Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a new technology for ablating aberrant tissue that utilizes pulsed electric fields (PEFs) to kill cells by destabilizing their plasma membrane. When treatments are planned correctly, the pulse parameters and location of the electrodes for delivering the pulses are selected to permit destruction of the target tissue without causing thermal damage to the surrounding structures. This allows for the treatment of surgically inoperable masses that are located near major blood vessels and nerves. In select cases of high-dose IRE, where a large ablation volume is desired without increasing the number of electrode insertions, it can become challenging to design a pulse protocol that is inherently nonthermal. To solve this problem we have developed a new electrosurgical device that requires no external equipment or protocol modifications. The design incorporates a phase change material (PCM) into the electrode core that melts during treatment and absorbs heat out of the surrounding tissue. Here, this idea is reduced to practice by testing hollow electrodes filled with gallium on tissue phantoms and monitoring temperature in real time. Additionally, the experimental data generated are used to validate a numerical model of the heat transfer problem, which is then applied to investigate the cooling performance of other classes of PCMs. The results indicate that metallic PCMs, such as gallium, are better suited than organics or salt hydrates for thermal management, because their comparatively higher thermal conductivity aids in heat dissipation. However, the melting point of the metallic PCM must be properly adjusted to ensure that the phase transition is not completed before the end of treatment. When translated clinically, phase change electrodes have the potential to continue to allow IRE to be performed safely near critical structures, even in high-dose cases.
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Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical
Engineering and Sciences,
Virginia Tech,
Stanger Street,
Blacksburg, VA 24061
e-mail: carena@vt.edu
Applied Science (ICTAS),
Virginia Tech Department of
Mechanical Engineering,
Virginia Tech Department of Engineering
Science and Mechanics,
Virginia Tech,
Stanger Street,
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Cancer Research Lab,
Virginia Tech-Wake Forest
School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences,
Virginia Tech Department of
Mechanical Engineering,
Virginia Tech,
Stanger Street,
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of
Biomedical Engineering and Sciences,
Stanger Street,
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Article navigation
November 2013
Research-Article
An Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Phase Change Electrodes for Therapeutic Irreversible Electroporation
Christopher B. Arena,
Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical
Engineering and Sciences,
Virginia Tech,
Stanger Street,
Blacksburg, VA 24061
e-mail: carena@vt.edu
Christopher B. Arena
1
Bioelectromechanical Systems Lab
,Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical
Engineering and Sciences,
Virginia Tech,
330 Kelly Hall (MC0298)
,Stanger Street,
Blacksburg, VA 24061
e-mail: carena@vt.edu
1Corresponding author.
Search for other works by this author on:
Roop L. Mahajan,
Applied Science (ICTAS),
Virginia Tech Department of
Mechanical Engineering,
Virginia Tech Department of Engineering
Science and Mechanics,
Virginia Tech,
Stanger Street,
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Roop L. Mahajan
Institute for Critical Technology and
Applied Science (ICTAS),
Virginia Tech Department of
Mechanical Engineering,
Virginia Tech Department of Engineering
Science and Mechanics,
Virginia Tech,
410 H Kelly Hall (MC0298)
,Stanger Street,
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Search for other works by this author on:
Marissa Nichole Rylander,
Cancer Research Lab,
Virginia Tech-Wake Forest
School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences,
Virginia Tech Department of
Mechanical Engineering,
Virginia Tech,
Stanger Street,
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Marissa Nichole Rylander
Tissue Engineering Nanotechnology and
Cancer Research Lab,
Virginia Tech-Wake Forest
School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences,
Virginia Tech Department of
Mechanical Engineering,
Virginia Tech,
335 Kelly Hall (MC0298)
,Stanger Street,
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Search for other works by this author on:
Rafael V. Davalos
Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of
Biomedical Engineering and Sciences,
Stanger Street,
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Rafael V. Davalos
Bioelectromechanical Systems Lab
,Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of
Biomedical Engineering and Sciences,
Virginia Tech, 329 Kelly Hall (MC0298)
,Stanger Street,
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Search for other works by this author on:
Christopher B. Arena
Bioelectromechanical Systems Lab
,Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical
Engineering and Sciences,
Virginia Tech,
330 Kelly Hall (MC0298)
,Stanger Street,
Blacksburg, VA 24061
e-mail: carena@vt.edu
Roop L. Mahajan
Institute for Critical Technology and
Applied Science (ICTAS),
Virginia Tech Department of
Mechanical Engineering,
Virginia Tech Department of Engineering
Science and Mechanics,
Virginia Tech,
410 H Kelly Hall (MC0298)
,Stanger Street,
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Marissa Nichole Rylander
Tissue Engineering Nanotechnology and
Cancer Research Lab,
Virginia Tech-Wake Forest
School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences,
Virginia Tech Department of
Mechanical Engineering,
Virginia Tech,
335 Kelly Hall (MC0298)
,Stanger Street,
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Rafael V. Davalos
Bioelectromechanical Systems Lab
,Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of
Biomedical Engineering and Sciences,
Virginia Tech, 329 Kelly Hall (MC0298)
,Stanger Street,
Blacksburg, VA 24061
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Bioengineering Division of ASME for publication in the Journal of Biomechanical Engineering. Manuscript received April 10, 2013; final manuscript received July 30, 2013; accepted manuscript posted September 6, 2013; published online October 3, 2013. Assoc. Editor: Ram Devireddy.
J Biomech Eng. Nov 2013, 135(11): 111009 (9 pages)
Published Online: October 3, 2013
Article history
Received:
April 10, 2013
Revision Received:
July 30, 2013
Accepted:
September 6, 2013
Citation
Arena, C. B., Mahajan, R. L., Nichole Rylander, M., and Davalos, R. V. (October 3, 2013). "An Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Phase Change Electrodes for Therapeutic Irreversible Electroporation." ASME. J Biomech Eng. November 2013; 135(11): 111009. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4025334
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