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Identification of the cancer ablation parameters during RF hyperthermia using gradient, evolutionary and hybrid algorithms

Marek Paruch (Institute of Computational Mechanics and Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland)

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow

ISSN: 0961-5539

Article publication date: 6 March 2017

142

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to show that the methods of the numerical simulation can be a very effective tool for a proper choice of control parameters of artificial hyperthermia. An electromagnetic field induced by two external electrodes and a temperature field resulting from electrodes action in a 3D domain of biological tissue is considered. An important problem is the appropriate directing of heat in the region of tumor, so as to avoid damaging healthy cells surrounding the tumor. Recently, to concentrate the heat on the tumor, magnetic nanoparticles, which are introduced into the tumor, were used. The nanoparticles should be made of material that ensures appropriate magnetic properties and has a high biocompatibility with the biological tissue. External electric field causes the heat generation in the tissue domain.

Design/methodology/approach

The distribution of electric potential in the domain considered is described by the Laplace system of equations, while the temperature field is described by the Pennes’ system of equations. These problems are coupled by source function being the additional component in the Pennes’ equation and resulting from the electric field action. The boundary element method is applied to solve the coupled problem connected with the heating of biological tissues.

Findings

The aim of investigations is to determine an electric potential of external electrodes and the number of nanoparticles introduced to a tumor region to obtain the artificial hyperthermia state. The tests performed showed that the proposed tool to solve the inverse problem provides correct results.

Research limitations/implications

In the paper the steady state bioheat transfer problem is considered, so the thermal damage is a function of the temperature only. Therefore, the solution can be considered as the maximum ablation zone of cancer. Additionally, the choice of appropriate parameters will be affected on the position and shape of the tumor and the electrodes.

Originality/value

In the paper the inverse problem has been solved using the evolutionary algorithm, gradient method and hybrid algorithm which is a combination of the two previous.

Keywords

Citation

Paruch, M. (2017), "Identification of the cancer ablation parameters during RF hyperthermia using gradient, evolutionary and hybrid algorithms", International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, Vol. 27 No. 3, pp. 674-697. https://doi.org/10.1108/HFF-03-2016-0114

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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