A combined liposuction and microwave surgical probe and system for fat liquefaction and coagulation

摘要

The present invention provides surgical apparatus for liposuction in which microwave energy is delivered from a probe 104, 146 into a treatment region to perform a fat liquefying function or a haemostasis function. The probe, 104 includes an antenna 146 connected to receive the output microwave radiation and arranged to emit microwave energy into the treatment region, and a conduit 148 connected to a suction pump 150 for conveying liquiefied fat away from the treatment region. The liposuction system microwave means can be configured to either liquefy fat, coagulate blood or tighten collagen. The apparatus capitalises on the way in which certain frequencies of microwave radiation between 1GHz and 300GHz, produce a higher heating effect in blood as compared to fat. This is predominantly due to the differences in the skin depths of blood and fat radiated at the same frequencies. By ensuring that the microwave frequency and delivered power remain constant, the heating within tissue containing blood, is enhanced over that containing fat. In practice, due to the differences in the impedance of fatty and blood filled tissue, it is necessary to monitor and control the microwave power delivered to the tissue. This is achieved by means of directional couplers 122, 134, 172, 176 which measure the forward and reverse power delivered to the tissue probe 104. In addition isolation between the measured forward and reverse power is increased by the use of circulators 128, 132, 168, 174, which enhances the accuracy and sensitivity of the measurement.