Effects of temperature sensor placement on performance of temperature-controlled ablation [cardiac arrhythmias application]

The significant changes in power with tissue-electrode angle suggested that the lesions were more predictable when ablating with temperature-based RF generators, rather than non-temperature systems. The maximal tissue temperature was reached at locations within the tissue a fraction of a millimeter away from the ablation electrode surface. The errors in tissue temperature prediction introduced by temperature sensors placed inside the electrode changed with blood flow rate and tissue-electrode angle. This study shows that to reduce tissue temperature prediction errors, during temperature-controlled ablation it was better to use a temperature sensor placed at the tip rather than at the center of the ablation electrode.