Nanocryosurgery and its mechanisms for enhancing freezing efficiency of tumor tissues.

We proposed for the first time a surgical term, the nanocryosurgery, for efficient tumor treatment through combining the theories of cyrosurgery and nanotechnology. Simulations were performed on the combined phase change bioheat transfer problems in a single cell level and its surrounding tissues, to explicate the difference of transient temperature response between conventional cyrosugery and nanocyrosurgery. According to theoretical interpretation and existing experimental measurements, intentional loading of nanoparticles with high thermal conductivity into the target tissues can lower the final temperature significantly, increase the maximum freezing rate, and enlarge the ice volume obtained in the absence of nanoparticles.

Feasibility study on using an infrared thermometer for evaluation and administration of cryosurgery.

Successful performance of cryosurgery relies heavily on a quick, efficient, safe and economic imaging way to monitor the surgical advancement and then to evaluate the curative effect. However, there is currently a lack of such an imaging modality. As for the commonly adopted imaging devices such as X-CT, MRI and PET, in addition their high cost and complexity in operation, they often induce additional scathe to the patients due to their potential radiation effects.

Infrared image to evaluate the selective (directional) freezing due to localized injection of thermally important solutions.

Cryosurgery is a minimally invasive surgical technique that employs the destructive effect of freezing to eradicate benign or malignant tumors which are difficult or even impossible to be extirpated by conventional surgery. Recently, we proposed a method for flexibly controlling the freezing scale during cryosurgery by percutaneously injecting thermally important functional solutions into the target tissues. This method can also help modify the direction of the iceball formation which is desirable for a successful cryosurgery for treating tumors with complex anatomical structure.