Modeling tissue ablation with radio frequency heating: effect of blood flow in a large vessel

Thermal ablation of a solid tumor in tissue with radio-frequency (RF) energy can be accomplished using a probe inserted into the tissue under guidance with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The extent of the ablation can be significantly reduced by heat loss from capillary perfusion and blood flow in a large vessel in the tissue. We examine these effects using a 3-D bio-heat transport model describing temperature distribution dynamics in tissue together with a 1-D model of convective-dispersive heat transport in a large (diameter>3 mm) blood vessel.