A helical microwave antenna for welding plaque during balloon angioplasty

A catheter-based microwave antenna has been developed to improve the long-term success of balloon angioplasty treatment of arteriosclerosis. When the balloon is inflated to widen vessels obstructed with plaque, microwave power is deposited in the plaque, heating it, and thereby fixing it in place. By carefully controlling the wave propagation and polarization using an axial-mode helical antenna, it is possible to take advantage of the differences in the dielectric constant and conductivity between healthy artery wall tissue and the obstructing plaque to avoid overheating the healthy artery.