Evaluation of a dual-arm Archimedean spiral array for microwave hyperthermia.
OBJECTIVE
This effort describes a third-party performance evaluation of a novel, commercial, dual-armed Archimedean spiral array hyperthermia applicator. The applicator is analysed for its ability to couple efficiently into muscle equivalent phantom loads, operate over a broad bandwidth to help accommodate variable tissue properties and generate predictable and repeatable SAR contours that are adaptable to clinically probable disease shapes.


METHODS
Characterization of the applicator includes E-field and return-loss measurements in liquid muscle tissue-equivalent phantom, as well as comparison of 'treatment-planning' simulations of several possible array SAR patterns with measured SAR from non-coherently driven spiral array antennae.


RESULTS
The applicator demonstrates a reasonably low return loss over a large bandwidth and the ability to generate a very uniform heating pattern. Ability to adjust SAR contours spatially to fit specific shapes is also demonstrated.


CONCLUSIONS
This device should prove a welcome addition to a currently limited set of superficial heating applicators to provide controllable heating of superficial tissue disease.
Johnson
J E
JE
University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Neuman
D G
DG
Maccarini
P F
PF
Juang
T
T
Stauffer
P R
PR
Turner
P
P
D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008872:Microwaves / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009132:Muscles; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted