In Situ temperature measurements with thermocouple probes during laser interstitial thermotherapy (LITT): Quantification and correction of a measurement artifact

Abstract

Light absorption by thermocouple probes can induce a significant artifact in the measurement of laser-induced temperature increases. When the time constant of the thermocouple effect is much smaller than the thermal relaxation time of the surrounding tissue, the artifact can be accurately quantified. During LITT experiments where temperature differences of a few degrees are significant, the thermocouple artifact must be removed in order to be able accurately to predict the treatment outcome.