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Modeling the thermo-acoustic effects of thermal-dependent speed of sound and acoustic absorption of biological tissues during focused ultrasound hyperthermia

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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the effects of thermal dependence of speed of sound (SOS) and acoustic absorption of biological tissues during noninvasive focused ultrasound (US) hyperthermia therapy.

Methods

A finite element (FE) model was used to simulate hyperthermia therapy in the liver by noninvasive focused US. The model consisted of an ultrasonic focused transducer radiating a four-layer biological medium composed of skin, fat, muscle, and liver. The acoustic field and temperature distribution along the layers were obtained after 15 s of hyperthermia therapy using the bio-heat equation. The model solution was found with and without the thermal dependence of SOS and acoustic absorption of biological tissues.

Results

The inclusion of the thermal dependence of the SOS generated an increment of 0.4 mm in the longitudinal focus axis of the acoustic field. Moreover, results indicate an increment of the hyperthermia area (zone with temperature above 43 °C), and a maximum temperature difference of almost 3.5 °C when the thermal dependence of absorption was taken into account.

Conclusion

The increment of the achieved temperatures at the treatment zone indicated that the effects produced by the thermal dependence of SOS and absorption must be accounted for when planning hyperthermia treatment in order to avoid overheating undesired regions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Rubén Pérez Valladares for his invaluable technical support and assistance during this work. S.A. López-Haro acknowledges Conacyt Mexico for the fellowship 210059. This work was partially supported by the projects M10-S02 of program ECOS-ANUIES-CONACYT and ICyTDF-340.10.

Conflict of interest

Sergio Alfonso López Haro, Mario Ibrahín Gutiérrez, Arturo Vera Hernández, and Lorenzo Leija Salas declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical standards

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Electrical Engineering Department, Bioelectronics Section, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Cinvestav-IPN, Av. IPN 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Del. Gustavo A. Madero, 07360, Mexico City, Mexico

    S. A. López-Haro, A. Vera & L. Leija

  2. Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación, CONACyT, Subdirección de Investigación Tecnológica, Calz. México Xochimilco No. 289, Col. Arenal de Guadalupe, Del. Xochimilco, 14389, Mexico City, Mexico

    M. I. Gutiérrez

Authors
  1. S. A. López-Haro
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  2. M. I. Gutiérrez
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  3. A. Vera
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  4. L. Leija
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. A. López-Haro.

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López-Haro, S.A., Gutiérrez, M.I., Vera, A. et al. Modeling the thermo-acoustic effects of thermal-dependent speed of sound and acoustic absorption of biological tissues during focused ultrasound hyperthermia. J Med Ultrasonics 42, 489–498 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-015-0643-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-015-0643-3

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