A computer controlled endorectal cooling device for laser thermal therapy

Interstitial laser thermal therapy is a novel local approach to treating prostate cancer. During treatment, thermal ablation may occur on the adjacent rectal wall. The aim of this thesis was therefore twofold: to study the effects of rectal cooling on lesion formation, and secondly, to engineer a computer controlled rectal cooling unit. To study the effects of the coolant temperatures and flow rate, thermal simulations were executed, followed by testing the phenomenon using agar gel phantoms which thermally mimic prostate tissue. Further simulations were run using a treatment planning software which predicted the required coolant temperatures to protect the outer rectal wall while subsequently determining the shape and size of the resulting coagulated lesion at various laser settings. Results suggest that low coolant temperatures and low flow rates cause maximum cooling rates. Furthermore, the shape and size of the coagulated region is affected by coolant temperatures at specific laser powers and positions within the prostate.