1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to microwave antennas that may be used in therapeutic or ablative tissue treatment applications. More particularly, the invention relates to devices and methods for regulating, maintaining, and/or controlling a temperature of microwave antennas used in such applications.
2. Background of the Related Art
Many procedures and devices employing microwave technology are well known for their applicability in the treatment, coagulation, and targeted ablation of tissue. During such procedures, the antenna of a microwave probe of the monopole, dipole, or helical variety, as is conventional in the art, is typically advanced into the patient either laparoscopically or percutaneously until the target tissue is reached.
Following the introduction of the microwave probe, during the transmission of microwave energy to the target tissue, the outer surface of the antenna may sometimes reach unnecessarily high temperatures due to ohmic heating. When exposed to such temperatures, the treatment site, as well as the surrounding tissue, may be unnecessarily and unintentionally effected. The present disclosure contemplates curtailing such tissue effects by providing improved microwave tissue treatment devices, cooling systems, and methods.
To prevent such unnecessarily high temperatures, several different cooling methodologies are conventionally employed.