Comparison of Energy Delivery Across Cooled, Three-Tined Protruding and Monopolar Probes

Comparison of Energy Delivery Across Cooled, Three-Tined Protruding and Monopolar Probes

Recent preclinical studies performed in an in-vivo rodent model have determined that the amount of energy delivered to the target nerve may play a significant role in the clinical durability of effect for cooled radiofrequency ablation (1). To date, no research has been published relating to the energy delivery of standard, tined and cooled probes using the same generator.

RF ablation lesions were generated ex-vivo in non-perfused chicken breast using the Avanos Cooled Radiofrequency Generator (CRG-ADVANCED). Each probe underwent RF at the time and temperature settings they are commercially suggested for (i.e., the Standard RF ran for 90s at 80°C, the three-tined ran for 120s min at 80°C, and the Cooled ran for 150s at 60°C.) The lesions were created using approved standard test method that underwent test method validation (TMV). Total energy delivery (in Joules) was collected from the generator output.

The results for total energy delivered and standard deviation for each probe can be found in Table 1. When comparing different probe sizes across the same technology (i.e. cooled probes), there was a correlation between larger probe size and more energy delivery. When comparing energy delivery across probe technologies, all cooled probes delivered more energy than the standard and tined probes. The tined probe, although a smaller active tip size, delivered more energy than the standard RF probe.

These results suggest the internal-cooling mechanism in cooled probes, and its ability to effectively manage the temperature at the tissue-tip interface, is the driving factor in terms of energy delivery.