A new microwave applicator for intracavitary hyperthermia treatment of uterocervical cancer has been designed and tested. Compared with the traditional microwave applicators, the exposed inner conductor of this applicator is replaced by a cone-helical antenna with the reflect shade. We confirm that the heat pattern of the applicator is shifted towards the tip in muscle tissue equivalent phantom material. The result indicates that this new applicator may play an important role in clinical use for treatment.
Equipment Design ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperthermia, Induced ; instrumentation ; Microwaves ; therapeutic use ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; therapy

Objective To investigate the prevalence of feeding intolerance (FI),and to explore the FI within 7 days of ICU admission in association with clinical outcome in critically ill patients.Methods The adult patients from 14 general ICUs in Zhejiang Province with an expected admission to ICU for at least 24h were recruited from March 2014 to August 2014,and all clinical,laboratory,and survival data were prospectively collected.The AGI (acute gastrointestinal injury) grade was daily assessed based on gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms,feeding details and organ dysfunction within the first week of ICU stay.The intra-abdominal pressures (IAP) was measured using AbViser device.Results Of 550 patients enrolled,418 were assessed in GI symptoms and feeding details within 7 days of ICU stay.The mean age and SOFA score were (65.1 ± 18.3) years and (8.96 ±4.10),respectively.Of them,355 patients (84.9％) were under mechanical ventilation support,and 37 (8.85％) received renal replacement therapy.The mean length of time for enteral feeding was (30.8 ±26.2) h,and the prevalence of FI on the 3rd and 7th day of ICU stay accounted for 39.2％ and 25.4％,respectively.Compared to those with FI within 7 days of ICU stay,the patients without FI had higher rate of successively weaning from mechanical ventilation (21.3％ vs.5.7％,P =0.003) and higher rate of withdrawal of vasoactive medication (45.5％ vs.20.0％,P =0.037),as well as lower mortality rate of 28-day (24.4％ vs.38.7％,P =0.004) and 60-day (29.6％ vs.44.3％,P =0.005).In multivariate Cox regression model with adjustment for age,sex,participant center,serum creatinine and lactate,AGI grade on the first day of ICU stay,and comorbidities,the FI within 7 days of ICU stay (x2 ≥ 7.24,P ＜ 0.01) remained to be independent predictors for 60-day mortality.After further adjusted for SOFA score,the FI within 7 days of ICU stay (HR =1.71,95％ CI:1.18-2.49;P =0.006) and AGI grade on the first day of ICU stay (HR =1.33,95 ％ CI:1.07-1.65;P =0.009) could provide independent prognostic values of 60-day mortality.Conclusions There is high rate of FI occurred within 7 days of ICU stay,and is significantly associated with worse outcome.In addition,this study also provides evidence to further support that measurement of gastrointestinal dysfunction could increase value of SOFA score in outcome prediction for the risk of 60-day mortality.