Figure 1
Example cross sections of ablations with a perfusion rate of 0 ml/min (a), 2 ml/min (b) and 100 ml/min (c). The ablation centre as well as cross sections of the ablation periphery (± 4 mm and ± 8 mm) are shown. The typical ablation zones [inner WZ (blue dotted), outer RZ (white dashed)] could be observed in all test series. No change in ablation shape of the WZ could be observed in the ablation centre at an A–V distance of 2.5 mm at a flow rate of 2 ml/min. Relevant cooling effects occurred only at a higher flow rate of 100 ml/min at an A–V distance of 2.5 ml/min (c). All other cross sections showed indentations of the clinically relevant WZ around the cooling vessels (V) at higher A–V distances of 5.0 and 10.0 mm independent of the flow rate.
