  Laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy (LITT) is applied to ex-vivo porcine
livers. An artificial blood vessel is used to study the cooling effect of
larger blood vessels in proximity to the ablation zone. The same setting is
simulated using a model based on partial differential equations (PDEs) for
temperature, radiation, and tissue damage. The simulated temperature
distributions are compared to temperature data obtained from MR thermometry.
The study shows that the quality and resolution of the thermometry data is
sufficient to validate and improve modeling approaches. Furthermore, the data
can be used to identify missing model parameters as well as the exact placement
of the laser applicator in relation to the imaging plane.
