# ULTRASOUND HYPERTHERMIA SYSTEM FOR CANCER THERAPY

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA · 1989 · $186,649

## Abstract

Hyperthermia has been shown to be efficacious in the treatment
of many tumors despite the limited capabilities of the available
heating technologies, which have been constrained by the short
history of modern clinical hyperthermia.  One developing, non-
invasive heating technology with the potential to tailor power
deposition patterns to individual tumors and to allow multipoint
temperature control is scanned, focussed ultrasound.  We have
developed such a system and propose (1) to perform phase 1
studies involving human tumors at a variety of locations to
determine which tumors and sites can be effectively treated by
this modality, (2) to develop a computerized treatment planning
system to allow the ultrasound scanning pattern to be
individualized and optimized for each patient, (3) to extend our
current, single point feedback control system to a multipoint
controller to give improved control over tumor temperature
distributions, and (4) to perform animal experiments to obtain
important knowledge concerning the interactions between
ultrasound and normal and tumor tissues.  The clinical studies will
investigate the temperature distributions in different tumors and
locations as a function of our system parameters (transducer
choice, feedback algorithm, scanning speed and pattern), and the
limitations of scanned focussed ultrasound imposed by pain and
other normal tissue toxicity, abdominal gas, tissue
inhomogeneities and interfaces, and the available utltrasonic
treatment window.  The treatment planning approach will use
serial CT scans of the patient, pretreatment measurements of the
tumor blood perfusion values and ultrasonic absorption
coefficients, and computerized treatment simulations.  The
multipoint feedback control system will utilize the know locations
of the temperature sensors to vary power as a function of
position.  The animal studies will investigate the possible
utilization of nonlinear effects (including a determination of
potential cavitation problems), the in vivo absorption coefficients
in different tissues, the distortion of the high power ultrasound
beam while passing through multiple tissues, and the power
deposition at soft tissuebone and-gas interfaces.  These studies
will give a scientific basis for the improved design and application
of scanned focussed ultrasound.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3171667
- **Project number:** 5R01CA033922-06
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
- **SAM.gov UEI:** ED44Y3W6P7B9
- **Principal Investigator:** Robert Roemer
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1989
- **Award amount:** $186,649
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1983-09-01 → 1990-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3171667

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3171667, ULTRASOUND HYPERTHERMIA SYSTEM FOR CANCER THERAPY (5R01CA033922-06). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3171667. Licensed CC0.

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