Sim4Life offers a novel full-wave Acoustics Solver (P-ACOUSTICS) based on the linear pressure wave equation (LAPWE), extended and optimized for heterogeneous, lossy materials for the modeling of the propagation of pressure waves through highly inhomogeneous media like tissue and bone. All relevant phenomena like scattering, reflection, refraction, diffraction, interference, and absorption are captured by this method. The dissipated acoustics energy can be translated into a heat source for Sim4Life’s thermal solver (P-THERMAL) to capture the coupling of acoustic and thermal phenomena.
Precise ablation of a liver tumor located behind the ribs considering respiratory movements.
An adaptive rectilinear grid is used to discretize the computational domain with feature-specific granularity and inhomogeneous perfectly matched layers (PML) boundary conditions are used to close the problem. The numerical solver, which is based on a non-uniform finite difference time domain (FDTD) method, is substantially accelerated by either GPU or OpenMP processing.
The P-ACOUSTICS solvers have been extensively validated and the associated uncertainties have been quantified using analytical solutions, benchmarks, and robotic 3D-scan hydrophone measurements in complex setups. Comprehensive documentation is available for Sim4Life.
Optimized transcranial phase aberration correction for a large array FUS neurosurgery system.
Evaluation of fetal exposure to acoustic stimuli.
HIFU treatment planning for neck cancers.