Analysis of a Numerical Scheme for Bioheat Simulations of Cryosurgery and its Experimental Validation on a Phantom Material

摘要

As part of an ongoing effort to develop computerized planning tools for cryosurgery, the current study focuses on validating a numerical technique for bioheat transfer simulations. The long-term goal is to develop a planning tool for cryosurgery that takes a 3D reconstruction of a target region, and suggests the best cryoprobe layout. To make the planning tool clinically relevant, a new finite difference numerical technique has been developed that allows for short (clinically relevant) runtime of cryosurgical simulations. The objectives of the current study are to perform a 2D experimental validation of the technique, and to determine an optimal grid discretization for a given experimental system.