A preclinical system prototype for focused microwave thermal therapy of the breast

IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2012 Sep;59(9):2431-8. doi: 10.1109/TBME.2012.2199492. Epub 2012 May 15.

Abstract

A preclinical prototype of a transcutaneous thermal therapy system has been developed for the targeted treatment of breast cancer cells using focused microwaves as an adjuvant to radiation, chemotherapy, and high-intensity-focused ultrasound. The prototype system employs a 2-D array of tapered microstrip patch antennas operating at 915 MHz to focus continuous-wave microwave energy transcutaneously into the pendent breast suspended in a coupling medium. Prior imaging studies are used to ascertain the material properties of the breast tissue, and these data are incorporated into a multiphysics model. Time-reversal techniques are employed to find a solution (relative amplitudes and phase) for focusing at a given location. Modeling tests of this time-reversal focusing method have been performed, which demonstrate good targeting accuracy within heterogeneous breast tissue. Experimental results using the laboratory prototype to perform focused heating in tissue-mimicking gelatin phantoms have demonstrated 1.5-cm-diameter focal spot sizes and differential heating at the desired focus sufficient to achieve an antitumor effect confined to the target region.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Equipment Design
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hyperthermia, Induced / instrumentation*
  • Hyperthermia, Induced / methods
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods
  • Microwaves / therapeutic use*
  • Models, Theoretical*
  • Phantoms, Imaging*