Intra-operative visualisation of 3D temperature maps and 3D navigation during tissue cryoablation

Area of Science:

• Medical physics
• Interventional radiology
• Oncology

Background:

• Intra-operative monitoring remains a challenge for thermotherapeutic tissue ablation.
• Hepatic tumors require precise treatment delivery for efficacy and safety.
• Cryoablation offers a thermotherapeutic approach for liver tumor treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a software tool for calculating and visualizing 3D temperature distributions during hepatic cryoablation.
• To integrate this tool with a 3D intra-operative navigation system for enhanced probe placement and real-time feedback.
• To improve intra-operative control and assess treatment adequacy in hepatic cryoablation procedures.

Main Methods:

• Development of a software tool for 3D temperature distribution calculation and visualization.
• Integration with a 3D intra-operative navigation system utilizing optical tracking.
• Incorporation of an interventional Magnetic Resonance 0.5T scanner for real-time data acquisition.
• Testing the system in an animal experiment to assess navigation accuracy and thermodynamic feedback.

Main Results:

• The navigation system successfully aided cryoprobe placement relative to target anatomy and planned trajectory.
• Real-time 3D temperature visualization provided intuitive feedback on induced thermodynamic conditions.
• The integrated system demonstrated usefulness in an animal model for hepatic cryoablation.
• Successful integration with an interventional 0.5T MRI scanner was achieved.

Conclusions:

• The developed system offers a novel tool for enhanced intra-operative control during hepatic cryoablation.
• Real-time thermodynamic monitoring can improve treatment adequacy and potentially patient outcomes.
• Further studies using this tool are motivated to identify predictors of treatment success.