Adaptive thermal modeling for short-term temperature prediction for local hyperthermia

Analysis of the heat transfer processes in living tissues indicates that blood perfusion plays major and often dominant roles in determining the temperature distribution in heated tissues. Due to the variability of blood perfusion, predictive thermal modeling based on estimated constant blood perfusion is meaningless. The authors report an attempt at adaptive modeling based on blood perfusion values determined continuously at selected sites, using a thermal method. These perfusion parameters are then used as continuously updated parameters in a real time thermal model. The model permits short term prediction of the temperature distribution in response to ultrasound or microwave heating. The technique is particularly valuable in accounting for the changes of blood perfusion during, and as a consequence of, local hyperthermia treatment