Infrared thermography for noninvasive real-time monitoring of HIFU ablation

Infrared imaging for spatiotemporal temperature measurements was explored in this study for non-contact monitoring of temperature increases generated by HIFU ablation. Using ex vivo cardiac tissue specimens, we investigated the correlations between the occurrence of events during HIFU ablation (e.g., lesion formation, cavity formation) and the 2D spatiotemporal temperature of the tissue surface measured during HIFU ablation from an infrared camera. An increase in the rate of temperature rise was observed when lesions formed at or slightly beneath the tissue surface. Spatial shifts in the maximum temperature location away from the HIFU focus were often observed with continuing HIFU exposure after lesion formation, suggesting tissue dehydration and cavitationformation during ablation with excessive heating.