Parallel Algorithms for Freezing Problems during Cryosurgery

Abstract

Treatment planning based on numerical simula- tion before cryosurgery is an indispensable way to achieve exactly killing of tumors. Furthermore, intraoperative pre- diction based on monitoring results can lead to more accu- rate ablation. However, conventional serial program is diffi- cult to meet the challenge of real-time assistance with com- plex treatment plans. In this study, two parallel numerical algorithms, i.e. parallel explicit scheme and Alternating Direction Implicit (ADI) scheme using the block pipelined method for parallelization, based on an effective heat capac- ity method are established to solve three-dimensional phase change problems in biological tissues subjected to multiple cryoprobes. The validation, speedups as well as efficiencies of parallelized computations of the both schemes were com- pared. It was shown that the parallel algorithms developed here can perform rapid prediction of temperature distribu- tion for cryosurgery, and that parallel computing is hopeful to assist cryosurgeons with prospective parallel treatment planning in the near future.