Zhen Xu Received Golden Goose Award for Histotripsy
The award recognizes the invention of a non-invasive ultrasound technology now used to destroy tumors.
Updated on Oct. 10, 2026 in Biotech
Live Poll
Do you trust that federally funded research projects generally lead to beneficial medical breakthroughs?
Zhen Xu, a leader at the University of Michigan, has received the 2026 Golden Goose Award for her co-invention of histotripsy. This non-invasive medical technology has moved from research into clinical use with the FDA-approved Edison system.
Why it matters
The Golden Goose Award highlights how federal research funding can transition from early academic experimentation into clinical tools that change patient care. The technology now has a significant commercial footprint, with systems deployed across more than 130 hospitals.
Histotripsy uses focused ultrasound pulses to create micro-bubbles within targeted tissue, causing cellular collapse and tumor destruction. The FDA-approved Edison system has been utilized to treat more than 5,000 patients to date.
The players
Zhen Xu
The founding director of the Histotripsy Center at the University of Michigan and co-inventor of the technology.
HistoSonics
A startup company employing approximately 500 people that manufactures the Edison histotripsy system.
The details
Histotripsy works by using acoustic energy to create controlled bubbles within gas pockets inside tissue, a phenomenon known as cavitation. As these bubbles expand and collapse rapidly, they exert mechanical stress that liquifies the targeted tumor cells without requiring invasive surgery. The method was first developed in 2002 by Xu and her colleagues before launching commercially through the startup HistoSonics.
Timeline
2002: Histotripsy was co-invented by Zhen Xu and her research colleagues.
2009: HistoSonics launched as a startup company to commercialize the research.
October 2023: The FDA granted approval for the clinical Edison histotripsy tool.
June 2026: HistoSonics reached a reported valuation of $3.75 billion.
September 2026: The University of Michigan opened a new histotripsy research facility.
The Tech Race
The establishment of the University of Michigan Histotripsy Center institutionalizes the research path that began in 2002. It serves as the academic engine supporting the continued expansion of HistoSonics, which now competes in the non-invasive surgery market with its $3.75 billion valuation.
Patients currently have access to the technology at more than 130 hospitals where the Edison system is installed. The company is now focused on scaling its workforce and developing new tools to apply this non-invasive technique to additional disease states.
The takeaway
The trajectory of histotripsy confirms the potential for federally funded lab work to reach full-scale clinical application within two decades. Readers should watch for future announcements from HistoSonics regarding new therapeutic applications for the Edison system.
Further reading
Learn more about the clinical adoption of new medical devices in the Biotech section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WLNS 6 Lansing.
Live Poll
Do you trust that federally funded research projects generally lead to beneficial medical breakthroughs?
