Temperature distributions in tumor models heated by self-regulating nickel-copper alloy thermoseeds

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Abstract
Needle-shaped thermoseeds were manufactured from an alloy consisting of 70.4% Ni and 29.6% Cu. The magnetic properties of the alloy were measured at various temperatures; from this, the heating power produce by a thermoseed exposed to an electromagnetic induction field was computed as a function of the seed temperature. Calorimetric measurements were also performed. From these data, temperature distributions in simple tumor models assumed to be heated by an array of Ni-Cu implants were computed. The Ni-Cu implants produce substantially better temperature homogeneity than readily available constant power seeds, especially in tumors with unpredictable rates of blood perfusion or when the implant arrangement is not prefectly regular. Since such conditions are likely to be present in actual patients, the Ni-Cu implants should be very useful in clinical hyperthermia [for cancer therapy].

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