Ex Vivo Liver Tissue Radiofrequency Thermal Ablation: Ir Measurements and Simulations

Abstract

Radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFTA) is a medical procedure currently widely adopted for liver tumors treatment. Its outcome is strongly influenced by temperature distribution near the RF applicator therefore continuous measurements are required both to validate RFTA numerical models and to better control the outcome of the procedure. The space-time evolution of the thermal field during RFTA on ex vivo porcine liver tissue has been measured by infrared thermal imaging in different experimental setups. A three-dimensional simulation of the whole experiment reproduces all the features of the thermal field measurements and validates the proposed measurement methodology.