Ablation under control
Radiofrequency ablation (RF) is a minimally invasive method of thermal destruction of pathological tissue by thermal energy. A needle-thin probe transmits radio frequency waves directly into the tumor, raising the temperature in it to 60 degrees Celsius and destroying it.
Despite the prevalence of RF, there are still no imaging methods that would give the doctor the opportunity to observe the process in real time and regulate the temperature of exposure.
A group of scientists led by John Stang from the University of Southern California has developed a device for thermal imaging monitoring of RF, providing doctors with information about the procedure quickly, safely and accurately. It will help treat a number of diseases, from epilepsy to cancer.
The lack of real-time monitoring poses a threat of insufficient or excessive exposure. In the first case, additional procedures will be required until the pathological tissue is destroyed. Each RF session is associated with the risk of infection and other complications. In the second case, the risk of damage to healthy tissues is high. This is especially dangerous when the focus is located next to a large vessel or nerve bundle.
During the RF procedure, the microwave antenna located around the impact area continuously receives information and transmits it to the device that processes the data. They are superimposed on the results of pre-performed magnetic resonance imaging, as a result, a three-dimensional thermal image is obtained, which is constantly updated.
In in vitro experiments, the system worked with an accuracy of one degree Celsius and with a refresh rate of up to one frame per second.
The main drawback that still needs to be worked on is the low resolution of the resulting image. However, according to the authors, if thermal imaging data is superimposed on a high-resolution MRI, the image quality problem will be solved.
The next stage is the testing of the method on animals, scheduled for the current year. The main focus will be on the treatment of liver cancer. In case of positive results, three to five years of clinical trials will follow.
Article by G. Chen et al. Real-Time Three-Dimensional Microwave Monitoring of Interstitial Thermal Therapy is published in the IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering journal.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of USC Viterbi: Burning Tumors Away.