Studying the performance of bifurcate cryoprobes based on shape factor of cryoablative zones

Conventional cryosurgical process employs extremely low temperatures to kill tumor cells within a closely defined region. However, its efficacy can be markedly compromised if the same treatment method is administrated for highly irregularly shaped tumors. Inadequate controls of freezing may induce tumor recurrence or undesirable over-freezing of surrounding healthy tissue. To address the cryosurgical complexity of irregularly shaped tumors, an analytical treatment on irregularly-shaped tumors has been performed and the degree of tumor irregularities is quantified. A novel cryoprobe coined the bifurcate cryoprobe with the capability to generate irregularly shaped cryo-lesions is proposed. The bifurcate cryoprobe, incorporating shape memory alloy functionality, enables the cryoprobe to regulate its physical configuration. To evaluate the probe’s performance, a bioheat transfer model has been developed and validated with in vitro data. We compared the ablative cryo-lesions induced by different bifurcate cryoprobes with those produced by conventional cryoprobes. Key results have indicated that the proposed bifurcate cryoprobes were able to significantly promote targeted tissue destruction while catering to the shape profiles of solid tumors. This study forms an on-going framework to provide clinicians with alternative versatile devices for the treatment of complex tumors.