Noninvasive temperature measurement during moxibustion using MRI

Onkyu is one of the methods of heat treatment using moxa. This treatment will be more reliable if the temperature distribution under the skin becomes clear. In this paper, a phantom model is developed to measure temperature distribution in moxibustion by obtaining the phase shift value of longitudinal relaxation time of hydrogen atom using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) equipment. Furthermore, in vivo experiments have been performed based on the result of phantom model with analytical simulation of temperature distribution under the skin. The experiments of measuring the temperature distribution under the skin model and human body have been performed using MRI. The result of temperature analysis in the phantom model as well as human body is also reported.