Development of Advanced FEM Simulation Technology for Pre-Operative Surgical Planning.

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Oncology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Intracorporeal needle-based therapeutic ultrasound (NBTU) presents a minimally invasive method for thermal ablation of malignant brain tumors.
• NBTU uses acoustic waves for localized heating, enabling precise tumor cell ablation while sparing healthy tissue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a database for optimizing pre-operative surgical planning in NBTU by simulating ablation effects.
• To create an extended simulation model evaluating thermal damage for various tumor types and sizes.
• To propose a novel probe selection method for enhanced pre-surgical planning and improved therapeutic efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Simulated ablation effects in varied tissue environments using an extended model.
• Generated a comprehensive database of critical parameters (CEM43 isodose maps, temperature changes, ablation distances).
• Developed and evaluated a novel probe selection strategy for NBTU procedures.

Main Results:

• Created a database detailing thermal damage parameters for four directional probes under trans-tissue conditions.
• The simulation model effectively evaluated thermal damage for diverse tumor types and sizes.
• The proposed probe selection method demonstrated potential for maximizing therapeutic efficiency and minimizing ablation time.

Conclusions:

• The developed database and simulation model provide a robust framework for NBTU surgical planning.
• The novel probe selection method enhances pre-surgical planning, potentially improving patient outcomes.
• This research significantly contributes to advancing the precision and efficacy of NBTU for brain tumor treatment.