Modeling and Optimization of Temperature-Dependent Perfusion and Cellular Dynamics in Radio Frequency Ablation Using Modified BHTE

Thermal treatments for cancer such as RFA necessitate careful regulation of energy input to enhance tumor necrosis and minimize adjacent normal tissue injury. The classical Bioheat Transfer Equation (BHTE) which is generally employed to simulate heat transport in tissues does not account for essential physiological responses like temperature-dependent perfusion and metabolic quiescence. A modified BHTE model associated with dynamic cellular viability equations is used to describe realistic biological responses for heating. By employing a hybrid solver, the model incorporates the temperature-sensitive perfusion, exponentially decayed metabolic heat generation, and the logistic growth dynamics for cancer and normal cells. The Arrhenius damage integral was used as an indicator for irreversible thermal damage, and its clinical use was developed. It was shown that when the influence of physiologic feedback mechanisms was introduced, prediction of necrotic zones and normal tissue injury decreases. Optimization studies with respect to diverse patient and environmental i.e., perfusion rates, ambient temperatures – conditions also present the capabilities of this framework in personalized therapy planning.