Tissue ablation at 10 GHz vs. 1.9 GHz: Ex vivo experiments demonstrate comparable ablation zones

We demonstrate the feasibility of using high-frequency microwaves for tissue ablation by comparing the performance of a 10 GHz microwave ablation system with that of a 1.9 GHz system. Two floating sleeve antennas operating at these frequencies were designed and fabricated for use in ex vivo experiments with bovine liver. Each ablation experiment was conducted at an RF power level of 50 W for approximately 15 minutes. The 10 GHz and 1.9 GHz experiments resulted in comparable ablation zone dimensions (7.5 cm × 5cm and 9.5 cm × 6cm, respectively). These experiments show that, contrary to prior consensus, high-frequency microwave antennas may be in fact used to create reasonably large ablation zones. Higher frequencies offer the advantage of smaller antenna size, which leads to less intrusive interstitial devices or more compact multi-element arrays with uniform heating patterns.