Ultrasound properties and images of ex-vivo liver during thermal therapy

The authors have measured changes in ex-vivo bovine liver ultrasound backscatter coefficient and attenuation coefficient as a function of time at various temperatures below the vaporization threshold of water (100°C), to predict the appearance of real-time ultrasound images of tissues during thermal therapy. The authors have also used a clinical ultrasound scanner to record B-scan images of ex-vivo bovine liver heated with an interstitial microwave antenna to mimic a clinical treatment. Image echogenicity decreased with heating, likely due to increased attenuation in the coagulated tissue