Computer modeling and in vitro experimental study of water-cooled microwave ablation array
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Dui-Dui Chen1, Yu-Xin Du2, Zu-Bing Chen1
1Department of General Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Introduction:
Microwaves (MWs) quickly deliver relatively high temperatures into tumors and cover a large ablation zone. We present a research protocol for using water-cooled double-needle MW ablation arrays for tumor ablation here.
Material And Methods:
Our research program includes computer modeling, tissue-mimicking phantom experiments, and in vitro swine liver experiments. The computer modeling is based on the finite element method (FEM) to evaluate ablation temperature distributions. In tissue-mimicking phantom and in vitro swine liver ablation experiments, the performances of the new device and the single-needle MW device currently used in clinical practice are compared.
Results:
FEM shows that the maximum transverse ablation diameter (MTAD) is 4.2 cm at 100 W output and 300 s (assessed at the 50 °C isotherm). In the tissue-mimicking phantom, the MTDA is 2.6 cm at 50 W and 300 s in single-needle MW ablation, and 4 cm in double needle MW ablation array. In in vitro swine liver experiments, the MTAD is 2.820 ± 0.127 cm at 100 W and 300 s in single-needle MW ablation, and 3.847 ± 0.103 cm in MW ablation array.
Conclusion:
A new type of water-cooled MW ablation array is designed and tested, and has potential advantages over currently used devices.
