MATLAB-based innovative 3D finite element method simulator for optimized real-time hyperthermia analysis

Abstract

Background and objective: Owing to the significant role of hyperthermia in enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapy or radiotherapy for treating malignant tissues, this study introduces a real-time hyperthermia simulator (RTHS) based on the three-dimensional finite element method (FEM) developed using the MATLAB App Designer.

Methods: The simulator consisted of operator-defined homogeneous and heterogeneous phantom models surrounded by an annular phased array (APA) of eight dipole antennas designed at 915 MHz. Electromagnetic and thermal analyses were conducted using the RTHS. To locally raise the target temperature according to the tumor's location, a convex optimization algorithm (COA) was employed to excite the antennas using optimal values of the phases to maximize the electric field at the tumor and amplitudes to achieve the required temperature at the target position. The performance of the proposed RTHS was validated by comparing it with similar hyperthermia setups in the FEM-based COMSOL software and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD)-based Sim4Life software.

Results: The simulation results obtained using the RTHS were consistent, both for the homogeneous and heterogeneous models, with those obtained using commercially available tools, demonstrating the reliability of the proposed hyperthermia simulator. The effectiveness of the simulator was illustrated for target positions in five different regions for both homogeneous and heterogeneous phantom models. In addition, the RTHS was cost-effective and consumed less computational time than the available software. The proposed method achieved 94% and 96% accuracy for element sizes of λ/26 and λ/36, respectively, for the homogeneous model. For the heterogeneous model, the method demonstrated 93% and 95% accuracy for element sizes of λ/26 and λ/36, respectively. The accuracy can be further improved by using a more refined mesh at the cost of a higher computational time.

Conclusions: The proposed hyperthermia simulator demonstrated reliability, cost-effectiveness, and reduced computational time compared to commercial software, making it a potential tool for optimizing hyperthermia treatment.

Keywords: Annular phased array; Convex optimization algorithm; Finite element method; Heterogeneous model; Homogeneous model; Hyperthermia; Hyperthermia treatment planning.