Precision test apparatus for evaluating the heating pattern of radiofrequency ablation devices.

Radiofrequency has established itself as a useful technique for managing cardiac arrhythmias and treating soft tissue tumors. However, despite its pervasive use, many of the biophysical principals needed to fully understand and optimize the radiofrequency ablation technique have not been explored. We have designed a test rig that is useful for studying the heat transfer mechanisms that affect the outcome of radiofrequency ablation devices. Using both solid and liquid phantom materials, which simulate body tissues and blood, the test rig is designed for systematic testing of the effects of predictable flow patterns on the temperature profiles generated within the solid phantom. The test rig consists of a custom built thermistor array, a linear test chamber, and a radiofrequency generator. We calibrate the flow of a liquid phantom material to demonstrate that predictable laminar flow profiles are generated. To demonstrate the performance of the ablation system, we present preliminary data attained using a commercially available cardiac ablation catheter. The advantages of this test system are its flexibility, its reproducibility, its precision, and its low cost. Thus, it is ideally suited for studying a variety of complex ablation problems involving multiple tissues types and complex blood flow geometries.