The Focused Ultrasound Foundation Designates Chongqing Haifu Hospital as a Center of Excellence

Original site: The Focused Ultrasound Foundation Designates Chongqing Haifu Hospital as a Center of Excellence - Focused Ultrasound Foundation

Published: 16 December 2024

Charlottesville, VA—The Focused Ultrasound Foundation has designated Chongqing Haifu Hospital in China as a Center of Excellence, marking it the 13th Center of Excellence worldwide.

Established in 2009, the Foundation’s Center of Excellence Program recognizes forward-thinking sites for their merit in translational and clinical research in focused ultrasound, training, and patient care. The Centers serve as hubs for collaboration, bringing together academia, industry, and the Foundation to champion therapeutic ultrasound technology in innovative ways.

Founded in 2011, Chongqing Haifu Hospital is the first institution in the world solely dedicated to using noninvasive focused ultrasound, integrating clinical applications and care, translational medicine, and research in the management of benign gynecological diseases, benign and malignant tumors, rehabilitation and physical therapy, and new clinical indications. Since its establishment, the hospital has centered a patient-focused practice, performing over 9,800 cases of focused ultrasound ablation treatments for patients from 28 countries and regions.

“Chongqing Haifu Hospital has been a global leader at the forefront of focused ultrasound technology, and we are proud to recognize their contributions by designating them as a Center of Excellence,” said Neal F. Kassell, MD, Founder and Chairman of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation. “Their unwavering commitment to clinical research, innovative applications, and positive patient outcomes exemplifies the future of modern healthcare. This designation acknowledges their leadership in the field and strengthens our partnership as we continue to drive forward the possibility of non-invasive medicine.”

“We have always been committed to building a hospital combining clinical work, scientific research and teaching, integrating global resources and promoting the high-quality development of disciplinary research and clinical application of focused ultrasound,” said Lian Zhang, MD, director of Chongqing Haifu Hospital. “Looking to the future, we are full of confidence and look forward to strengthening our cooperation with the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, as well as other top medical institutions to promote the innovation and development of focused ultrasound so more patients around the world can benefit from this noninvasive treatment.”

Chongqing Haifu Hospital has established relationships with leading academic research sites, including the University of Oxford, the European Institute of Oncology, the University of Bonn (Germany), the University of Barcelona, and the University of Hong Kong. The hospital has made great efforts to cultivate professionals in the field and major partners, including the International Society of Minimally Invasive and Virtual Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound in Medicine and Engineering (China), and the National Engineering Research Center for Ultrasound Medicine (China), who have provided focused ultrasound platforms. Chongqing Haifu Hospital also established the Global Collaborative Service Center for Focused Ultrasound Ablation Therapy, allowing focused ultrasound physicians around the world to connect online in real time to share their knowledge, communicate, and provide guidance.

To date, the hospital has trained over 3,000 medical professionals from more than 32 countries and regions. Its focused ultrasound physicians have also provided support to local doctors at focused ultrasound centers based in Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America, promoting the global clinical adoption of focused ultrasound.

Learn more about the Foundation’s Center of Excellence Program.

About Focused Ultrasound
Focused ultrasound uses ultrasound energy guided by real-time imaging to treat tissue deep in the body without incisions or radiation. It is FDA-approved in the United States to treat essential tremor, Parkinson’s disease, liver tumors, uterine fibroids, pain from bone metastases, osteoid osteoma, and the prostate. Dozens of additional indications are approved outside of the US. The technology is in various stages of research and development for nearly 160 diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and tumors of the brain, breast, and pancreas.

About the Focused Ultrasound Foundation
Based in Charlottesville, VA, the Focused Ultrasound Foundation was created to improve the lives of millions of people worldwide by accelerating the development of focused ultrasound, a rapidly evolving, noninvasive technology. The Foundation works to clear the path to global adoption in the shortest time possible by organizing and funding research, fostering collaboration, and building awareness among patients and professionals. Since its establishment in 2006, the Foundation has become the largest nongovernmental funding source for focused ultrasound research.