High frequency microwave ablation for targeted minimally invasive cancer treatment

We demonstrate the feasibility of microwave ablation of tissue using much higher frequencies (e.g. 10 GHz) than those used in conventional MWA (e.g., <; 2.5 GHz). In this study we compare the performance of a 10 GHz microwave ablation system with that of a 1.9 GHz system. Two sets of floating sleeve dipole antennas operating at these frequencies were designed and fabricated for use in ex vivo experiments conducted with bovine livers at a power level of 42 W for 5 minutes. In all cases, the 10 GHz experiments resulted in comparable ablation zone dimensions and exhibited faster heating rates in the immediate vicinity of the antennas compared to the 1.9 GHz experiments. These experiments demonstrate that high-frequency microwave antennas may be used to create reasonably large ablation zones. Higher frequencies offer the advantage of smaller antennas, which potentially enables less intrusive interstitial devices and the development of more compact multi-element arrays with improved heating properties.