Zero-order mode microwave applicator for hyperthermia treatment of cancer

This paper characterizes a new design of a microwave applicator for hyperthermic cancer treatment. The applicator is based on a metamaterial zeroth-order resonator and its operating frequency is 434 MHz. The ability of the applicator to properly expose a treated area to an electromagnetic field is studied by numerical simulations in a muscle equivalent model. The relative performance of the applicator is evaluated in terms of specific absorption rate (SAR), effective field size in 2D, and penetration depth of irradiated EM waves in the muscle model.