AUTOMATED MEASUREMENT OF POWER DEPOSITION PATTERNS FROM INTERSTITIAL MICROWAVE ANTENNAS USED IN HYPERTHERMIA.
An interstitial microwave antenna array hyperthermia (IMAAH) system has been developed to provide localized hyperthermia. In this system, an array of modified brachytherapy catheters is inserted directly into the tumor. These nylon catheters (2. 2 mm OD) accommodate miniature coaxial microwave antennas for hyperthermia, as well as the iridium 192 seeds used for brachytherapy. A computer-controlled system which has been developed to measure the power deposition (specific absorption rate, SAR) patterns in two dimensions from interstitial microwave antennas is described. Applications of this system include: testing of new antenna designs and comparison among different antennas, determining SAR values at various points for theoretical predictions of temperature distributions, and quality assurance of antennas used in the clinic.
