CES 2018

The audio industry likes to promote the slogan "Music Matters!" I happen to agree wholeheartedly with that sentiment, but the Focused Ultrasound Foundation could be said to have the motto "Sound Matters!" In their case, in fact, sound—specifically, focused ultrasound—matters so much because it can save lives. They're not talking about the old "music has charms to soothe a savage breast" story, either. (I know. You thought it was "savage beast." Well, you're wrong.)

These folks are trying to get the word out how focused ultrasound can be used to help treat serious medical disorders: "Imagine treating cancer, Parkinson's disease, and brain tumors without surgery or the harmful effects of radiation. Focused ultrasound offers this potential… Focused ultrasound is an early-stage, non-invasive therapeutic technology that could transform the treatment of many medical disorders by serving as an alternative to surgery and radiation. Every day without it translates into unnecessary death, disability, and suffering for countless individuals."

The Focused Ultrasound Foundation was founded in order to hasten the development and utilization of the technology.

Unfortunately, the evolution of a new therapeutic medical device from concept to standard of care is an extremely slow process that can take decades. Complicated and inefficient, the process requires the dynamic interaction of an array of organizations with different agendas and timelines. In addition, there are a numerous technology, economic, regulatory and reimbursement obstacles to be overcome.

Decades is too long for patients and their families to wait for medical breakthroughs. If we can accelerate the adoption of focused ultrasound, we can save lives.

The Focused Ultrasound Foundation is working to provide patients with this non-invasive, life-changing treatment option in the shortest time possible.

As part of their mission to make some noise about the medical uses of focused ultrasound, members of the Foundation came to CES 2018. I spoke with a cadre of them at CES Unveiled, and it's an incredibly interesting technology with some amazing potential. (You can read more about how focused ultrasound works here.)

John Grisham—Foundation Board member and lawyer-turned-best-selling author (you might have heard of him)—appeared along with Foundation Chairman Neal F. Kassell, MD at CES 2018 to talk about the Foundation and the technology. Grisham is so enthusiastic about the technology, he's even written a short book, called The Tumor, about how focused ultrasound could transform the treatment of serious medical disorders. (I know. It seems an unlikely topic for a thriller…) You can download a free copy of The Tumor here or order a hard copy directly from the Foundation here.

You can—and you should—donate to the Focused Ultrasound Foundation here.