Focused ultrasound (FUS) therapies are currently being used to treat many different pathologies via ablation or hyperthermia. During these treatments, clinicians need to control the intensity and magnitude of the heating within the diseased tissue to ensure the area is adequately treated without off-target effects. Because acoustic properties vary between bone, fat, and muscle, it is necessary to adjust the ultrasound parameters accordingly for each procedure. Currently, tabulated literature values are used to estimate acoustic tissue properties. However, it has been shown that these properties vary between patients. Therefore, accurate thermal modeling requires accurate knowledge of patient-specific thermal properties. Using magnetic resonance temperature imaging in conjunction with models we have developed, our lab uses novel methods to estimate patient-specific thermal and acoustic tissue properties. We are studying how to best implement these predictions to improve patient treatment planning for MR-guided FUS therapies.
Related Publications
Johnson, S. L., Dillon, C., Odéen, H., Parker, D., Christensen, D., & Payne, A. Development and validation of a MRgHIFU non-invasive tissue acoustic property estimation technique. International Journal of Hyperthermia. 2016:32(7), 723-734.
Dillon, C. R., Todd, N., Payne, A., Parker, D. L., Christensen, D. A., & Roemer, R. B. (2013). Effects of MRTI sampling characteristics on estimation of HIFU SAR and tissue thermal diffusivity. Physics in Medicine & Biology, 58(20), 7291.
Dillon CR, Payne A, Roemer R, editors. Comparison of Two Techniques for Estimation of Thermal Diffusivity with MRgHIFU .ISMRM; 2013; Salt Lake City, Utah.
de Bever J, Odéen H, Parker DL, editors. Dynamic 3D MR Acoustic Radiation Force Imaging for Tissue Property Estimation. ISMRM; 2015; Toronto, Canada.