A Proposal of Temperature Distribution Index Concerning the Heating Characteristic of Applicator

A Consideration of an Applicator for Interstitial Microwave Hyperthermia

Abstract

The quantitative evaluation indices concerning the heating characteristics are introduced, and the heating characteristics of an interstitial array applicator composed of the coaxial-slot antennas are examined by the numerical analysis. It is important to know how the blood flow and the input power affect the heating characteristics of the applicator. Therefore, as an example, the charts displaying the relation among the blood flow rate, the input power and these indices have been made. From such charts, understanding and the quantitative comparison of the heating characteristics of the applicator are possible without referring the graphs of the temperature distributions. Moreover, appropriate input power can be decided from such charts for arbitrary position and volume of a target tumor. The evaluation by these temperature indices is useful not only to the design of the applicator but also to the aid of the treatment planning.