PID controller system development to enhance hyperthermia-mediated drug delivery

Cancer is still one of the most dangerous threats to public health. Particularly, among others, hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most recurrent. Since surgical resection and transplantation are often not viable solutions, and chemotherapy or radiotherapy have several drawbacks for patients’ health, new alternatives are spreading. A promising example is hyperthermia-mediated drug delivery using thermo-sensitive liposomes (TSLs), which allows targeting drug concentrations within the tumor, avoiding its spread in healthy tissue. To ensure the proper temperature range in the target and avoid thermal damage, it is fundamental to control the heat administration in the tissue, which is here provided by means of a microwave heating device. Different heating strategies—namely continuous, pulsed, and PID-controlled—have been numerically simulated to find the most effective thermal management protocol. A Computational Fluid Dynamics model is developed, coupling Pennes’ bioheat equation for heat transfer, a convection–diffusion model for drug delivery, and Maxwell’s equations to simulate microwave propagation. The results show that PID-controlled heating ensures optimal temperature regulation, avoids overheating, and maximizes drug internalization. Compared to traditional fixed-power protocols, the PID controller dynamically adjusts power input based on real-time feedback, ensuring a consistent thermal profile. This minimizes thermal damage to healthy tissue while enhancing the therapeutic effect. The comparison highlights that PID-based control achieves a more uniform spatial drug distribution, limits necrotic effects, and improves overall treatment efficiency. This approach demonstrates significant promise for improving the safety and efficacy of hyperthermia-enhanced chemotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma treatments.