Multivariate regression between hounsfield unit shift, tissue temperature, and tissue contraction: A feasibility study of computed tomography thermometry

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2021

Abstract

This study aims to determine the relationship between Hounsfield Unit shift (Delta HU), tissue temperature change (Delta T), and tissue's relative cross-sectional area change (Delta A) of ex vivo bovine liver tissues. The fresh bovine livers (n = 3) were heated from 21 degrees C to 100 degrees C within 24 min using a custom-made ceramic hot plate and left for cooling to room temperature (Delta 70 min). HU and tissue temperature measurement were obtained at 3-min intervals during the experiment. After that, the cross-sectional tissue area changes, and Delta A was calculated. Finally, a multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between Delta HU, Delta T, and Delta A. The results were compared with that of the conventional Delta HU-Delta T linear model. Tissues that underwent a larger thermal dose experienced a higher degree of tissue contraction, an irreversible process that contributed to the non-linear behavior in the Delta HU-Delta T characteristic curve. This finding was in agreement with the histological test, in which the tissues nearer to the heat source had higher cell counts than those farther away. A phenomenological equation for Delta HU in the function of Delta T and Delta A shows better regression with the experimental data (R-2 is an element of 0.838, 0.977]) than the conventional Delta HU-Delta T linear model. This finding indicates that tissue contraction is an important parameter to be considered in the development of CT thermometry. The Delta HU-Delta T-Delta A characteristic equation presented in this work offers accurate estimation of tissue temperature based on the HU change and magnitude of tissue contraction during a CT-guided thermal ablation procedure.

Keywords

Computed tomography, Ex vivo bovine liver, Hounsfield unit (HU), Medical imaging, Thermal ablation, Tissue contraction, Tissue temperature

Publication Title

IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement

Divisions

fac_med

Funders

Ministry of Education, Malaysia, Prototype Research Grant Scheme[PRGS/1/2017/SKK03/UM/02/1],Taylor's University

Volume

70

Publisher

IEEE-Inst Electrical Electronics Engineers Inc

Publisher Location

445 HOES LANE, PISCATAWAY, NJ 08855-4141 USA

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS