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Purpose: The clinical success of hyperthermia adjunct to radiotherapy depends on adequate temperature elevation in the tumor with minimal temperature rise in organs at risk. Existing technologies for thermal treatment of the cervix have limited spatial control or rapid energy falloff. The objective of this work is to develop an endocervical applicator using a linear array of multisectored tubular ultrasound transducers to provide 3-D conformal, locally targeted hyperthermia concomitant to radiotherapy in the uterine cervix. The catheter-based device is integrated within a HDR brachytherapy applicator to facilitate sequential and potentially simultaneous heat and radiation delivery. Methods: Treatment planning images from 35 patients who underwent HDR brachytherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer were inspected to assess the dimensions of radiation clinical target volumes (CTVs) and gross tumor volumes (GTVs) surrounding the cervix and the proximity of organs at risk. Biothermal simulation was used to identify applicator and catheter material parameters to adequately heat the cervix with minimal thermal dose accumulation in nontargeted structures. A family of ultrasound applicators was fabricated with two to three tubular transducers operating at 6.6-7.4 MHz that are unsectored (360 deg.), bisectored (2x180 deg.), or trisectored (3x120 deg.) for control of energy deposition in angle and alongmore » the device length in order to satisfy anatomical constraints. The device is housed in a 6 mm diameter PET catheter with cooling water flow for endocervical implantation. Devices were characterized by measuring acoustic efficiencies, rotational acoustic intensity distributions, and rotational temperature distributions in phantom. Results: The CTV in HDR brachytherapy plans extends 20.5{+-}5.0 mm from the endocervical tandem with the rectum and bladder typically 5EM{sub 43 Degree-Sign C} over 4-5 cm diameter with T{sub max}

This study was designed to assess pelvic bone temperature during typical treatment regimens of transurethral ultrasound thermal ablation of the prostate to establish guidelines for limiting bone heating.Treatment with transurethral planar, curvilinear, and sectored tubular applicators was simulated using an acoustic and biothermal pelvic model that accommodates applicator sweeping, boundary temperature control, and changes in perfusion and attenuation with thermal dose to more accurately model ultrasound energy penetration. The effects of various parameters including power and frequency (5-10 MHz) on bone heating were assessed for a range of prostate cross-sections (3-5 cm) and bone distances (1-3 cm).All devices can produce significant bone heating (temperatures50 degrees C, thermal dose240 EM(43 degrees C)) without optimization of applied frequency or power for bone3 cm from the prostate boundary. In small glands ( approximately 3 cm) increasing operating frequency of curvilinear and planar devices can increase bone temperatures, whereas the tubular applicator can be used at 10 MHz to avoid likely bone damage. In larger prostates (4-5 cm wide) increasing frequency reduces bone heating but can substantially increase treatment time. Lowering power can reduce bone temperature but may increase thermal dose by increasing treatment duration. All applicators can be used to treat glands 4-5 cm with limited bone heating by selecting appropriate power and frequency.Pubic bone heating during ultrasound thermal therapy of the prostate can be substantial in certain situations. Successful realization of this therapy will require patient-specific treatment planning to optimally determine power and frequency in order to minimize bone heating.

Catheter-based ultrasound devices provide a method to deliver 3D conformable heating integrated with HDR brachytherapy delivery. Theoretical characterization of heating patterns was performed to identify implant strategies for these devices which can best be used to apply hyperthermia to cervical cancer. A constrained optimization-based hyperthermia treatment planning platform was used for the analysis. The proportion of tissue ≥41 °C in a hyperthermia treatment volume was maximized with constraints T(max) ≤ 47 °C, T(rectum) ≤ 41.5 °C, and T(bladder) ≤ 42.5 °C. Hyperthermia treatment was modeled for generalized implant configurations and complex configurations from a database of patients (n = 14) treated with HDR brachytherapy. Various combinations of endocervical (360° or 2 × 180° output; 6 mm OD) and interstitial (180°, 270°, or 360° output; 2.4 mm OD) applicators within catheter locations from brachytherapy implants were modeled, with perfusion constant (1 or 3 kg m(-3) s(-1)) or varying with location or temperature. Device positioning, sectoring, active length and aiming were empirically optimized to maximize thermal coverage. Conformable heating of appreciable volumes (>200 cm(3)) is possible using multiple sectored interstitial and endocervical ultrasound devices. The endocervical device can heat >41 °C to 4.6 cm diameter compared to 3.6 cm for the interstitial. Sectored applicators afford tight control of heating that is robust to perfusion changes in most regularly spaced configurations. T(90) in example patient cases was 40.5-42.7 °C (1.9-39.6 EM(43 °C)) at 1 kg m(-3) s(-1) with 10/14 patients ≥41 °C. Guidelines are presented for positioning of implant catheters during the initial surgery, selection of ultrasound applicator configurations, and tailored power schemes for achieving T(90) ≥ 41 °C in clinically practical implant configurations. Catheter-based ultrasound devices, when adhering to the guidelines, show potential to generate conformal therapeutic heating ranging from a single endocervical device targeting small volumes local to the cervix (

The clinical success of hyperthermia adjunct to radiotherapy depends on adequate temperature elevation in the tumor with minimal temperature rise in organs at risk. Existing technologies for thermal treatment of the cervix have limited spatial control or rapid energy falloff. The objective of this work is to develop an endocervical applicator using a linear array of multisectored tubular ultrasound transducers to provide 3-D conformal, locally targeted hyperthermia concomitant to radiotherapy in the uterine cervix. The catheter-based device is integrated within a HDR brachytherapy applicator to facilitate sequential and potentially simultaneous heat and radiation delivery.Treatment planning images from 35 patients who underwent HDR brachytherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer were inspected to assess the dimensions of radiation clinical target volumes (CTVs) and gross tumor volumes (GTVs) surrounding the cervix and the proximity of organs at risk. Biothermal simulation was used to identify applicator and catheter material parameters to adequately heat the cervix with minimal thermal dose accumulation in nontargeted structures. A family of ultrasound applicators was fabricated with two to three tubular transducers operating at 6.6-7.4 MHz that are unsectored (360 degrees), bisectored (2 x 180 degrees), or trisectored (3 x 120 degrees) for control of energy deposition in angle and along the device length in order to satisfy anatomical constraints. The device is housed in a 6 mm diameter PET catheter with cooling water flow for endocervical implantation. Devices were characterized by measuring acoustic efficiencies, rotational acoustic intensity distributions, and rotational temperature distributions in phantom.The CTV in HDR brachytherapy plans extends 20.5 +/- 5.0 mm from the endocervical tandem with the rectum and bladder typically8 mm from the target boundary. The GTV extends 19.4 +/- 7.3 mm from the tandem. Simulations indicate that for 60 min treatments the applicator can heat to 41 degrees C and deliver5EM(43 degrees C) over 4-5 cm diameter with Tmax45 degrees C and 1 kg m(-3) s(-1) blood perfusion. The 41 degrees C contour diameter is reduced to 3-4 cm at 3 kg m(-3) s(-1) perfusion. Differential power control to transducer elements and sectors demonstrates tailoring of heating along the device length and in angle. Sector cuts are associated with a 14-47 degrees acoustic dead zone, depending on cut width, resulting in a approximately 2-4 degrees C temperature reduction within the dead zone below Tmax. Dead zones can be oriented for thermal protection of the rectum and bladder. Fabricated devices have acoustic efficiencies of 33.4%-51.8% with acoustic output that is well collimated in length, reflects the sectoring strategy, and is strongly correlated with temperature distributions.A catheter-based ultrasound applicator was developed for endocervical implantation with locally targeted, 3-D conformal thermal delivery to the uterine cervix. Feasibility of heating clinically relevant target volumes was demonstrated with power control along the device length and in angle to treat the cervix with minimal thermal dose delivery to the rectum and bladder.

A 3D optimization-based thermal treatment planning platform has been developed for the application of catheter-based ultrasound hyperthermia in conjunction with high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy for treating advanced pelvic tumors. Optimal selection of applied power levels to each independently controlled transducer segment can be used to conform and maximize therapeutic heating and thermal dose coverage to the target region, providing significant advantages over current hyperthermia technology and improving treatment response. Critical anatomic structures, clinical target outlines, and implant/applicator geometries were acquired from sequential multi-slice 2D images obtained from HDR treatment planning and used to reconstruct patient specific 3D biothermal models. A constrained optimization algorithm was devised and integrated within a finite element thermal solver to determine a priori the optimal applied power levels and the resulting 3D temperature distributions such that therapeutic heating is maximized within the target, while placing constraints on maximum tissue temperature and thermal exposure of surrounding non-targeted tissue. This optimizationbased treatment planning and modeling system was applied on representative cases of clinical implants for HDR treatment of cervix and prostate to evaluate the utility of this planning approach. The planning provided significant improvement in achievable temperature distributions for all cases, with substantial increase in T90 and thermal dose (CEM43T90) coverage to the hyperthermia target volume while decreasing maximum treatment temperature and reducing thermal dose exposure to surrounding non-targeted tissues and thermally sensitive rectum and bladder. This optimization based treatment planning platform with catheter-based ultrasound applicators is a useful tool that has potential to significantly improve the delivery of hyperthermia in conjunction with HDR brachytherapy. The planning platform has been extended to model thermal ablation, including the addition of temperature dependent attenuation, perfusion, and tissue damage. Pilot point control at the target boundaries was implemented to control power delivery to each transducer section, simulating an approach feasible for MR guided procedures. The computer model of thermal ablation was evaluated on representative patient anatomies to demonstrate the feasibility of using catheter-based ultrasound thermal ablation for treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer, and to assist in designing applicators and treatment delivery strategies.

A clinical treatment delivery platform has been developed for providing 3D controlled hyperthermia with catheter-based ultrasound applicators in conjunction with high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. This integrated system consists of hardware and software components required for thermal therapy delivery, treatment monitoring and control, and realtime and post-treatment analysis; and interstitial and endocavity ultrasound heating applicators. Hardware includes a 32-channel RF amplifier with independent power (0-25 W) and frequency (5-10 MHz) control for ultrasound power delivery and a 48-channel thermometry system compatible with 0.4 mm OD multi-sensor thermocouple probes. Software graphical user interfaces (GUI) are used to monitor and control both the amplifier and the thermometry system. The amplifier GUI controls, monitors, and records individual channel frequency and power values in real-time; the thermometry GUI monitors and records temperature and thermal dose values in real-time, as well as displaying and allowing dynamic control for temperature and thermal dose target thresholds. The thermometry GUI also incorporates registration of thermocouple positions relative to target anatomy and applicator transducers based on HDR planning tools (CT/MRI/US overlays) for improved treatment control and documentation. The interstitial (2.4 mm) and endocavity (6 mm) ultrasound hyperthermia applicators are composed of linear arrays of 1-4 tubular piezoceramic transducers - sectored at 90°, 180°, 270°, and 360° for single or dual directional heating patterns - that are compatible with plastic implant catheters. QA techniques specific to these catheter-based ultrasound applicators have been devised and implemented, and include rotational beam plots and dynamic force balance efficiency measurements, which are critical to establish applicator performance. A quality assurance test matrix has been devised and used to evaluate and characterize all components of this system prior to clinical implementation.

An intracavitary hyperthermia applicator for targeted heat delivery to the cervix was developed based on a linear array of sectored tubular ultrasound transducers that provides truly 3-D heating control (angular and along the length). A central conduit can incorporate an HDR source for sequential or simultaneous delivery of heat and radiation. Hyperthermia treatment volumes were determined from brachytherapy treatment planning data and used as a basis for biothermal simulations analyzing the effects of device parameters, tissue properties, and catheter materials on heating patterns. Devices were then developed with 1-3 elements at 6.5-8 MHz with 90-180° sectors and a 15-35 mm heating length, housed within a 6-mm diameter water-cooled PET catheter. Directional heating from sectored transducers could extend lateral penetration of therapeutic heating (41°C) >2 cm while maintaining rectum and bladder temperatures within 12 mm below thermal damage thresholds. Imaging artifacts were evaluated with standard CT, cone beam CT, and MR images. MR thermal imaging was used to demonstrate shaping of heating profiles in axial and coronal slices with artifact

Transurethral ultrasound catheter devices in curvilinear configurations are being optimized for improved treatment control and accuracy, reduced treatment times and minimizing surrounding heating of thermally sensitive structures beyond the prostate. A transient acoustic and biothermal model was used to estimate prostate temperature distributions, treatment times and rectal heating for various device configurations and control strategies while accommodating sweeping of curvilinear applicators, power modulation, outer target boundary pilot‐point temperature control (sequential rotation) and changes in attenuation with lethal thermal dose. Large prostates can be treated in clinically reasonable times (20–40 min) with low rectal heating if the curvilinear device radius of curvature are increased to 25 mm, device frequency is kept low between 5–6.5 MHz and large device dimensions are chosen (5 X 20 mm) with high maximum allowable temperatures along device length. Pilot‐point temperature feedback treatment control can be enhanced with decreased rectal thermal dose by using variable boundary temperatures at the posterior prostate near rectum.