Waveguide Applicator System for Head and Neck Hyperthermia Treatment

The main purpose of this article is a complex hyperthermia applicator system design for treatment of head and neck region. The applicator system is composed of four waveguides with a stripline horn aperture and circular water bolus. The specific absorption rate (SAR) and temperature distribution from this applicator in various numerical phantom models was investigated. For used targets, the treatment planning based on the optimization process made through the SEMCAD X software is added to show the steering possibilities of SAR and thereby temperature distribution. Using treatment planning software, we proved that the SAR and temperature distribution can be effectively controlled (by amplitude and phase changing) improving the SAR and temperature target coverage approximately by 20 %. For the proposed applicator system analysis and quantitative evaluation of two parameters 25 % iso-SAR and 41°C iso-temperature contours in the treatment area with the respect to sensitive structures in treatment area were defined. To verify our simulation results, the real measurement of reflectivity coefficient as well as the temperature distribution in a homogenous phantom were performed.