Thermochemical Ablation: A Device for a Novel Interventional Concept

Abstract

Solid focal and oligometastatic malignancies are appropriate targets for minimally invasive ablative procedures. Thermochemical ablation is an experimental minimally invasive procedure, which exploits certain features of current thermal and chemical tumor ablation therapies. Engineering principles have been used to design a device, which has been research-proven-capable of coagulating tissue through the combination of a thermal and chemical insult. This interventional device completes this assignment by separately guiding the flow of chemical reagents, drawn from auxiliary systems, to a point at the distal tip of an assembled apparatus. At this position, the respective flow-streams converge and undergo an exothermic reaction to produce a heated, hyperosmolar solute, which serves to ablate the targeted tissue. Ex and in vivo studies have confirmed the utility of this device and the physiologic toleration of this interventional concept.