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An improved bolus configuration for commercial multielement ultrasound and microwave hyperthermia systems
Author(s) -
Diederich C. J.,
Stauffer P. R.,
Bozzo D.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
medical physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.473
H-Index - 180
eISSN - 2473-4209
pISSN - 0094-2405
DOI - 10.1118/1.597196
Subject(s) - bolus (digestion) , materials science , microwave , biomedical engineering , ultrasound , hyperthermia , thermal , temperature control , heat exchanger , acoustics , computer science , medicine , surgery , physics , thermodynamics , telecommunications
A simple modification is presented for two commercially available hyperthermia applicators which dramatically improves the regulation and dynamic control of the temperature at the bolus/tissue interface. This alteration requires the addition of a variable speed pump, bubble trap, simple heat exchanger, and a few minor changes to the existing system. With this modified design, the water within the bolus is directly circulated and temperature controlled. The convective nature of the circulating system ensures uniform temperature throughout the extended bolus and increases the thermal energy transfer at the bolus/tissue interface. This modification also provides significantly improved flexibility in controlling the treatment temperature distributions since the bolus/tissue interface temperature can now be dynamically varied during a treatment, in addition to adjusting the applicator power output and frequency.