A New Microwave Source for Cardiac Therapy

Microwave technology shows promise in cardiac applications for microwave assisted balloon angioplasty and microwave cardiac ablation. Traditional microwave energy sources used in these procedures have poor efficiency, are large size requiring them to be located far from the patient, and require coaxial cables to deliver power resulting in loss and heat generation causing potential safety issues. Artisan Laboratories Corporation has developed a new microwave energy source that has demonstrated 80 % efficiency compared with less than 20 % efficiency in classic microwave amplifiers. This source will significantly reduce the size of microwave generators, improve efficiency, reduce heat generation, and allow for the generator to be controlled through an optical fiber improving flexibility and ease of use.