Use of Microwaves for Skin Lesion Treatment

Against a backdrop of rising incidence of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer, substantial previous work has resulted in a 14.5GHz Microwave Applicator that ablates small areas of dermal tissue. This previous work has highlighted the need for improvements in uniformity and the estimation and control of heating dosage. The aim of this work was to improve heating uniformity and control by numerically modelling the thermal characteristics of the existing Microwave Applicator and so gauge the effects of direct thermal feedback, surface cooling, temperature bias and small uncertainties in power delivery to the time and depth of ablation and so provide a guide to thermal dosage and maximum ablation depths achievable for 5.8GHz, 14.5GHz and 24.125GHz; and to produce a simple Electromagnetic numerical Model to identify methods of improving the uniformity of the heating profile at 14.5GHz. And finally, to use these results to guide the design of a New Microwave Applicator using a commercial modeller (CST Design Studio).This New Microwave Applicator operating at 14.5GHz incorporates an integral thermal camera viewing the target tissue which provides direct thermal feedback during the ablation process which is used to control the power delivery. The new mechanical construction incorporates PTFE side sections to flatten the heating profile