DIRECT COMPUTATION OF ULTRASOUND PHASED-ARRAY DRIVING SIGNALS FROM A SPECIFIED TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION FOR HYPERTHERMIA

This paper presents a new method which obtains ultrasound hyperthermia applicator phased-array element driving signals from a desired temperature distribution. The approach combines a technique which computes array element driving signals from focal point locations and intensities with a new technique which calculates focal point locations and power deposition values from temperature requirements. Temperature specifications appear here as upper and lower bounds within the tumor volume, and a focal point placement algorithm chooses focal patterns capable of achieving the temperature range objective. The linear algebraic structure of the method allows rapid calculation of both the phased-array driving signals and an approximate temperature field response. Computer simulations verify the method with a spherical section array (SSA) for a variety of temperature specifications and blood perfusion values. This scheme, which applies to any phased-array geometry, completes an essential step in both treatment planning and feedback for hyperthermia with ultrasound phased-array applicators.