The design and characterization of an antenna for catheter ablation using microwave energy are described. The goal is to allow controllable destruction of endocardial tissue containing abnormal conduction pathways. The antenna is based on a helical coil antenna. The antenna is constructed from a length of coaxial transmission line in which the center conductor is extended and wound in a spiral of approximately 1 cm diameter, so the antenna contacts the tissue in a disk-shaped pattern about 1 cm across. The heating occurs in the near field of the antenna, producing a shallow, disk-shaped region of ablated tissue. Preliminary results show that this antenna design is suitable for producing broad, shallow lesions in tissue.
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