Large-volume radiofrequency ablation of ex vivo bovine liver with multiple cooled cluster electrodes

Three methods of creating large thermal lesions with cool-tip cluster electrodes were compared. Three cluster electrodes were arranged 4 cm apart in a triangular array. Eight lesions were created ex vivo in fresh bovine liver (from a butcher) with each method: sequential ablation (three electrodes, 12 minutes each); simultaneous activation of electrodes (12 minutes); and rapid switching of power between electrodes (12 minutes), for which an electronic computer-controlled switch was developed. For sequential, rapid switching, and simultaneous methods, lesion volumes were 137.5 cm³± 22.2, 116.4 cm³± 15.2, and 22.3 cm³± 6.4 (P < .05), respectively, and final temperatures at lesion center were 80°C ± 5, 97°C ± 8, and 41°C ± 3 (P < .001), respectively. Because of electrical interference between electrodes, simultaneous method led to little heating at the center between the electrodes and created small discontinuous lesions. Rapid switching created large round lesions by employing multiple electrodes concurrently, which substantially reduced treatment time and resulted in more effective heating between electrodes.