Time-reversal focusing in microwave hyperthermia for deep-seated tumors

A fast beam-forming method for hyperthermia treatment of deep-seated tumors is described and verified. The approach is based on the time-reversal characteristics of Maxwell equations. The basic principle of the method is coupling of the electromagnetic modeling of the system with the actual application. In this modeling the wavefront of the source is propagated through a patient-specific model from a virtual antenna placed in the tumor of the model. The simulated radiated field is then captured using a computer model of the surrounding antenna system. The acquired amplitudes and phases are then used in the real antenna system. The effectiveness of this procedure is demonstrated by calculating the power absorption distribution using FDTD electromagnetic simulations of a realistic 2D breast model as well as a 2D neck model. Several design parameters, i.e. number of antennas, operating frequency and dimensions, have been evaluated by performance indicators. The promising results suggest that the development of this technique is pursued further.