A computational model, consisting of an equivalent circuit of resistors and capacitors, is proposed in [1] to investigate the changes in electrical properties of liver tissue during radio-frequency (RF) ablation. The variations in tissue mechanical properties are correlated with those of the tissue’s electrical properties. RF ablation, in addition to liver tumor treatment, can be utilized to halt blood flow during liver resection. In [2], we further developed the multi-scale model to study the bioimpedance dispersion of liver tissue. The figure below, taken from [3], compares our model with the Cole-Cole model employed in Gabriel’s study. Both models demonstrate a good fit to the experimental data in the high-frequency region. At the lower frequency region, our model provides a better fit to the data.
Using an accurate multi-scale model and a 3D finite element model, we performed RF ablation simulations at various frequencies in [3]. The size of the ablation region increases with higher frequencies. The frequency-control method may prove to be more effective than the duration-control method in RF ablation.
In [4], we previously conducted preliminary work on the application of a multi-scale/multi-level model for simulating molecular medicine through electroporation.
References:
[1] W-H Huang et al. Multi-scale model for investigating the electrical properties and mechanical properties of liver tissue undergoing ablation, Int J CARS (2011) 6:601-607.
[2] W-H Huang et al. A multiscale model for bioimpedance dispersion of liver tissue, IEEE Trans Biomed Eng (2012) 59(6):1593-1597.
[3] B Duan and CK Chui, Multiscale modeling of liver bio-impedance and frequency control for radiofrequency ablation, 2016 IEEE Region 10 Conference (TENCON) – Proceedings of the International Conference, pp. 1532-1535, November 2016.
[4] Chui et al. A medical simulation system with unified multilevel biomechanical model, Proc of 12th International Conference on Biomedical Engineering ICBME 2002, Singapore, 4-7 December 2002.