Current status and prospects of dielectric property measurement of biological tissues in surgical procedures

The dielectric properties of biological tissues can reflect cellular structure, water content and pathological status, and serve as key parameters for the propagation and absorption of electromagnetic energy in tissues. With the advances in electrosurgery, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), microwave ablation (MWA), intraoperative margin assessment, magnetic resonance electrical properties tomography (MR-EPT), and other related technologies, the application of tissue dielectric properties in surgical procedures has become increasingly widespread. This paper reviews the research status and existing problems of four major measurement technologies based on tissue dielectric properties—including the open-ended coaxial probe, waveguide/transmissionline method, electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and MR-EPT—as well as the devices developed based on these technologies for surgical practice, aiming to promote the standardized application of dielectric properties in surgical diagnosis and therapy.