Shycade system used for hyperthermia therapy: Determination of the heating pattern

A large number of antennas and applicators have been designed to "produce therapeutic heating of tumors of different sizes in a variety of anatomic locations. Capacitor plate applicators consisting of a pair of flat-plate electrodes in order to induce heating inside a biolological body, are used in the SHYCADE system (manufactured by BRUKER Company) which is at present tested in LILLE. This system allow the efficient treatment of large deep-seated tumors. The upper electrode is fitted out with a thermostated water bolus which avoid superficial burning of the tissues while allowing a better homogeneity of temperatures in the heated medium. The lower electrode is connected to the ground and covered with a water bolus. The system is monitored by a microwave radiometer operating at 1GHz in order to control the power delivered by a generator at 13.56 MHz (up to 600 watts). The software program gives the real time display of the incident and reflected power, the water temperature of the bolus and the radiometric temperature at 1 GHz. The automatic monitoring of the system is based on this radiometric temperature measurement and, the microwave power heating is adjusted in order to obtain the wanted levels of temperature in depth, taking into account the forehand fixed thresholds of safety (42°C-43°C).