Properties of electromagnetic field focusing probe

The electromagnetic field focusing (EFF) apparatus consists of a radio frequency generator, solenoidal coil, and a hand-held or catheter probe. Applications such as aneurysm treatment, angioplasty, and neurosurgery in various models have been reported. The probe is operated in the near field (within one wavelength of an electromagnetic field source) of a coil inducing eddy currents in biological tissues, producing maximal convergence of the induced current at the probe tip. The probe produces very high temperatures depending on the wattage selected for the given radio frequency of output power. The high temperature can be used in cutting, cauterizing, or vaporizing. The EFF probe is comparable to different types of lasers and to bipolar and monopolar cautery. The EFF probe can be used with catheters or endoscopes. Objectives of this study were to determine what the thermal properties of the EFF probe are and how instrument parameters can be varied to obtain different temperatures in the tissue near the probe tip. In this study an F2 catheter was used as an insulated sheath and the tip of the guide wire was used as the probe tip. Different powers, wave forms, coil-to-probe distances, and probe-tip lengths were tested on a phantom that simulates tissue electrical properties. Some of the experiments were conducted under normal saline to simulate treatment of tissue with body fluids such as blood vessels or brain tissue under normal physiologic conditions. It is concluded that the EFF probe has the advantages of easy manipulation, relative safety, cost effectiveness, and a high degree of spatial control.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)