Leaky-Wave Applicators: Experimental Verification of the Effectiveness of the Single Pole-Wave Approximation for the Estimation of the Power Deposition Pattern

By a proper design, leaky-wave applicators allow a simple approximation of the field in the medium under treatment by means of a single inhomogeneous plane-wave. The aim of this Communication is to investigate the effectiveness of such an approximation when it is used for the evaluation of the thermal pattern inside the medium under treatment. In particular, the thermal pattern acquired by a thermocamera is compared with numerical simulations of the thermal distribution inside a muscle phantom tissue radiated by a channel guide leaky-wave applicator. The results confirm that the single pole-wave approximation gives a correct prediction of the temperature distribution inside the medium under treatment.