Interstitial antennas for arterial plaque ablation

To improve the effectiveness of the ultrasonic arterial plaque ablation procedure, Sonic Star International has contracted a University of Utah Engineering Clinic to design and construct microwave interstitial antennas to selectively ablate plaque in the arteries and further help in the removal of thrombus from vessels and in the destruction of a large volume of gallstones. Microwave interstitial antennas placed inside the balloon catheter deliver microwave energy to the region of the plaque. This process heats the region and provides softening of the plaque for more effective and longer lasting dilation of the artery. In this paper, FDTD simulation results and heat transfer calculations are presented and compared with thermographic measurements