Patent ID: 7826904

Claim:
A microwave probe system for thermally treating subcutaneous tissue of a patient comprising: a fluid-coolable insertion sleeve assembly into which at least a portion of a microwave radiator assembly may be inserted, wherein the microwave-radiator assembly comprises a coaxial structure having a proximal end and a distal end, and wherein the coaxial structure comprises: a gap antenna; an outer conductor having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion has a proximal end and a distal end; a ceramic tube having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the ceramic tube constitutes a dielectric of the coaxial structure, and wherein the ceramic tube comprises: an inner metallic cladding, wherein the inner metallic cladding comprises an inner conductor having a proximal end and a distal end, and an outer metallic cladding having a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein the proximal portion of the outer metallic cladding constitutes the first portion of the outer conductor, wherein the distal portion of the outer metallic cladding constitutes the second portion of the outer conductor, and wherein the proximal and distal portions of the outer metallic cladding are longitudinally spaced apart to define the gap antenna; a metallic disk, wherein the metallic disk comprises cladding at the distal end of the ceramic tube, and wherein the cladding connects the distal end of the inner conductor to the distal end of the second portion of the outer conductor, thereby electrically shorting the distal ends of the inner and outer conductors; and a coaxial connector, wherein the coaxial connector is attached to the proximal end of the coaxial structure.