Finite element analysis of temperature profiles in linear phased multi-electrode ablation

Several finite element models have been used for simulating radio-frequency (RF) ablation of a one-tip electrode system. For atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation, a multi-electrode catheter is often used in order to create a uniform linear lesion. In this paper, a multi-electrode finite element model is used to analyze temperature profiles and lesion depths during phased linear AF ablation. Temperature profiles, lesion depth and lesion uniformity are found to be significantly influenced by various ablation parameters such as power delivery phase angle, blood flow rate, tissue and blood conductivity. The effects of these parameters on lesion size can be analyzed and compared in simulated power-controlled or temperature-controlled ablation procedures