BSD CORPORATION HAS BEGUN DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL HYPERTHERMIA HEATING APPLICATOR WHICH HAS BEEN GIVEN THE NAME ""THIN-SHELL ANNULAR PHASE ARRAY.

BSD CORPORATION HAS BEGUN DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL HYPERTHERMIA HEATING APPLICATOR WHICH HAS BEEN GIVEN THE NAME ""THIN-SHELL ANNULAR PHASE ARRAY.'' THE DEVICE IS AN ANNULAR RADIOFREQUENCY ANTENNA WHICH RADIATES POWER MOSTLY INTO ITS ANNULUS. ITS DIAMETER CAN BE OF THE ORDER OF 50 CM AND ITS WALL THICKNESS CAN BE ONLY A FEW CENTIMETERS. THUS IT CAN BE PLACED IN THE ANNULUS OF A CT SCANNER. BSD WISHES TO CARRY OUT R&D OF THIS DEVICE IN ASSOCIATION WITH A CT SCANNER TO TEST THE FEASIBILITY OF NONINVASIVE CT THERMAL MAPPING DURING HYPERTHERMIA TREATMENT. IN THE PHASE I PROJECT, PRELIMINARY STUDIES OF THE UNPOWERED THIN-WALL ANNULAR PHASED ARRAY WILL BE MADE TO TEST THE THERMAL RESOLUTION OF THE CT SCANNER USING A TEST PHANTOM WITH THE ARRAY IN THE CT ANNULUS. IN ADDITION, FURTHER ENGINEERING AND THERMAL MAPPING WILL BE CARRIED OUT ON THE NEW ARRAY. IN THE PHASE II PROJECT, A CT SCANNER WILL BE SHIELDED FOR RF AND TEST PHANTOMS WILL BE HEATED BY THE ARRAY. THERMAL MAPS DERIVED FROM CT WILL BE COMPARED WITH THE THERMAL MAPS MEASURED IN PHASE I. THESE STUDIES WILL DETERMINE WHETHER A COMMERCIAL HYPERTHERMIA/CT SCANNER WOULD BE FEASIBLE.