A new thermal system for tumor treatment

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Physics
• Oncology

Background:

• Minimally invasive tumor treatments are crucial for improving patient outcomes.
• Combining thermal therapies like cryosurgery and radiofrequency ablation offers potential synergistic effects.
• Precise control over thermal fields is essential for maximizing efficacy and minimizing damage to healthy tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a novel thermal system integrating liquid nitrogen (LN2) cryosurgery and radiofrequency (RF) ablation for tumor treatment.
• To develop a heat transfer model for simulating the thermal field during combined or individual treatments.
• To investigate the influence of key parameters on treatment region control.

Main Methods:

• Development of a hybrid thermal system combining LN2 cryosurgery and RF ablation.
• Establishment of a heat transfer model with assumed SAR distribution from an infinite linear source.
• Numerical simulation of temperature distributions using Fluent 6.1 software.
• Systematic adjustment of RF power, nitrogen flow rate, and treatment initiation timing.

Main Results:

• The study established a heat transfer model to simulate thermal fields during treatments.
• Numerical simulations were performed to analyze temperature distributions within the tissue.
• Radiofrequency power was identified as the primary parameter controlling heating and thawing processes.
• Nitrogen flow rate was found to have a minor influence on the heating rate.

Conclusions:

• The designed thermal system offers a flexible approach for tumor treatment, allowing separate or simultaneous use of LN2 cryosurgery and RF ablation.
• RF power is the dominant factor in controlling the thermal effects of the treatment.
• Nitrogen flow provides a secondary mechanism for modulating the heating rate, enhancing treatment precision.