Multivariable Fuzzy Logic Controlled Photothermal Therapy

Abstract

Photothermal therapy has emerged as a potential modality to generate hyperthermia as cancer treatment due to its low invasiveness and its capacity to complement other cancer therapies. Undesired side effects can occur such as damage to surrounding healthy tissue and temperature increase to values that cause tissue carbonization and evaporation. For this reason, this research aims to develop a multivariable fuzzy logic controller that maximizes tumor thermal damage while keeping temperature within the recommended ranges and minimizing neighboring healthy tissue damage. Three inputs were contemplated for the control system: tumor thermal damage, future maximum temperature error and future healthy tissue temperature error; thirteen logic rules were used to determine the controller output, which was established to be the change in laser power. Results showed that the control algorithm successfully accomplished the proposed goals.