Multiphysics modeling toward enhanced guidance in hepatic microwave ablation: a preliminary framework.

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Computational Modeling
• Surgical Navigation

Background:

• Image-guided microwave ablation requires precise antenna placement for effective treatment.
• Organ deformation during procedures can lead to inaccurate targeting and suboptimal outcomes.
• Current rigid registration methods may not adequately account for tissue movement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare a model-based deformation correction method against rigid registration for image-guided microwave ablation in a hepatic phantom.
• To evaluate the impact of deformation correction on antenna localization and ablation zone accuracy.
• To establish a foundation for integrated procedural planning and guidance using computational modeling.

Main Methods:

• A surface-driven, model-based deformation correction technique was applied to a deformable hepatic phantom.
• A rigid registration approach was used as a benchmark for comparison.
• Computational modeling of microwave ablation was integrated into the navigational environment.
• Registration accuracy and volumetric overlap of ablation zones were assessed using full and sparse surface data.

Main Results:

• Deformation correction improved average ablation antenna registration error by 58.9% with full surface data and 38.3% with sparse surface data compared to rigid registration.
• Volumetric overlap between modeled and ground-truth ablation zones improved from 0.64 to 0.81 with full surface data and 0.55 to 0.75 with sparse surface data.
• The method demonstrated enhanced navigation in phantom experiments.

Conclusions:

• Model-based deformation correction offers significant improvements in localization and antenna placement for image-guided hepatic microwave ablation.
• Integrating computational modeling with deformation correction creates a pathway for advanced procedural planning and guidance.
• This approach holds promise for more accurate and effective thermal ablation therapies.