Treatment time reduction for large thermal lesions by using a multiple 1D ultrasound phased array system.
To generate large thermal lesions in ultrasound thermal therapy, cooling intermissions are usually introduced during the treatment to prevent near-field heating, which leads to a long treatment time. A possible strategy to shorten the total treatment time is to eliminate the cooling intermissions. In this study, the two methods, power optimization and acoustic window enlargement, for reducing power accumulation in the near field are combined to investigate the feasibility of continuously heating a large target region (maximally 3.2 x 3.2 x 3.2 cm3). A multiple 1D ultrasound phased array system generates the foci to scan the target region. Simulations show that the target region can be successfully heated without cooling and no near-field heating occurs. Moreover, due to the fact that there is no cooling time during the heating sessions, the total treatment time is significantly reduced to only several minutes, compared to the existing several hours.
Liu
Hao-Li
HL
Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Chen
Yung-Yaw
YY
Yen
Jia-Yush
JY
Lin
Win-Li
WL
D000465:Algorithms; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D007430:Intraoperative Care / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011786:Quality Control; D013997:Time Factors; D014159:Transducers; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*