Multi-Frequency Electrosurgical Radiating Tip for Tissue Ablation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrosurgical techniques for tissue ablation using microwave energy face a trade-off between ablation size and speed, as higher frequencies provide faster and more localized heating but heat a smaller volume, while lower frequencies heat a larger volume but take longer.
Innovation Solution
An electrosurgical instrument capable of delivering microwave electromagnetic energy at multiple frequencies, utilizing a coaxial cable with a radiating tip portion designed to support resonance at three or more frequencies, combining dielectric and resistive heating mechanisms for efficient energy delivery and rapid tissue ablation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If higher frequency microwave energy is used, then heating speed and localization are improved, but treatment zone volume decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple microwave frequency sources (e.g., 2.45 GHz, 5.8 GHz, and higher frequencies) into a single radiating tip portion that can operate at multiple frequencies simultaneously or sequentially. This merging of frequency capabilities allows the system to achieve both rapid localized heating at higher frequencies and larger treatment zone coverage at lower frequencies, resolving the contradiction between heating speed and treatment volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The radiating tip portion is designed with specific electrical length and dielectric properties that can be tuned to support resonance at multiple microwave frequencies. By changing the operating frequency parameter, the system can adapt between localized rapid heating (higher frequencies) and extended treatment zones (lower frequencies), effectively resolving the trade-off through parameter adjustment.
2Volume of moving object
If lower frequency microwave energy is used, then treatment zone volume is increased, but heating speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple microwave frequency sources (e.g., 2.45 GHz, 5.8 GHz, and higher frequencies) into a single radiating tip portion that can operate at multiple frequencies simultaneously or sequentially. This merging of frequency capabilities allows the system to achieve both rapid localized heating at higher frequencies and larger treatment zone coverage at lower frequencies, resolving the contradiction between heating speed and treatment volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The system can alternate between different frequency operations in a periodic manner, using lower frequencies to establish treatment zone coverage and higher frequencies to provide rapid heating boosts, thereby achieving both large treatment volume and fast heating speed through time-dependent frequency switching.
3Device complexity
If single frequency microwave energy is used, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to tissue property changes decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The radiating tip portion is designed as a universal component that can operate across multiple microwave frequencies, adapting to different tissue types and treatment requirements. This multi-frequency capability provides versatility in handling varying tissue dielectric properties and impedance changes without requiring multiple separate devices, thus achieving adaptability with moderate complexity.
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
Enables rapid and localized tissue ablation with a larger treatment zone, improving energy delivery efficiency by adapting to changes in tissue properties and impedance, reducing treatment time compared to single-frequency approaches.
Implementation Method 1
the radiating tip portion has an electrical length selected in conjunction with its dielectric properties at three or more frequencies of microwave EM energy to support resonance at the three or more frequencies of microwave EM energy
Implementation Method 2
The normal mechanism by which energy is transferred into biological tissue at microwave frequencies (i.e. greater than 1 GHz) is dielectric heating, where the microwave EM energy drives molecular oscillations in the tissue
Implementation Method 3
Typically, biological tissue adjacent to the dielectric heating zone also experiences a rise in temperature. The mechanism for this is conduction, i.e. heat energy dissipating from the dielectric heating zone
Data Source
AI summary
An electrosurgical instrument capable of supporting resonance of microwave energy at multiple frequencies. The instrument comprises a coaxial cable and a radiating distal tip portion arranged to receive microwave energy from the coaxial cable. The radiating tip portion consists of a dielectric material having an electrical length selected in conjunction with its dielectric properties at three or more frequencies of microwave energy to support resonance at each frequency. By providing a single device that can effectively couple microwave energy into biological tissue at three or more frequencies, tissue ablation can be performed rapidly with accuracy. The instrument may be used in an apparatus that includes a generator arranged to supply microwave energy at three or more different frequencies.