High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is emerging as a novel therapeutic technique for cancer treatment through a hyperthermal mechanism using ultrasound. However, collateral thermal damages to healthy tissue and skin burns due to the use of high levels of ultrasonic energy during HIFU treatment remain major challenges to clinical application. The main objective of the current study is to evaluate the potential of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as effective absorption-enhancing agents for HIFU to mediate the heating process at low ultrasonic power levels, and consequently upgrade hyperthermal therapeutic effects of HIFU. An experimental study using in vitro tissue phantoms was conducted to assess the effects of CNTs on HIFU’s heating mechanism. Detailed information was extracted from the experiments for thermal analysis, including rate of absorbed energy density and temperature rise profile at the focal region. Parametric studies were carried out, revealing the effects of ultrasound parameters (ultrasonic power and driving frequency) on the performance of CNTs in various concentrations. The results indicated that CNTs significantly enhanced the thermal effect of HIFU by elevating energy absorption rate and consequential temperature rise. Moreover, it was demonstrated that an increase in ultrasonic power and driving frequency could lead to a better performance of CNTs during HIFU ablation procedures; the effects of CNTs could be further enhanced by increasing their volume concentration inside the medium.

高强度聚焦超声 (HIFU) 正在成为一种通过使用超声的超热机制治疗癌症的新型治疗技术。然而，由于在 HIFU 治疗期间使用高水平的超声能量，对健康组织和皮肤烧伤的附带热损伤仍然是临床应用的主要挑战。目前研究的主要目的是评估碳纳米管 (CNT) 作为 HIFU 的有效吸收增强剂在低超声功率水平下介导加热过程的潜力，从而提高 HIFU 的超热治疗效果。体外实验研究进行组织体模以评估碳纳米管对 HIFU 加热机制的影响。从热分析实验中提取了详细信息，包括吸收能量密度的速率和焦点区域的温升曲线。进行了参数研究，揭示了超声参数（超声功率和驱动频率）对不同浓度 CNT 性能的影响。结果表明，碳纳米管通过提高能量吸收率和随之而来的温升，显着增强了 HIFU 的热效应。此外，事实证明，在 HIFU 消融过程中，超声功率和驱动频率的增加可能会导致 CNT 的性能更好；