Microwave Ablation System Monitors Tissue Destruction

A microwave coagulation-ablation system measures real-time changes in temperature and power absorption in the ablation zone.

The MedWaves AveCure system enables surgeons and interventional radiologists to safely treat soft tissue problems, such as tumors in the liver and lung, using thermal coagulation-ablation. The system includes a microwave generator and a combination probe and antenna, and requires no cooling, no irrigation, and no return pad. The sterile single-patient-use probes monitor temperature and power feedback from the probe itself and from nearby tissue to intelligently control the microwave power delivered to the ablation zone. By utilizing and displaying dynamic changes in temperature and power, the system safely and efficiently ablates small or large zones, using far less power. The same feedbacks are available for the user to manage the ablation process with confidence. Multiple systems can concurrently apply energy to treat larger lesions or shape the ablation zone to fit lesion boundaries.

The MedWaves AveCure system is under development by MedWaves (San Diego, CA, USA), and has been recognized as an investigational device; the company is also developing smaller diameter microwave probes/antennae with focused microwave fields to destroy small metastatic lesions in liver, lung, and other organs safely and effectively.

Microwave ablation is the most recent development in the field of tumor ablation. The technique allows for flexible approaches to treatment, including percutaneous, laparoscopic, and open surgical access. With imaging guidance, the tumor is localized, and a thin (14.5-gauge) microwave antenna is placed directly into the tumor. A microwave generator then emits an electromagnetic wave through the exposed, noninsulated portion of the antenna. Electromagnetic microwaves agitate water molecules in the surrounding tissue, producing friction and heat, thus inducing cellular death via coagulation necrosis.

The main advantages of microwave technology, when compared with existing thermoablative technologies, include consistently higher intratumoral temperatures, larger tumor ablation volumes, faster ablation times, and an improved convection profile. Further benefits of microwave ablation include less pain and discomfort during percutaneous outpatient procedures and significantly reduced anesthetic dosage requirements, when compared to radiofrequency (RF) ablation.

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