Ice Ball Size and Temperature Change During Cryoablation in a Lard and an Iodized-oil (Lipiodol) Tissue Phantom

A phantom was constructed using six glass bottles, with one containing 0.9% normal saline (NS), while the others held agar phantoms mixed with different proportions of lard and NS (0%, 10%, 40%, 70%, and 100% lard). The Lipiodol phantom was prepared similarly. Six cryoprobes were inserted into each bottle, and freezing started simultaneously. Temperature readings were recorded every 10 seconds over a 9-minute freezing period. CT scans were performed prior to freezing and at 3, 6, and 9 minutes post-freezing to measure ice ball diameter. Freezing rates and ice ball sizes were compared across various concentrations of lard and iodized oil.