Movable Microwave Applicator with Sensor Feedback for Uniform Lesion Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current microwave treatment systems face challenges in delivering uniform energy density to large biological lesions, often resulting in over-treatment or under-treatment due to the size and shape variability of lesions, leading to inefficient and potentially damaging treatments.
Innovation Solution
A microwave system with a movable applicator equipped with sensors to monitor position, orientation, acceleration, and velocity, and a controller that adjusts operational parameters in real-time to maintain constant energy density and ensure uniform treatment coverage, using pulsed or modulated microwave signals to optimize energy delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a smaller applicator is used to treat large lesions, then treatment coverage is improved, but treatment uniformity deteriorates due to multiple treatments required
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the microwave power output based on real-time sensor feedback about applicator position and treatment parameters. This allows a single small applicator to maintain uniform energy delivery across large lesions by continuously adapting power levels, eliminating the need for multiple static treatments while ensuring consistent treatment uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors that continuously monitor applicator position, temperature, and treatment parameters, feeding this information back to the control system. The controller uses this feedback to adjust power delivery in real-time, ensuring uniform treatment across the entire lesion area even when using a small applicator, thereby resolving the contradiction between coverage and uniformity.
2Manufacturing precision
If a larger applicator is used to cover entire affected area, then treatment uniformity is improved, but adaptability to different lesion sizes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a single small applicator design that can treat lesions of any size by dynamically adjusting power levels and treatment time based on real-time feedback. This universal applicator replaces the need for multiple bespoke applicators of different sizes, maintaining treatment uniformity while achieving full adaptability to various lesion dimensions through intelligent control rather than physical customization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (power level, pulse duration, treatment time) dynamically based on lesion size and treatment progress, as detected by sensors. This allows a single applicator geometry to effectively treat lesions ranging from small to large by adjusting delivery parameters, thereby achieving both uniformity and adaptability without requiring multiple applicator designs.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple single treatments are performed on large lesions, then treatment coverage is improved, but treatment time deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables continuous treatment of large lesions by maintaining constant power delivery and applicator movement without interruption. The real-time feedback control allows the small applicator to continuously treat new areas while automatically adjusting parameters, eliminating the need to stop and reposition between discrete treatment sessions, thereby reducing total treatment time while maintaining full coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary mapping and planning of the treatment area using sensors before actual treatment begins. This pre-planning optimizes the treatment path and power delivery strategy, allowing the applicator to move efficiently across the entire lesion in a single continuous pass, reducing total treatment time while ensuring complete coverage without overlapping or missing areas.
4Measurement precision
If variable magnitude radiation is applied to small lesions, then treatment precision is improved, but energy distribution uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses real-time sensor feedback to monitor energy delivery and tissue response, automatically adjusting power magnitude to maintain uniform energy distribution across the lesion. This closed-loop control ensures that while the power level varies to achieve precise treatment of the specific lesion characteristics, the resulting energy distribution remains uniform, resolving the contradiction between treatment precision and energy uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes delivery parameters (power magnitude, pulse duration, frequency) based on real-time feedback about tissue characteristics and treatment progress. This adaptive parameter adjustment allows precise targeting of the lesion while maintaining uniform energy distribution across the treated area, as the system continuously optimizes parameters to compensate for variations in lesion geometry and tissue properties.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system ensures uniform and controlled microwave radiation delivery across large surface areas, reducing the risk of over-treatment or under-treatment and improving treatment efficacy by adjusting power and energy distribution based on continuous sensor feedback.
Implementation Method 1
A microwave radiation delivery system 10 for treating biological tissue is shown in Fig 1. The system has a microwave generator 12 for generating microwave radiation
Data Source
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AI summary
A microwave system, comprises: a microwave generator; a microwave applicator for delivering microwave radiation generated by the microwave generator to a surface, wherein the microwave applicator is moveable relative to the surface; one or more sensors for sensing at least one of a position, an orientation, an acceleration, a speed and/or a velocity of the microwave applicator, and a controller configured to monitor sensor output from the one or more sensors and further configured to control one or more operational parameters of the microwave system based at least on the monitored sensor output.