T. Shiogai
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Kyoto Takeda Hospital – Kyoto, Japan
Professor Hiroshi Furuhata passed away aged 67 years old on August 11th 2012. He gave tremendous contribution to our Neurosonology Research Group of the World Federation of Neurology (NSRG-WFN). He served as the secretary-general of the 4th meeting held in Hiroshima in 1991 and edited the proceedings (Recent Advances in Neurosonology). Subsequently, he served as the chairman of our NSRG-WFN from 1991-1994, as the Honorary President of the 7th meeting (Winston-Salem) and 8th NSRG Meeting (Taipei), and was an executive committee and Advisory Board member from 2001.
His extensive neurosonological research included hemodynamics,
cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, sonothrombolysis,
sonobiochemistry, and drug delivery systems. From this work we have to cite the following three very important
contributions.
Firstly, the peripheral cerebral artery properties-analysis system by the development of the QFM system for the quantitative measurements of flow volume in the common carotid artery which was selected by the Science and Technology Agency as an invention of special attention in 1983.
Secondly, the clinical introduction of the Transcranial Color Doppler Image which was first presented at the 2nd International Conference on Transcranial Doppler Sonography, Salzburg Austria in 1988.
Thirdly, experimental and clinical sonothrombolysis research was his life`s work where his goal was the establishment of an integrated experimental and clinical system for transcranial sonothrombolysis treatment, utilizing less-invasive mid-frequency ultrasound. This project was selected as one of 24 innovative medical development research projects supported by the Japanese Government (the so-called Super Tokku) in 2008.
I would like to introduce this grant-funded sonothrombolysis research projects aimed for future establishment of acute ischemic stroke treatment.
Acknowledgements: Jun Shimizu, M.D. and Ms. Mari Arakawa, Medical Engineering Laboratory, Jikei University School of Medicine.
Key words: Hiroshi Furuhata, history, sonothrombolysis.