A Minimally Invasive Microwave Ablation Antenna With Highly Localized Ablation Zone

This letter proposes a novel inexpensive microwave ablation (MWA) antenna with a highly localized ablation zone. The antenna is designed based on a substrate integrated coaxial line, at the end of which a serpentine structure is used to radiate microwave power. The serpentine structure can effectively shorten the length of the radiation structure, making the ablation zone more localized. Due to its simple structure, a convenient and inexpensive printed circuit board technology can be used to fabricate the disposable ablation probe. In addition, the proposed topology has a small cross section and, thus, is very suitable for minimally invasive surgery. Simulation analysis and validation experiments have shown that the proposed MWA antenna can provide reliable performance, which means that it can serve as a promising candidate for minimally invasive ablation therapy.