A novel tool for monitoring and assessing the outcome of thermal ablations of hepatic lesions

Abstract

This paper presents a proof-of-concept intervention monitoring and outcome assessment tool for thermal ablative strategies like microwave ablation of hepatic tumours. For this purpose, simulated 3D+t temperature maps of the ablation progress are combined with liver MR imaging, as well as corresponding segmentations of the lesion and other relevant anatomical structures. The proposed tool mainly consists of a monitoring and validation part, each comprising 2D and 3D visualisations and various modifiable settings. With the aid of the monitoring features, the heat propagation during the ablation progress could be visually tracked, while the validation part of the tool provides the radiologist with comprehensible and detailed feedback to assess the treatment result. Hence, it could enable an immediate validation of the ablation progress and support interventional decision-making. For evaluation purposes, we used an exemplary patient case to demonstrate the benefits of the proposed prototype. This tool could represent a crucial step towards a suitable computerassisted and more accurate workflow of thermal ablations, with benefits for both, patients and radiologists.

Keywords

• mri thermometry
• hepatic tumours
• thermal ablations
• treatment monitoring
• treatment outcome assessment