Active · Funded July 2025

D3-HIFU

A data-driven decision-support platform for MR-guided HIFU — making brain therapy more precise, efficient and safe.

2025→Status · Active
405Procedures as foundation
6Specific objectives
9Collaborating centers
MR thermometry of a focused-ultrasound thermal lesion
The challenge

From standardized procedure to intelligent decision

MRgHIFU is an incisionless technology for precise thermal ablation, established for tremor and expanding fast.

Outcomes still vary; D3-HIFU uses real-world data to make those decisions objective and data-driven.

Where we intervene

Optimizing every stage of the treatment

An MRgHIFU procedure has three stages — D3-HIFU supports each one.

Stage 1

Screening & Preparation

Predicting thermal efficiency, cavitation risk and edema to plan ahead.

Stage 2

Targeting

Sweet-spot maps and automated segmentation for consistent targeting.

Stage 3

Sonication

AI lesion shaping and 3D thermal-dose prediction with objective stopping criteria.

Objectives

Six specific objectives

General objective: leverage data analysis and machine learning to optimize MRgHIFU, enabling data-driven decisions.

O1

Predict thermal efficiency, cavitation & lesion

ML models from patient-specific data.

O2

Personalized targeting frameworks

Accounting for demographic and anatomical factors.

O3

AI-driven lesion shaping

Enhancing precision and lesion control.

O4

3D thermal-dose models

For better lesion control and safety.

O5

Quantitative clinical assessment

Objective tools for symptom and efficacy evaluation.

O6

Open decision-support platform

Automated platform for planning and monitoring.

National network

A multi-center collaboration across Spain

Built on real-world data from leading MRgHIFU centers across Spain.

Madrid ×3 Santiago Bilbao Pamplona Salamanca Badalona Córdoba
HM-CINAC · HM HospitalesMadrid · coordinating center
Hospital Clínico San CarlosMadrid
Fundación Jiménez DíazMadrid
Hospital U. Reina SofíaCórdoba
Clínica Universidad de NavarraPamplona
Complejo Hospitalario U. de SantiagoSantiago de Compostela
Hospital U. de CrucesBilbao
Hospital U. de SalamancaSalamanca
Hospital Germans Trias i PujolBadalona
Roadmap

Milestones

M1 · Month 10

Data cohorts finalized

Cohorts ready for model training.

M2 · Month 22

Predictive models validated

Thermal efficiency, cavitation and lesion models.

M3 · Month 24

Automated targeting framework

Segmentation + personalized targeting.

M4 · Month 30

Lesion shaping & thermal dose validated

Validated in phantom studies.

M5 · Month 32

Automated clinical reporting

Objective, automated reporting.

M6 · Month 34

Integrated decision-support platform

First functional platform version.

Expected impact

An open-access platform for the MRgHIFU community

Enhancing precision, efficiency and safety, and reducing variability in clinical decision-making.

Open by design

Open-access platform under a Creative Commons licence.

FAIR data

Standardized, anonymized data under FAIR principles.

Equity built-in

Investigating gender-specific factors for equitable therapy.

Funding

Funded by the Spanish national research plan

Awarded July 2025 by the Ministry of Science through the State Research Agency (AEI), within the national research plan.

Grant reference · to be confirmed

Want to collaborate on D3-HIFU?

We work with clinical, academic and industry partners to advance this platform.

Get in touch