Bipolar Radiofrequency Ablation: A Computational Study on the Tissue Thermophysiological Responses

This thesis investigates the biophysical responses of tissues during no-touch and switching bipolar radiofrequency ablation (bRFA) for the treatment of liver cancer. bRFA is a minimally invasive cancer treatment method that utilises heat to destroy cancer cells. It is performed by inserting two or more needle-like probes into the tissue. The study was performed using computational modelling. Results obtained suggest that the RF electrodes should be inserted in close proximity to the tumour in order to achieve a more favourable treatment outcome. It was also found that the transient thermal profile of switching bRFA can be improved by increasing the switching frequency.