Novel adaptive control system for ultrasound hyperthermia treatment of prostate disease

A novel model reference adaptive control (MRAC) method was proposed and tested with a transrectal intracavitary applicator for thermal treatment of prostate disease using ultrasound hyperthermia. Two significant advantages of this innovative adaptive control method are: 1) there is no need of a priori knowledge of the tissue properties; and 2) the controller could adaptively change the amplitudes and phases of the array´s driving signal according to the perfusion rate or other dynamic tissue properties. Computer simulations, ex vivo and in vivo experimental results all showed that with this adaptive controller the tissue was heated up to 43 ± 0.2°C within 7 ± 2 minutes, and adaptively maintained 43°C with dynamic blood flow for the rest period of the hyperthermia.