THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO DEVELOP THE TECHNIQUE AND ASSOCIATED INSTRUMENTATION REQUIRED TO REMOTELY MONITOR THE TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION DURING HYPER- THERMIA THERAPY IN AND AROUND DEEP-SEATED MALIGNANT TUMORS.

THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO DEVELOP THE TECHNIQUE AND ASSOCIATED INSTRUMENTATION REQUIRED TO REMOTELY MONITOR THE TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION DURING HYPER- THERMIA THERAPY IN AND AROUND DEEP-SEATED MALIGNANT TUMORS. THIS TECHNIQUE IS BASED ON THE ULTRASOUND INTERROGATION OF SEVERAL SMALL, PHASE-CHANGING SENSORS (OR TARGETS) IMPLANTEDAROUND THE TUMOR BEING TREATED. IN PHASE I, CONCEPT FEASI- BILITY WILL BE ASSESSED THROUGH LABORATORY TESTS. PHASE I TASKS INCLUDE SENSOR MATERIAL SELECTION, DESIGN, FABRICATION, AND TESTING IN HEATED PHANTOMS AND ANIMAL TISSUE IN VITRO USING A DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND SCANNER. PHASE I RESULTS WILL INCLUDE AS ASSESSMENT OF KEY SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS (ACCURACY, RANGE, ETC.) AND OPTIMUM DESIGN PARAMETERS (INTERROGATION FREQUENCY AND TARGET SIZE). SUBSEQUENT WORK (PHASE II) WILL INCLUDE REFINEMENT OF THE TEST SYSTEM AND EVALUATION OF SYSTEM PERFORMANCE IN VIVO, FIRST THROUGH ANIMAL STUDIES AND THEN THROUGH HUMAN TRIALS.