IIT Madras team develops ultrasound-based temperature tracking device

NEW DELHI: Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have developed an ultrasound-based temperature tracking device to monitor the treatment of a patient, a statement from the institute said.

The device, which is non-invasive, and the portal has been developed by Aliarshad Kothawala, PhD scholar, department of applied mechanics; Divya Baskaran, PhD scholar, department of engineering design; and Kavitha Arunachalam, associate professor, department of engineering design.

How it works

The solution involves obtaining diagnostic ultrasound signals from the region of interest inside the body. Heat is applied non-invasively from outside either through a microwave applicator or high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU).

The ultrasound-based real-time feedback can be integrated with low-intensity ultrasound heat therapy devices that are commonly used in most of the physiotherapy centres.

The device is safe and portable.

Highlighting the advantages of this technology compared to existing technologies, Arun K. Thittai, department of applied mechanics, IIT Madras, said, “Having multi-parametric image feedback allows for accurate real-time monitoring for a wide range of thermal therapies. These techniques can be incorporated as software in existing scanners by the manufacturers and thus does not require any special electronics hardware.”

Award and publications

The research team has been awarded the ‘SITARE – Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Appreciation 2020’ for this project.

A complete in-house set up for HIFU ablation or non-surgical procedure has been established by the researchers of the department of applied mechanics in the institute.

The results from these studies have also been presented and published in various international Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) society conferences over the last year.

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