A New FlexibleAntenna Array Design for Hyperthermia Treatment of Bone Cancer

This work presents a new flexible meandered dipole antenna array designed specifically to treat, with thermal ablation, bone tumors. Electromagnetic and thermal simulations were performed in the CST (computer simulation technology) program. The performance of the antenna arrays was tested for flexibility and different input powers. A three-layer bone phantom was created, including skin, fat, muscle. The antenna performance was evaluated in terms of return loss and directivity characteristics. Variable input power (1W - 5W) was applied. The specific absorption rate (SAR) was calculated through the electromagnetic simulations and it was used as an input for the thermal simulations. According to the results of the thermal simulations performed on the phantom, temperature rise on tumor tissue (15mm) placed in the bone was examined. The effectiveness of the antenna array, designed for use in the treatment of bone tumors, was examined according to different input powers for 20 min exposure time.