Comparison Of Surface Micro-Structured And Plasmonic All-Fiber Delivery Probes For Laser-Induced Thermotherapy Of Tumor Cells

The paper compares two different approaches to design an innovative probe with optimized heated area for laser ablation of solid tumors: micro-patterning of the fiber delivery tip, and exploitation of the dissipation of plasmonic waves at the metal-dielectric interface. Both probes integrate a fiber Bragg grating for real-time monitoring of the obtained temperature increase to provide feedback to surgeons in practical applications. Experimental characterizations carried out using liver phantoms and ex-vivo porcine livers have demonstrated that both approaches can be used for the devised application, although further optimizations and tests are still necessary before clinical assessment.