Biomedical subjects

H Crezee

Publications and source records attributed to H Crezee.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1999

Temperature measurement errors with thermocouples inside 27 MHz current source interstitial hyperthermia applicators.

The multielectrode current source (MECS) interstitial hyperthermia (IHT) system uses thermocouple thermometry. To obtain a homogeneous temperature distribution and to limit the number of traumas due to the implanted catheters, most catheters are used for both heating and thermometry. Implications of temperature measurement inside applicators are discussed. In particular, the impact of self-heating of both the applicator and the afterloading catheter were investigated. A one-dimensional cylindrical model was used to compute the difference between the temperature rise inside the applicators (deltaTin) and in the tissue just outside the afterloading catheter (deltaTout) as a function of power absorption in the afterloading catheter, self-heating of the applicator and the effective thermal conductivity of the surrounding tissue. Furthermore, the relative artefact (ERR), i.e. (deltaTin - deltaTout)/deltaTin, was measured in a muscle equivalent agar phantom at different positions in a dual-electrode applicator and for different catheter materials. A method to estimate the tissue temperature by power-off temperature decay measurement inside the applicator was investigated. Using clinical dual-electrode applicators in standard brachytherapy catheters in a muscle-equivalent phantom, deltaTin is typically twice as high as deltaTout. The main reason for this difference is self-heating of the thin feeder wires in the centre of the applicator. The measurement error caused by energy absorption in the afterloading catheter is small, i.e. even for materials with a high dielectric loss factor it is less than 5%. About 5 s after power has been switched off, Tin in the electrodes represents the maximum tissue temperature just before power-off. This delay time (t(delay)) and ERR are independent of Tin. However, they do depend on the thermal properties of the tissue. Therefore, ERR and t(delay) and their stability in perfused tissues have to be investigated to enable a reliable estimation of the tissue temperatures around electrodes in clinical practice.

Hyperthermia, Induced↗

PubMed1997

Spatial temperature control with a 27 MHz current source interstitial hyperthermia system.

PURPOSE: This article gives an overview of the properties of a 27 MHz current source interstitial hyperthermia system, affecting temperature uniformity. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Applicators can be inserted in standard flexible afterloading catheters. Maximum temperatures are measured with seven-point constantan-manganin thermocouple probes inside each applicator. Temperature can be controlled automatically using a simple control algorithm. Three-dimensional power absorption and thermal models for inhomogeneous tissues are available to optimize applicator geometry and phase configuration. Properties of the interstitial heating system have been verified both in phantom experiments and in in vivo treatments of rhabdomyosarcomas implanted in the flank of a rat. RESULTS: An experiment with four electrodes in one catheter proves that longitudinal control of the specific absorption rate (SAR) is feasible. Local cooling applied by cold water circulation through a catheter perpendicular to the afterloading catheter could be compensated by independent control of electrode power. Furthermore, comparison of two different phase configurations using four dual electrode applicators shows that the SAR distribution can be manipulated significantly, utilizing the phase of the electrodes. Finally, the temperature can be controlled safely and model calculations are in fair agreement with the measurements. CONCLUSIONS: The features of the 27 MHz current source interstitial hyperthermia system enable spatial temperature control at approximately 1.5 cm.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

A description of discrete vessel segments in thermal modelling of tissues.

In hyperthermia treatment planning vessels with a diameter larger than 0.5 mm must be treated individually. Such vessels can be described as 3D curves with associated diameters. The temperature profile along the vessel is discretized one dimensionally. Separately the tissue is discretized three dimensionally on a regular grid of voxels. The vessel as well as the tissue are positioned in one global space. Methods are supplied to describe the tissue-vessel interaction, the shift of the blood temperature profile describing the flow of blood along the vessel and the calculation of the vessel wall temperature. The calculation of the interaction is based on tissue temperature samples and the blood temperature together with the distance between the centre of the vessel and the tissue temperature sample. An analytical expression for a vessel inside a coaxial tissue cylinder is then used for the calculation of the heat flow rate across the vessel wall. The basic test system is a vessel segment embedded inside a coaxial tissue cylinder. All the tests use this setup while the following simulation parameters are varied: position and orientation of the vessel relative to the tissue grid, vessel radius, sample density of the blood temperature and power deposition inside the tissue cylinder. The blood temperature profile is examined by calculation of the local estimate of the equilibration length. All tests show excellent agreement with the theory.

Biophysical Phenomena↗