedure, rather than guessing afterwards. If successful, the prototype will create 4 new UK jobs initially, rising to 24 by 2019. Beyond cancer, the same platform technology could be adapted for surgical repairs, such as treating damaged intervertebral discs that cause chronic low back pain. The project is a commercial development effort, not fundamental science, but it directly addresses a practical bottleneck in oncology that has frustrated drug developers for decades.