Computer-aided simulation tool for providing assistance in the planning of thermotherapy

A method for controlled heating of an organ or tissue, containing the steps of

• A) introduction of magnetic, paramagnetic and/or superparamagnetic particles into an organ volume or tissue volume,
• B) ascertainment of a quantity and/or distribution of the magnetic, paramagnetic and/or superparamagnetic particles in the organ volume or tissue volume,
• C) calculation of a field strength that needs to be set on the basis of a computer-aided simulation method for providing assistance in thermotherapy planning,
• wherein the thermotherapy comprises hyperthermia treatment of a tumor volume in a body volume of a human body,
• wherein the hyperthermia treatment comprises an application of a magnetic field in a treatment volume by means of a magnetic field applicator,
• wherein thermal energy can be introduced into at least one deposit volume by power absorption in the applied magnetic field by means of magnetic, paramagnetic and/or superparamagnetic nanoparticles deposited in the body,
• wherein the method relates to the calculation of a field strength that needs to be set on the applicator on the basis of a geometric distribution of the nanoparticles and at least one prescribed temperature limit value which is not meant to be exceeded by the hyperthermia treatment;
• and wherein the field strength value is calculated on the basis of a prescribed characteristic curve which indicates a relationship between power absorption rate and field strength;
• and
• D) deposition of thermal energy by means of application of a magnetic field, wherein the applied field strength is set, which corresponds to the calculated field strength or to the field strength derived from a calculated temperature distribution, in each case with a deviation of +/−10%.

A method for controlled heating of an organ or tissue, containing the steps of

• A) introduction of magnetic, paramagnetic and/or superparamagnetic particles into an organ volume or tissue volume,
• B) ascertainment of a quantity and/or distribution of the magnetic, paramagnetic and/or superparamagnetic particles in the organ volume or tissue volume,
• C) calculation of a temperature distribution on the basis of a computer-aided simulation method for providing assistance in thermotherapy planning,
• wherein the thermotherapy comprises hyperthermia treatment of a tumor volume in a body volume of a human body,
• wherein the hyperthermia treatment comprises an application of a magnetic field in a treatment volume by means of a magnetic field applicator,
• wherein thermal energy can be introduced into at least one deposit volume by power absorption in the applied magnetic field by means of magnetic, paramagnetic and/or superparamagnetic nanoparticles deposited in the body,
• wherein the method relates to the calculation, for each field strength value from a plurality of prescribed field strength values and/or a user-defined field strength value, of a temperature distribution for at least some of the body volume;
• and wherein the temperature distribution is calculated by means of power-absorption-based scaling of a calculated or provided relative temperature increment distribution, and
• D) deposition of thermal energy by means of application of a magnetic field, wherein the applied field strength is set, which corresponds to the calculated field strength or to the field strength derived from a calculated temperature distribution, in each case with a deviation of +/−10%.