Real-Time Monitoring of Thermal Outcomes in Irreversible Electroporation Therapy Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors

Irreversible electroporation (IRE) represents a minimally invasive and non-thermal method for tumor ablation, which induces cell death through short high-voltage pulses applied via two needle electrodes inserted directly into the tumor tissue. The main advantage of this approach lies in its non-thermal nature, which preserves the structure of the surrounding tissue and facilitates post-treatment recovery. However, it is critically important to closely monitor the temperature increase that can occur due to heat dissipation from the Joule effect, which can be potentially harmful. To this end, in this study, we conducted experimental tests on well-established plant-based models (potatoes) and animal samples (ex vivo porcine liver), using two sets of parameters: setup 1 (electrical potential of 1500 V, 70 pulses of 90 µs) and setup 2 (electrical potential equal to 3000 V, 100 pulses of 100 µs). We evaluated the temperature change and the treatment area. The electric field was applied with two electrodes, and the temperature variation was measured with two arrays of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors, each embedding 40 sensors. Results revealed that treatment with setup 1 produced, at the middle between the electrodes (1 cm from each electrode), a maximum temperature increase of <3 °C. In contrast, setup 2 resulted in a maximum temperature change of >10 °C at a line equidistant from the electrodes and 3 °C at lateral positions 1 cm from one of the electrodes. The use of FBG sensors, for the first time in this application, provided high accuracy (0.1 °C) and good spatial resolution (1.2 mm), enabling real-time, multipoint monitoring of the temperature variation during the IRE procedure.Clinical Relevance-These findings highlight the importance of accurate thermal monitoring and real-time temperature feedback toward enhancing the safety and efficacy of IRE therapy.