Focused Energy:

Extraordinary Ultrasound

Discover the power of sound you cannot hear

Our research explores how focused ultrasound can deliver precise, non-invasive therapies in:

Non-invasive Brain Surgery: Treating life limiting movement disorders without incisions
Enhanced Healing: Using specific sound frequencies to speed up healing in damaged tissues and bones
Revolutionary Drug Delivery: Creating new ways to deliver medication, especially to the brain and through the intestinal wall

Join us at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2025 to explore how ultrasound—sound waves beyond human hearing—is revolutionising medicine in extraordinary ways.

Most people know ultrasound from pregnancy scans, but our exhibit takes you beyond imaging into the exciting world of focused ultrasound therapy. Experience a journey from basic science and engineering through to groundbreaking medical applications that will change lives.

What You’ll Experience

Standing Waves Create your own standing waves using ropes of different weights in this hands-on interactive exhibit
Bat Helmets Navigate using ultrasound like a bat with our specially designed helmets for children and adults to detect insect illustrations
Ultrasonic Levitation Place polystyrene beads in an ultrasonic field and watch them float before your eyes, made visible with smoke
Bone Technology Explore how ultrasonic tools precisely cut and heal bones and other body tissues in this informative display
Smart Drug Delivery Discover our enlarged model of a smart capsule creating cavitation streams, positioned alongside a digestive system model
Neurosurgery Helmet Try on our mock-up insonation helmet and use an iPad to target tremors—experiencing how we can treat brain conditions without incisions

Surgery enabled by ultrasonics

The Ultrasurge project, led by Professor Margaret Lucas at the University of Glasgow, is revolutionising surgical techniques through advanced ultrasonic technology.

Ultrasonic surgical devices are already considered the gold standard in many procedures, but we are taking this technology further by miniaturising these instruments. Our vision is to integrate these miniaturised ultrasonic tools with flexible robotic systems, enabling highly precise, minimally invasive surgeries that were previously impossible.

Incisionless Neurosurgery

Led by Consultant Neurologist Dr Tom Gilbertson, Dundee’s Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) service is revolutionising the treatment of Essential Tremor through incisionless brain surgery. MRgFUS precisely targets areas of the brain to reduce disabling tremors without any incisions, allowing patients to return home the next day with immediate, life-changing improvements.

Visit Us

When: 30 June – 7 July 2025
Where: The Royal Society, London
Cost: Free admission

Join us for this interactive experience suitable for all ages and abilities. Our exhibit has been designed with accessibility in mind, including features for visitors with limited mobility, vision, or hearing.

Meet Our Team

Our diverse team brings together researchers from the University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde, University of Dundee, and King’s College London.

From professors to PhD students, we’re passionate about harnessing ultrasonic energy for medical breakthroughs.

Fun Facts

Did you know? 2025 marks important anniversaries in ultrasound technology:

135 years since the discovery of the piezoelectric effect that enables ultrasound

15 years since the first successful treatment of essential tremor using focused ultrasound