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Effect of Insulating Layers in Loop Applicators for Cardiac Cryoablation

Authors:
Michael Handler
Gerald Fischer
Michael Seger
Roland Kienast
Adrian Schuette
Christian Baumgartner

Keywords: cryoablation; loop applicator; finite element method; heat flux; anisotropic thermal conductivity

Abstract:
Cryoablation for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias inactivates the electrical conduction of arrhythmogenic tissue by freezing. This method has major advantages but also disadvantages compared to radiofrequency ablation. Modeling and simulation of the cryoablation process can be used to reduce the intervention duration and optimize the cryoablation result. In this work, different variants of cryo loops are modeled and simulated using the Finite Element Method. As the wall of the applicator tube has the same thickness in all dimensions the ablation efficiency in tissue direction is reduced by the heating flux of the streaming blood surrounding the applicator. The effects of different insulation layers in blood direction are compared by using heat flux estimations on stationary temperature distributions. As the applicator tube and the insulation layers consist of different fiber materials, anisotropic thermal conductivity is considered in the models. The estimation of thermal longitudinal and transversal conductivity values by a material modeling approach is presented in detail. It is concluded that insulation layers can have positive and unexpected negative effects depending on the insulation position.

Pages: 20 to 25

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2012

Publication date: March 25, 2012

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-4383

ISBN: 978-1-61208-190-8

Location: St. Maarten, The Netherlands Antilles

Dates: from March 25, 2012 to March 30, 2012