DETECTING TEMPERATURE AND PROTEIN DENATURATION DURING THERMAL THERAPY

• US 20080275331A1
• Filed: 05/05/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Health Research Institutes
• Original Assignee: National Health Research Institutes
• Inventors: Huang, Teng-Yi, Chung, Hsiao-Wen, Tseng, Wen-Yih Isaac, Peng, Hsu-Hsia
• Granted Patent: US 8,229,544 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/411
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/4804 Spatially selective measurement of temperature or pH
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/4814 MR combined with ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5616 using gradient refocusing, e.g. EPI

Abstract

In one aspect, in general, a method is provided for detecting temperature and protein denaturation of a tissue during thermal therapy. The method includes generating a plurality of MR pulse sequences that include a first group of pulse sequences and a second group of pulse sequences, and receiving a plurality of response signals that include a first and second group of response signals in response to the first and second groups of pulse sequences, respectively. A first information associated with a degree of protein denaturation of the tissue is determined based on the first and second groups of response signals. A second information associated with a temperature of the tissue is determined based on at least some of the plurality of response signals.

Claims

1. A method for detecting temperature and protein denaturation of a tissue, said method comprising:

generating a plurality of MR pulse sequences, including a first group of pulse sequences and a second group of pulse sequences;

receiving a plurality of response signals, including a first group of response signals in response to the first group of pulse sequences, and a second group of response signals in response to the second group of pulse sequences;

determining a first information associated with a degree of protein denaturation of the tissue based on the first and second groups of response signals; and

determining a second information associated with a temperature of the tissue based on at least some of the plurality of response signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of MR pulse sequences are configured to be suitable for inducing response signals that are sufficient for determining the first and second information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of MR pulse sequences include dual gradient echo sequences.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each one of the first group of pulse sequences includes a RF excitation pulse, and each one of the second group of pulse sequences includes the RF excitation pulse and a MT pulse.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the MT pulse includes an off-resonance pulse.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the MT pulse is configured to cause a change in the response signals induced by the RF excitation pulse alone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second groups of pulse sequences are interleaved.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the first information includes comparing the first group of response signals with the second group of response signals.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein each one of the plurality of response signals includes a first echo component and a second echo component.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said determining the first information includes comparing at least some of the first echo components of the first group of response signals with some of the first echo components of the second group of response signals.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information includes a magnetization transfer ratio, and the second information includes a phase information.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising reconstructing an image and forming a temperature map of the tissue based on the plurality of response signals.

13. A method of MRI-guided thermal therapy on a tissue, comprising:

generating a plurality of MR pulse sequences;

receiving, for each of the plurality of MR pulse sequences, a response signal,

determining a first information associated with a degree of protein denaturation of the tissue based on the response signals;

determining a second information associated with a temperature of the tissue based on the response signals;

accepting specifications of a treatment plan having a plurality of sessions, each associated with one of a plurality of regions of the tissue; and

controlling each of the plurality of sessions based on the first and second information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein controlling each of the plurality of sessions includes initiating and terminating said session.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the treatment plan further includes a criterion for initiating and terminating each of the plurality of sessions.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the criterion is associated with the temperature of the tissue.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the criterion is associated with the level of protein denaturation of the tissue.

18. A system for detecting temperature and protein denaturation on a tissue, said system comprising a controller configured for:

generating a plurality of pulse sequences, including a first group of pulse sequences, and a second group of pulse sequences;

receiving a plurality of response signals, including a first group of response signals in response to the first group of pulse sequences, and a second group of response signals in response to the second group of pulse sequences;

determining a first information associated with a degree of protein denaturation of the tissue and a second information associated with a temperature of the tissue based on the plurality of response signals.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a subsystem configured for delivering the plurality of pulse sequences and detecting the plurality of response signals.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the subsystem includes a MRI system and the plurality of pulse sequences include MR pulse sequences.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of pulse sequences are configured to be suitable for inducing response signals that are sufficient for determining the first and second information.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of pulse sequences includes “

dual-gradient echo sequences.”

23. The system of claim 18, wherein each one of the first group of pulse sequences includes a RF excitation pulse, and each one of the second group of pulse sequences includes the RF excitation pulse and a MT pulse.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein each one of the plurality of response signals includes a first echo component and a second echo component, and the controller determines the first information based on at least some of the first echo components of the first group of response signals and at least some of the first echo components of the second group of response signals.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured for reconstructing an image and forming a temperature map of the tissue based on the plurality of response signals.

26. A method for detecting temperature and protein denaturation of a tissue, said method comprising:

generating a plurality of MR pulse sequences, including a first group of pulse sequences and a second group of pulse sequences;

receiving a plurality of response signals, including a first group of response signals in response to the first group of pulse sequences, and a second group of response signals in response to the second group of pulse sequences, wherein each one of the plurality of response signals includes a first echo component and a second echo component;

determining a first information associated with a degree of protein denaturation of the tissue based on the first echo components of the first and second groups of response signals; and

determining a second information associated with a temperature of the tissue based on the second echo components of the first and second groups of response signals.