Radiofrequency ablation electrodes commonly produce ablation zones that do not match well with the size and shape of the tumor. In order to achieve a more complete tumor ablation, a probe is often reinserted several times to perform multiple ablations which results in an accumulated ablation zone which more accurately matches that of a typical tumor. An electrode which unfolds or deploys into a tumor and generates a spherical ablation zone would more effectively match the geometry of typical tumors. The goal of this project is to design and develop a deployable electrode for endoscopic radiofrequency ablation of pancreatic tumors. As part of the electrode development, a model has been created in COMSOL Multiphysics which simulates the ablation zone around the electrode during ablation. This model is used in conjunction with a multi-objective genetic algorithm to optimize the design geometry for an ablation zone of a particular size and shape.
Progression of the ablation zone during a 6 minute ablation is marked by the green isothermal surface (60°C). The probe design shown above is the optimized solution for a 2.5cm spherical tumor. [1]
[1] Hanks, B. W., Frecker, M., and Moyer, M., 2016, “Design of a compliant endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation probe,” ASME-IDETC 2016 Conf