How coagulation zone size is underestimated in computer modeling of RF ablation by ignoring the cooling phase just after RF power is switched off

Abstract

[EN] All the numerical models developed for radiofrequency ablation so far have ignored the possible effect of the cooling phase (just after radiofrequency power is switched off) on the dimensions of the coagulation zone. Our objective was thus to quantify the differences in the minor radius of the coagulation zone computed by including and ignoring the cooling phase. We built models of RF tumor ablation with 2 needle-like electrodes: a dry electrode (5mm long and 17G in diameter) with a constant temperature protocol (70 degrees C) and a cooled electrode (30mm long and 17G in diameter) with a protocol of impedance control. We observed that the computed coagulation zone dimensions were always underestimated when the cooling phase was ignored. The mean values of the differences computed along the electrode axis were always lower than 0.15mm for the dry electrode and 1.5mm for the cooled electrode, which implied a value lower than 5% of the minor radius of the coagulation zone (which was 3mm for the dry electrode and 30mm for the cooled electrode). The underestimation was found to be dependent on the tissue characteristics: being more marked for higher values of specific heat and blood perfusion and less marked for higher values of thermal conductivity.