Localized Heating Of Deep-Seated Tissues Using Microwave Balloon Catheters

Microwave balloon catheters are plastic catheters that contain microwave transmission lines that are connected to microwave antennas located inside inflatable balloons. Provisions for liquid cooling of the balloons, ternperature sensing, suctioning, etc can be incorporated into the catheters if the intended application requires it. In medical applications the catheters are inserted with collapsed balloons into blood vessels, natural body openings, or interstially directly into tissues, the balloons are then inflated, and microwave power is applied to the transmission lines and broadcast into the tissues surrounding the balloons. While hundreds of thousands of medical procedures have already been performed with simple balloon catheters, clinical use of microwave balloon catheters is still in its Infancy. This is not surprising, since the first documented medical use of simple balloon catheters dates back to 1819, while development of medical microwave balloon catheters started only a few years ago.