Unintended RF energy coupling during endoscopy

Endoscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which a long, thin tube is inserted directly into the natural openings of the body to observe and/or interact with an internal organ or tissue. Unfortunately, thermal injuries outside the surgeon's vision often occur during such surgical interventions, and may cause devastating complications. To date, the underlying mechanism of these thermal injuries has not yet been delineated. In this paper, we demonstrate for the first time that unintended RadioFrequency (RF) coupling occurs during endoscopy, and can be a major cause of thermal injuries. In-vivo tests in porcine models are performed, showing unintentional energy transfer to a breathing tube in close proximity to the endoscopy equipment.