Development of heating device

Abstract

Hyperthermia has a long history as a treatment modality for tumors, with the rapid development of heating devices for hyperthermia starting more than a century ago. Ideal heating devices would enable the targeted area to be heated in accordance with the depth and width of the tumor. They would also be integrated with image-guided, four-dimensional, real-time temperature monitoring in the body and a simulation function for the prediction of temperature fluctuations according to treatment and changes in blood flow in order to heat tumors selectively and avoid damage to healthy tissue. However, economic viability is also an important factor, in that the ideal heating device must be able to be covered under national medical health insurance systems if it hopes to gain widespread use in individual medical economies. The development of a sophisticated yet cost-effective device with automatic control functions that is safe for patients and easy for medical staff to use would be expected to contribute to more effective treatment, a reduction in labor costs, and savings to national health care systems.