Optimizing bipolar radiofrequency ablation treatment by means of pulsed currents

Given the high mortality rate, liver cancer is considered to be a difficult cancer to treat. Consequently, alternative strategies are being developed such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA). RFA applies radiofrequent currents leading to local heating of the tumoral tissue. Accurate numerical modeling contributes to a better knowledge of the physical phenomena and allows optimizations. In this work, the bipolar radiofrequency ablation technique is explored followed by an optimization by means of pulsed currents. Numerical results clearly show the larger ablation zones due to the pulsed currents. Hence, pulsed bipolar RFA increases the efficacy and has the potential to be incorporated in clinical practice.