Microwaves a new tool in treating heart disease

For most of us microwaves are a means to defrost frozen food or boil water, but research by telecommunications engineers at the University of Technology, Sydney is helping establish microwave energy as an important tool in treating potentially deadly heart rhythm disorders.

Working with the Department of Cardiology at Westmead Hospital, a team from the UTS Faculty of Engineering has developed miniaturised microwave antennas for use in key-hole heart surgery. The technique applies microwave energy to selectively destroy diseased heart tissue.

UTS team leader Dr Ananda Mohan Sanagavarapu said abnormal heart rhythm disorders are a common heart disease in Australia and are also a cause of strokes.

Such disorders have typically been treated either by open-heart surgery, an option only for the most healthy and strong, or by drug therapy, which has only a 50% success rate and can have life-threatening side effects.

"Recently, surgeons have begun using a much less invasive technique, inserting electrodes into the heart by means of a catheter and applying radio frequency (RF) energy to remove diseased tissue," Dr Mohan said.

"However, RF energy has several limitations, including the risk of clot formation where the electrodes make contact with heart tissue. Microwave techniques that are commonly employed in wireless communication can eliminate the disadvantages of RF for this application.

"The use of microwave energy does not rely on tissue contact, it is easier to control and treatment can be pinpointed for maximum effectiveness. The key to the success of microwave energy is the design of appropriate antennas."

"The promise is a minimally invasive and cost effective treatment that cures the disorder and allows faster patient recovery. It will be available to people who could not have undergone open heart surgery and who previously would have been treated with drugs," Dr Mohan said.

Item provided courtesy of UTS