Method and apparatus for estimating temperature in a body

1. A method performed by an apparatus comprising a computer system and a heat source operable to apply heat to an associated body part of an associated patient in accordance with a heat treatment plan, the computer system comprising a processing unit and a memory device operatively coupled with the processing unit, the memory device storing a database therein, the method comprising:

obtaining by the computer system imaging information of an image obtained of the associated body part of the associated patient;

identifying by the processing unit, from the imaging information of the associated body part of the associated patient, patient image data, the patient image data being representative of a set of patient tissue parameters of the associated body part of the associated patient and physical features of the associated body part of the associated patient comprising an extravascular-extracellular space (EES) of the associated body part of the associated patient;

retrieving by the computer system from the database a reference model of a temperature transport mechanism or a temperature distribution mechanism in a reference body part of a model patient, the reference model comprising data representative of tissue parameters of the model generic patient other than the associated patient and physical features of the model generic patient other than the associated patient;

generating by the processing unit, from the reference model and the imaging information of the associated body part of the associated patient, an individualized patient model by three-dimensional (3-D) rigid or non-rigid registration of: i) the reference model comprising the data representative of the tissue parameters and the physical features of the model generic patient other than the associated patient of the reference model with ii) the patient image data representative of the patient tissue parameters and the physical features of the associated body part of the associated patient, the individualized patient model modeling one or more of a temperature transport mechanism in the associated body part of the associated patient and/or a temperature distribution mechanism in the associated body part of the associated patient;

determining, by the processing unit based on simulating using a bioheat equation applying heat applied to specific spatial destinations in the individualized patient model as a simulated heat treatment, a simulated spatial heat distribution of the simulated heat in the treatment target tissue and in the non-treatment target tissue of the associated body part of the associated patient;

storing by the computer system the simulated heat treatment in the database as the heat treatment plan for use by the heat source to apply the heat to the associated body part of the associated patient based on the processing unit confirming that the simulated spatial heat distribution of the applied simulated heat in treatment and non-treatment target tissues matches a desired spatial distribution of heat in treatment and non-treatment target tissues of the associated body part of the associated patient; and

operating the heat source based on the heat treatment plan stored in the database to apply heat to the associated body part of the associated patient to control a temperature distribution in the associated body part to obtain the desired spatial distribution of the heat in the treatment and non-treatment target tissues of the associated body part.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the obtaining the imaging information comprises:

obtaining imaging information comprising a series of images of the associated body part of the associated patient comprising a first image of the associated body part obtained by an associated imaging device at a first time, a second image of the associated body part obtained by the associated imaging device at a second time after the first time, and a third image of the associated body part obtained by the associated imaging device at a third time after the second time;

the identifying the patient imaging data comprises:

determining from the series of images changes in locations of a contrast agent administered at the second time to the associated body part as an exchange of the contrast agent between vascular spaces of the associated body part; and

determining an extravascular-extracellular space (EES) of the associated body part as the determined exchange of the contrast agent between the vascular spaces of the associated body part.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the storing the simulated heat treatment in the database as the heat treatment plan comprises:

storing the simulated heat treatment in the database as the heat treatment plan in accordance with the processing unit determining that:

the simulated spatial heat distribution of the applied simulated heat in the treatment target tissue correlates with a temperature equal to or greater than a first critical temperature; and

the simulated spatial heat distribution of the applied simulated heat in the non-treatment target tissue correlates with a temperature below a second critical temperature different than the first critical temperature.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the first critical temperature is about 80 degrees Celsius and the second critical temperature is about 41 degrees Celsius.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the reference model of the temperature transport mechanism is a perfusion distribution model of the associated body part obtained with nuclear magnetic resonance or computer tomography; and

the reference model of the temperature transport mechanism is a model based on diffusion coefficients or proton frequency-shift alterations, both being obtained with nuclear magnetic resonance.

6. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:

determining a volume of necrosis in the treatment and non-treatment target tissues of the associated body part of the associated patient based on a time and temperature relationship therein; and

adjusting the perfusion distribution model of the associated body part based on the determined volume of necrosis.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein identifying the patient image data comprises:

identifying by the processing unit, from the imaging information of the associated body part of the associated patient, patient image data being representative of a permeability surface area product of the endothelium of the associated body part of the associated patient.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions for developing a heat treatment plan for use by a system comprising a computer system and a heat source operable to apply heat to an associated body part of an associated patient in accordance with a heat treatment plan, the set of instructions when executed by one or more processors of the computer system, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

obtaining by the computer system imaging information of an image obtained of the associated body part of the associated patient;

identifying by the processing unit, from the imaging information of the associated body part of the associated patient, patient image data, the patient image data being representative of a set of patient tissue parameters of the associated body part of the associated patient and physical features of the associated body part of the associated patient comprising an extravascular-extracellular space (EES) of the associated body part of the associated patient;

retrieving by the computer system from the database a reference model of a temperature transport mechanism or a temperature distribution mechanism in a reference body part of a model patient, the reference model comprising data representative of tissue parameters of the model generic patient other than the associated patient and physical features of the model generic patient other than the associated patient;

generating by the processing unit, from the reference model and the imaging information of the associated body part of the associated patient, an individualized patient model by three-dimensional (3-D) rigid or non-rigid registration of: i) the reference model comprising the data representative of the tissue parameters and the physical features of the model generic patient other than the associated patient of the reference model with ii) the patient image data representative of the patient tissue parameters and the physical features of the associated body part of the associated patient, the individualized patient model modeling one or more of a temperature transport mechanism in the associated body part of the associated patient and/or a temperature distribution mechanism in the associated body part of the associated patient;

determining, by the processing unit based on simulating using a bioheat equation applying heat applied to specific spatial destinations in the individualized patient model as a simulated heat treatment, a simulated spatial heat distribution of the simulated heat in the treatment target tissue and in the non-treatment target tissue of the associated body part of the associated patient; and

storing by the computer system the simulated heat treatment in the database as the heat treatment plan for use by the heat source to apply the heat to the associated body part of the associated patient based on the processing unit confirming that the simulated spatial heat distribution of the applied simulated heat in treatment and non-treatment target tissues matches a desired spatial distribution of heat in treatment and non-treatment target tissues of the associated body part of the associated patient; and

operating the heat source based on the heat treatment plan stored in the database to apply heat to the associated body part of the associated patient to control a temperature distribution in the associated body part to obtain the desired spatial distribution of the heat in the treatment and non-treatment target tissues of the associated body part.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8 , wherein:

the obtaining the imaging information comprises:

obtaining imaging information comprising a series of images of the associated body part of the associated patient comprising a first image of the associated body part obtained by an associated imaging device at a first time, a second image of the associated body part obtained by the associated imaging device at a second time after the first time, and a third image of the associated body part obtained by the associated imaging device at a third time after the second time;

the identifying the patient imaging data comprises:

determining from the series of images changes in locations of a contrast agent administered at the second time to the associated body part as an exchange of the contrast agent between vascular spaces of the associated body part; and

determining an extravascular-extracellular space (EES) of the associated body part as the determined exchange of the contrast agent between the vascular spaces of the associated body part.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8 , wherein the storing the simulated heat treatment in the database as the heat treatment plan comprises:

storing the simulated heat treatment in the database as the heat treatment plan in accordance with the processing unit determining that:

the simulated spatial heat distribution of the applied simulated heat in the treatment target tissue correlates with a temperature equal to or greater than a first critical temperature; and

the simulated spatial heat distribution of the applied simulated heat in the non-treatment target tissue correlates with a temperature below a second critical temperature different than the first critical temperature.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10 , wherein the first critical temperature is about 80 degrees Celsius and the second critical temperature is about 41 degrees Celsius.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8 , wherein:

the reference model of the temperature transport mechanism is a perfusion distribution model of the associated body part obtained with nuclear magnetic resonance or computer tomography; and

the reference model of the temperature transport mechanism is a model based on diffusion coefficients or proton frequency-shift alterations, both being obtained with nuclear magnetic resonance.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 12 , further comprising:

determining a volume of necrosis in the treatment and non-treatment target tissues of the associated body part of the associated patient based on a time and temperature relationship therein; and

adjusting the perfusion distribution model of the associated body part based on the determined volume of necrosis.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8 , wherein identifying the patient image data comprises:

identifying by the processing unit, from the imaging information of the associated body part of the associated patient, patient image data being representative of a permeability surface area product of the endothelium of the associated body part of the associated patient.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a heat source operable to apply heat to an associated body part of an associated patient in accordance with a heat treatment plan; and

a computer system operably coupled with the heat source, the computer system comprising one or more processing units and a memory device operatively coupled with the one or more processing units, the memory device storing a set of instructions and a database therein, wherein the set of instructions when executed by the one or more processors of the computer system, cause the one or more processors to:

obtain by the computer system imaging information of an image obtained of the associated body part of the associated patient;

identify, from the imaging information of the associated body part of the associated patient, patient image data, the patient image data being representative of a set of patient tissue parameters of the associated body part of the associated patient and physical features of the associated body part of the associated patient comprising an extravascular-extracellular space (EES) of the associated body part of the associated patient;

retrieve from the database a reference model of a temperature transport mechanism or a temperature distribution mechanism in a reference body part of a model patient, the reference model comprising data representative of tissue parameters of the model generic patient other than the associated patient and physical features of the model generic patient other than the associated patient;

generate, from the reference model and the imaging information of the associated body part of the associated patient, an individualized patient model by three-dimensional (3-D) rigid or non-rigid registration of: i) the reference model comprising the data representative of the tissue parameters and the physical features of the model generic patient other than the associated patient of the reference model with ii) the patient image data representative of the patient tissue parameters and the physical features of the associated body part of the associated patient, the individualized patient model modeling one or more of a temperature transport mechanism in the associated body part of the associated patient and/or a temperature distribution mechanism in the associated body part of the associated patient;

determine, by the processing unit based on simulating using a bioheat equation applying heat applied to specific spatial destinations in the individualized patient model as a simulated heat treatment, a simulated spatial heat distribution of the simulated heat in the treatment target tissue and in the non-treatment target tissue of the associated body part of the associated patient; and

store the simulated heat treatment in the database as the heat treatment plan for use by the heat source to apply the heat to the associated body part of the associated patient based on the processing unit confirming that the simulated spatial heat distribution of the applied simulated heat in the treatment and non-treatment target tissues matches a desired spatial distribution of heat in the treatment and non-treatment target tissues of the associated body part of the associated patient; and

operate the heat source based on the heat treatment plan stored in the database to apply heat to the associated body part of the associated patient to control a temperature distribution in the associated body part to obtain the desired spatial distribution of the heat in the treatment and non-treatment target tissues of the associated body part.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the set of instructions when executed by the one or more processors of the computer system, cause the one or more processors to obtain the imaging information by:

obtaining imaging information comprising a series of images of the associated body part of the associated patient comprising a first image of the associated body part obtained by an associated imaging device at a first time, a second image of the associated body part obtained by the associated imaging device at a second time after the first time, and a third image of the associated body part obtained by the associated imaging device at a third time after the second time;

identify the patient imaging data by:

determining from the series of images changes in locations of a contrast agent administered at the second time to the associated body part as an exchange of the contrast agent between vascular spaces of the associated body part; and

determining an extravascular-extracellular space (EES) of the associated body part as the determined exchange of the contrast agent between the vascular spaces of the associated body part.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the set of instructions when executed by the one or more processors of the computer system, cause the one or more processors to store the simulated heat treatment in the database as the heat treatment plan by:

storing the simulated heat treatment in the database as the heat treatment plan in accordance with the one or more processing units determining that:

the simulated spatial heat distribution of the applied simulated heat in the treatment target tissue correlates with a temperature equal to or greater than a first critical temperature; and

the simulated spatial heat distribution of the applied simulated heat in the non-treatment target tissue correlates with a temperature below a second critical temperature different than the first critical temperature.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the set of instructions when executed by the one or more processors of the computer system, cause the one or more processors to store the simulated heat treatment in the database as the heat treatment plan by:

storing the simulated heat treatment in the database as the heat treatment plan in accordance with the one or more processing units determining that:

the simulated spatial heat distribution of the applied simulated heat in the treatment target tissue correlates with a temperature equal to or greater than about 80 degrees Celsius; and

the simulated spatial heat distribution of the applied simulated heat in the non-treatment target tissue correlates with a temperature below a temperature of about 41 degrees Celsius.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein:

the reference model of the temperature transport mechanism is a perfusion distribution model of the associated body part obtained with nuclear magnetic resonance or computer tomography;

the reference model of the temperature transport mechanism is a model based on diffusion coefficients or proton frequency-shift alterations, both being obtained with nuclear magnetic resonance; and

the set of instructions when executed by the one or more processors of the computer system, cause the one or more processors to:

determine a volume of necrosis in the treatment and non-treatment target tissues of the associated body part of the associated patient based on a time and temperature relationship therein; and

adjust the perfusion distribution model of the associated body part based on the determined volume of necrosis.

20. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the set of instructions when executed by the one or more processors of the computer system, cause the one or more processors to identify the patient image data by:

identifying by the processing unit, from the imaging information of the associated body part of the associated patient, patient image data being representative of a permeability surface area product of the endothelium of the associated body part of the associated patient.