Monitoring regional hyperthermia via microwave imaging: a feasibility study

In this paper, we present the initial results of a research work aimed at assessing the capabilities of microwave imaging as an effective tool for in-line monitoring of regional hyperthermia treatments. Based on the variation of the electromagnetic properties of tissue due the increase of temperature, it is possible to exploit the processing of the scattered fields gathered during the thermal treatment to track its evolution. The anatomical scenario is the pelvic region and the target of the thermal treatment is the bladder. The first challenge is to verify if and to what extent microwave signals may achieve a sufficient penetration and spatial resolution to pursue the desired task. Based on a simple theoretical analysis, the suitable frequency range and operating conditions are determined and some numerical simulations involving a 2D anthropomorphic phantom are provided to show the potential of microwave imaging to undertake this monitoring task.