Visualization during magnetic resonance imaging-guided thermal therapy

A suite of computational tools in a graphic user interface (GUI) for visualization of data acquired during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided ablative thermal therapy is being developed, along with an algorithm for realtime local temperature monitoring. The GUI integrates routines for treatment planning, target localization, temperature monitoring, and verification. In particular, it can visualize the treatment volume and overlay a temperature map or thermal isodose contours on the structural MRIs. The GUI has significant potential for real-time control of thermal therapy, thus making it a safe and practical clinical tool for noninvasive treatment of soft-tissue diseases.