Microwave ablation generator control system

Abstract

A microwave energy delivery and measurement system, including a microwave generator and a microwave energy delivery device, for performing medical procedures, and a remote power coupler system for measuring one or more parameters of the microwave energy signal including a remote RF sensor housed in the microwave energy delivery device and a power coupler processer coupled with the processing unit of the microwave energy delivery device.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A radio frequency sensor coupleable to a microwave antenna, the radio frequency sensor comprising:
 a directional coupler including:
 a first coaxial cable including a first pair of slots; and 
 a second coaxial cable including a second pair of slots, wherein the first coaxial cable and the second coaxial cable are in contact with each other such that the first pair of slots and the second pair of slots are aligned; 
   a first mixer configured to receive a forward power measurement signal from the directional coupler;   a second mixer configured to receive a reverse power measurement signal from the directional coupler; and   a remote sensing interface coupled to the first mixer and the second mixer, the remote sensing interface configured to transmit at least one of the forward power measurement signal or the reverse power measurement signal to a microwave generator.   
     
     
         3 . The radio frequency sensor according to  claim 2 , wherein the remote sensing interface includes at least one conductor configured to couple a microwave energy delivery device to a microwave generator. 
     
     
         4 . The radio frequency sensor according to  claim 2 , wherein the remote sensing interface includes a wireless transceiver configured to transmit at least one of the forward power measurement signal or the reverse power measurement signal to a microwave generator. 
     
     
         5 . The radio frequency sensor according to  claim 2 , further comprising an oscillator configured to generate a carrier signal at a carrier signal frequency. 
     
     
         6 . The radio frequency sensor according to  claim 5 , wherein the first mixer is configured to generate an intermediate forward signal by mixing the carrier signal and the forward power measurement signal and the second mixer is configured to generate an intermediate reverse signal by mixing the carrier signal and the reverse power measurement signal. 
     
     
         7 . The radio frequency sensor according to  claim 2 , wherein the slots of each of the first pair of slots and the second pair of slots are separated by about one-quarter of a wavelength (λ/4) of a microwave energy signal transmitted through the first coaxial cable. 
     
     
         8 . A microwave energy delivery system, comprising:
 a microwave generator configured to generate a microwave energy signal, the microwave generator including a processing unit configured to adjust a parameter of the microwave energy signal; and   a remote radio frequency sensor configured to couple to the microwave generator, the remote radio frequency sensor including:
 a directional coupler including:
 a first coaxial cable including a first pair of slots; and 
 a second coaxial cable including a second pair of slots, wherein the first coaxial cable and the second coaxial cable are in contact with each other such that the first pair of slots and the second pair of slots are aligned; 
 
 a first mixer configured to receive a forward power measurement signal from the directional coupler; 
 a second mixer configured to receive a reverse power measurement signal from the directional coupler; and 
 a remote sensing interface configured to transmit at least one of the forward power measurement signal or the reverse power measurement signal to the microwave generator. 
   
     
     
         9 . The microwave energy delivery system according to  claim 8 , wherein the processing unit is configured to adjust the parameter of the microwave energy signal based on at least one of the forward power measurement signal or the reverse power measurement signal. 
     
     
         10 . The microwave energy delivery system according to  claim 8 , wherein the processing unit further includes a comparator configured to compare at least one of a portion of the microwave energy signal, the forward power measurement signal, or the reverse power measurement signal. 
     
     
         11 . The microwave energy delivery system according to  claim 8 , wherein the processing unit includes a generator processing unit and a remote power coupler processing unit, the generator processing unit is configured to control generation and delivery of the microwave energy signal and the remote power coupler processing unit is configured to receive at least one of a portion of the microwave energy signal, the forward power measurement signal, or the reverse power measurement signal and to provide at least one of a portion of the microwave energy signal, the forward power measurement signal, or the reverse power measurement signal to the generator processing unit. 
     
     
         12 . The microwave energy delivery system according to  claim 8 , further comprising a microwave energy delivery device coupled to the microwave generator through the remote sensing interface. 
     
     
         13 . The microwave energy delivery system according to  claim 8 , wherein the remote sensing interface includes a wireless transceiver configured to transmit at least one of the forward power measurement signal or the reverse power measurement signal to the microwave generator. 
     
     
         14 . The microwave energy delivery system according to  claim 8 , wherein the remote radio frequency sensor further includes an oscillator configured to generate a carrier signal at a carrier signal frequency. 
     
     
         15 . The microwave energy delivery system according to  claim 14 , wherein the first mixer is configured to generate an intermediate forward signal by mixing the carrier signal and the forward power measurement signal and the second mixer is configured to generate an intermediate reverse signal by mixing the carrier signal and the reverse power measurement signal. 
     
     
         16 . The microwave energy delivery system according to  claim 15 , wherein the slots of each of the first pair of slots and the second pair of slots are separated by about one-quarter of a wavelength (λ/4) of the microwave energy signal transmitted through the first coaxial cable.