Development of equipment for tumor cauterization

Equipment to cauterize tumors by an electrically heated Kanthal wire is under development. The wire( alloy of iron, chromium and Aluminum) keeps sufficient strength up to 1400 degrees in Celsius. Although AC 50Hz current source is used in the prototype experiment, RF current will be used in future. The diameter of the Kanthal wire was 0.3 mm which was connected to Kanthal wire of 0.8 mm. The thicker wire was used as a leading wire. The possibility of application of the heating wire in combination with an ultrasound endoscope was determined, where ultrasound endoscope is to be used to monitor the location on the wire and an extent of a tumor in digestive organs. This procedure requires the wire to be applied inside ultrasound transmitting media. First, the wire was applied in the degassed water in which a chicken liver sample was submerged. The wire, however, burned out in water soon after it became red-hot at 12 A. The reason is that large current is required for the wire to become red-hot due to strong convection. Starch paste of 3 weight percent was employed instead of water. This made the wire red-hot approximately at 6 A, showing the increased viscosity of the starch decreased the convection and the wire was cover by the steam. The liver sample was cauterized successively, while the location of the wire and the liver was monitored by an ultrasound diagnosis equipment outside the plastic vessel of the starch paste.