Development of a new microwave heating method for bone tumors

A new thermo-therapy for bone tumors was recently developed. In this therapy, the infected bone was dissected, removed, and kept in sterilized hot saline for pasteurization before replacement at the original location. In this study, we developed a new microwave heating method that the antenna was inserted to the infected bone, and microwaves were irradiated to the bone directly. In this method, the infected bone was not extirpated. We demonstrated that the bone being a hard tissue with low water content was heated successfully in the animal experiment. We also demonstrated that the heated region was enlarged with multiple antennas, and the temperature of the region was maintained by simple On/Off control of the microwave output.