Wireless Real-Time Monitoring of Ablation using a Wearable Antenna

Accurate monitoring of the ablated area size is crucial in microwave ablation therapy to prevent insufficient or excessive tissue ablation. In this paper, we utilize the changes in the electrical properties of tissues during ablation to achieve real-time monitoring. The proposed system comprises a microwave applicator, designed as a coaxial slot antenna, and an on-body antenna. As the ablation progresses, the rising temperature alters the electrical properties of the tissues surrounding the applicator, which in turn affects the transmission coefficient between the applicator and the on-body antenna. The effectiveness of this method is validated through recursive thermal and electro-magnetic simulations in a hepatic tumor scenario. The results demonstrate that while the reflection coefficient of the applicator converges after a certain point, the phase of the transmission coefficient continues to change, offering a promising method for tracking the size of the ablated area.