Radio frequency electrode system for optical lesion size estimation in functional neurosurgery

• Radiofrequency(RF) lesioning in the human brain is one possible surgicaltherapy for severe pain as well as movement disorders. Oneobstacle for a safer lesioning procedure is the lack ofsize monitoring. The aim of this study was to investigateif changes in laser Doppler or intensity signals could beused as markers for size estimation during experimental RF lesioning.A 2 mm in diameter monopolar RF electrode was equippedwith optical fibers and connected to a digital laser Dopplersystem. The optical RF electrode's performance was equal to astandard RF electrode with the same dimensions. An albumin solutionwith scatterers was used to evaluate the intensity and laserDoppler signal changes during lesioning at 70, 80, and 90 °C.Significant signal changes were found for these three different clotsizes, represented by the temperatures (p<0.05,  n=10). The volume, width, andlength of the created coagulations were correlated to the intensitysignal changes (r=0.88, n=30, p<0.0001) and to the perfusion signalchanges (r=0.81, n=30, p<0.0001). Both static and Doppler-shifted light canbe used to follow the lesioning procedure as well asbeing used for lesion size estimation during experimental RF lesioning.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Atom- och molekylfysik och optik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

TECHNOLOGY

TEKNIKVETENSKAP

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)