Effects of changes in the waveform and frequency of radio frequency energy on tissue ablation range

TL;DR

This study explores how changing the waveform and frequency of radio frequency energy affects the range of tissue ablation.

Contribution

A novel 70-watt RFA generator was developed to test waveform and frequency effects on ablation range.

Findings

Square wave RF energy produced a larger ablation range compared to sine wave.

Lower frequency (10 kHz) resulted in a larger ablation range than higher frequency (500 kHz).

The developed generator can enhance research on RF ablation area and depth.

Abstract

This study reports the effects of changes in the waveform and frequency of radio frequency (RF) energy on the tissue ablation range. We developed a 70-watt RFA generator that provides sine and square waves and allows frequency control between 10 Hz and 500 kHz. The changes in the ablation range according to the waveform and frequency were observed using the developed generator. In the waveform variation test, the distance between the electrodes and the electrode type were changed for both waveforms with the frequency set to 500 kHz. In the frequency variation test, the waveform and electrode type were changed with the frequency set to 10, 100, and 500 kHz, while the distance between the electrodes was set to 20 mm. A fixed 45 voltage was applied using the bipolar method. RF energy was applied for 90 s in vitro. The temperature was regulated to not exceed 70°C. The ablation range was calculated using ImageJ software. The analysis results showed that the ablation range was larger with the square wave than with the sine wave and at 10 kHz than at 500 kHz. The developed generator can advance research on ablation area and depth in RF ablation.

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