Numerical investigation of temperature field in magnetic hyperthermia considering mass transfer and diffusion in interstitial tissue

Magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) hyperthermia ablates malignant cells by heating the region of interest when MNPs are subjected to an external alternating magnetic field. The energy density to be dissipated into heat, and consequently the temperature profile during treatment, depends on the distribution of MNPs within the tumoral region. This paper uses numerical models to evaluate the temporal and spatial temperature distributions inside a tumor when intratumoral injection of MNPs is considered. To this end, the theories of mass transfer and diffusion in interstitial tissue are combined with Rosensweig's theory and Pennes bio-heat transfer equation, and the finite element method is used for analyzing the temperature field under different scenarios. Simulation results demonstrate that the treatment temperature field strongly depends on factors, such as the injection method, particle size, injection concentration and injection dose. However, the maximal temperature reached during hyperthermia and the effective treatment area are difficult to control. In order to obtain better treatment effects, this paper investigates a solution that uses a kind of material with low Curie temperature and the results show that the effective treatment area of hyperthermia can be significantly improved using this type of MNP. (paper)