A

Abdomen/Abdominal
The area of the body between the chest and the pelvis/located in the area of the abdomen.

Ablate
To destroy (kill) tissue (see Thermal Ablation below).

Ablation
Surgical removal of a body part or tissue

Acoustic Energy
Another term for "sound" energy.

B

C

Contrast Agents
Substance injected into blood stream that highlights blood flow in MR images.

Coupling Pad
A gel pad that helps transfer the acoustic wave from the ExAblate® transducer to the body without distortion.

D

E

ExAblate® 2000
The commercial name for the system that provides noninvasive treatment of the tumor using Magnetic Resonance guided Focused Ultrasound technology. It received FDA approval in MONTH 2004

ExAblate Treatment
A procedure in which uterine fibroids are heated and destroyed (ablated) using high energy sound waves. The procedure is performed inside a MRI device that allows the physician to use the image to plan, monitor and control the treatment while it is in progress.

F

Focused Ultrasound Transducer
A device that converts an electrical signal to ultrasounds waves and focuses the ultrasound waves.

G

H

Hormonal therapy
A drug treatment used to treat some fibroids that causes fibroid shrinkage

Hormones
Chemicals secreted by the body and carried by the blood stream to an organ or tissue that the chemicals affect.

Hysterectomy
Surgical removal of the uterus

I

Implants
Devices surgically placed inside the body - including, but not limited to: Surgical clips, pacemakers, artificial hips and joints, certain replacement heart valves.

J

K

L

M

Magnetic Resonance guided Focused Ultrasound
A noninvasive outpatient, surgical procedure that uses high intensity Focused Ultrasound waves to ablate (destroy) tissue in combination with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), which guides and monitors the treatment

MRgFUS
Magnetic Resonance guided Focused Ultrasound

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
A noninvasive imaging method using magnetic fields and radio waves to create images of the body

Menopause
The time in a woman's life when her menstrual cycle stops.

MR Images
Image created.

Myomectomy Surgical excision of the tumor, leaving the healthy areas of the uterus in place

N

O

P

Patient Table
The part of the ExAblate® 2000 device that the patient lies on during the treatment.

Q

R

S

Scanning
A term used to describe the process of acquiring the MR image.

Symptomatic uterine fibroids
Benign (non-cancerous) masses located in the uterus that cause any of the following symptoms, including heavy bleeding or painful periods; bleeding between periods; feeling "full" in the lower abdomen; frequent urination (resulting from a fibroid pressing on the bladder); bowel symptoms, pain during sex or lower back pain

Sonication
A sonication refers to a single exposure of focused ultrasound.

T

Temperature Sensitive Images
MRI generated images that show both structures inside the body and temperature. These are used during the sonications of the ExAblate® 2000 treatment to determine if the fibroid has been sufficiently heated.

Thermal Ablation
Destruction of a body part or tissue using heat

Treating/Treatment

A term used to describe the part of the procedure that is the total time during which the fibroid(s) is (are) being ablated.

U

Ulceration
Loss of tissue (e.g., skin or mucus) due to inflammation.

Ultrasound
High frequency sound waves (not audible to the human ear)

Uterine artery embolization (UAE)
Blocking the blood vessels that supply the tumor by injecting small particles into the arteries feeding the uterus

Uterine fibroids
Benign (non-cancerous) masses located in the uterus or in the uterine wall

V

W

Workstation
The part of the ExAblate® 2000 device that the physician uses to plan, control and monitor the treatment.

X

Y

Z