Dosimetry for ultrasound therapy

This JRP will develop the metrological infrastructure (definitions, validated measurement and modelling methods) which will underpin the specification of dose for therapeutic ultrasound applications allowing appropriate treatment planning and risk assessment. The scientific work is divided into six Work Packages: Quantities and definitions will carry out a wide review of dose and in situ exposure quantities proposed in the literature, proposing alternatives where necessary; Laboratory dosimetry standards will develop laboratory standards for thermal and non-thermal therapeutic dose parameters; Dose modelling and validation will develop theoretical and computer modelling procedures to calculate acoustic and thermal dose quantities with well understood uncertainties; Intercomparison of methods will formally evaluate the measurement methods and models developed, comparing their results; Dosimetry Transfer Standards will develop phantoms and test systems for the assessment of clinical ultrasound equipment, transferring laboratory standards to end-users such as clinical centres; and, finally, Application to clinical treatment will provide a direct link between the methods developed and the clinical use of therapeutic ultrasound with the long-term aim of improving treatment planning.