Temperature distributions measurement of high intensity focused ultrasound using a thin-film thermocouple array and estimation of thermal error caused by viscous heating.

To improve the throughput of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment, we have considered a focus switching method at two points. For this method, it is necessary to evaluate the thermal distribution under exposure to ultrasound. The thermal distribution was measured using a prototype thin-film thermocouple array, which has the advantage of minimizing the influence of the thermocouple on the acoustic and temperature fields. Focus switching was employed to enlarge the area of temperature increase and evaluate the proposed evaluation parameters with respect to safety and uniformity. The results indicate that focus switching can effectively expand the thermal lesion while maintaining a steep thermal boundary. In addition, the influence caused by the thin-film thermocouple array was estimated experimentally. This thermocouple was demonstrated to be an effective tool for the measurement of temperature distributions induced by HIFU.