A feasibility study for non-invasive thermometry using non-linear ultrasound

Purpose: High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is used during hyperthermia cancer treatment to increase the tumour temperature. For an adequate and safe application it is important to measure the temperature in the heated region, preferably in a non-invasive manner and by the same modality as used for heating. The goal of this feasibility study is two-fold; first, it is investigated whether the acoustic non-linearity parameter B/A is most suitable for measuring temperature changes, second, a non-invasive thermometry method based on B/A is proposed and demonstrated. Material and methods: Water is used to confirm that B/A is a sensitive acoustic medium parameter that is practically applicable for non-invasive thermometry. Next, a thermometry method is proposed that employs the ratios between the fundamental and the higher harmonic frequency components of a non-linear acoustic wave. The method determines these ratios for a measured acoustic pulse that has traversed a certain medium, and compares these with temperature dependent reference ratios for the same medium. The method is demonstrated using simulated measurements of an acoustic plane wave propagating in glycerol. Results: Results obtained for water show that B/A is more sensitive for temperature changes than other practical acoustic parameters. For a combination of 16 simulated measurements, it is demonstrated that temperature can be predicted non-invasively with zero bias and a standard deviation of 2°C if the noise level does not exceed −40 dB. Conclusion: The suitability of B/A as a basis for non-invasive thermometry is confirmed, and a non-invasive thermometry method based on B/A is proposed and successfully demonstrated.

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