Treatment of Menorrhagia and Irregular Menstruation: Cryo-Fluid Ablation of the Endometrium

摘要

Menorrhagia and irregular menstruation, characterized as dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB), is a condition that affects 15 to 20% of reproductive and pre-menopausal women. Common treatments are invasive, painful, or have low success rates; there is a need for new treatment. A 2014-2015 senior design team developed a prototype treatment based on the hypothesis that if free fluid was circulated in the uterine cavity at temperatures between 0 and -15ᵒC, cell death of the 2cm reproductive endometrial layer in the uterine cavity could be achieved and induce long term amenorrhea. The current senior design team significantly modified the prototype to reach more appropriate temperatures, increase control mechanisms, and developed a complete mathematical model of the heat transfer from the uterus. It was necessary for the improvements to be made to maintain the safety and regulation required under biological treatments while also keeping it cost-effective. The current senior design team developed and solved a version of the Pennes-Bioheat equation to model the heat transfer in the system and employed various other modifications to the system in order to achieve all project goals. These included insulation and piping progress as well as the development of a catheter design. The team was able to achieve, and surpass, required temperatures required for cell ablation to occur. However further work is recommended that includes cell, tissue and human trials to determine the viability of the model and develop viable therapies for the treatment of menorrhagia and irregular menstruation.