Electroporation device having battery pack with power switch

Abstract

To provide an electroporation device which has a battery pack including a plurality of battery cells and has at least one lead in electrical communication with a circuit board.SOLUTION: The battery pack includes a safety switch and a controller for selectively placing the battery cells in electrical communication with the one lead. The controller operates together with the safety switch such that, when the controller detects one or more operating conditions, the controller instructs the safety switch to electrically isolate the lead from the battery cells. The battery pack also includes a manual switch. Activation of the switch causes the controller to instruct the safety switch to electrically isolate the lead from the battery cells.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 270,998, filed December 22, 2015. The above-referenced applications are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention relate to electroporation devices having battery packs, and more particularly to electroporation devices having battery packs with power switches formed therein. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Handheld medical devices, such as handheld electroporation devices, include a battery pack to provide operating power. In some handheld medical devices, the battery pack is soldered directly to a circuit board within the handheld medical device to reduce electrical loss and save space. When the battery pack is soldered directly to the circuit board during the manufacturing process, it is able to provide instantaneous power. This ability to provide instantaneous power can cause undesirable operating conditions (e.g., short circuits) when the battery pack is attached to the circuit board.

[0004] Conventionally, electrical components (i.e., resistors or switches) are bonded to the circuit board to prevent the battery pack from causing undesirable operating conditions when attached to the circuit board. However, such electrical components tend to be large in physical size and can have an undesirable effect on the performance of the battery pack and handheld medical device.

[0005] In one embodiment, a handset of an electroporation apparatus includes a housing defining a volume therein, a circuit board at least partially located within the volume, electrodes extending from the housing and in electrical communication with the circuit board, and a battery pack including a battery pack housing, a plurality of battery cells located within the battery pack housing, a first power lead in electrical communication with the circuit board, a second power lead coupled to the plurality of battery cells and in electrical communication with the circuit board, and a safety switch located within the battery pack housing, coupled between the first power lead and the plurality of battery cells, the safety switch being adjustable between an on state in which the plurality of battery cells are in electrical communication with the first power lead and an off state in which the plurality of battery cells are not in electrical communication with the first power lead.

[0006] In another aspect, a handset of an electroporation apparatus includes a housing, an injection assembly, a circuit board located at least partially within the housing and in communication with the injection assembly, electrodes extending from the housing and in electrical communication with the circuit board, and a battery pack including a battery housing located at least partially within the housing, a plurality of battery cells located within the battery pack housing, a first power lead in electrical communication with the circuit board, a second power lead coupled between and extending from the plurality of battery cells and the circuit board, a safety switch operably coupled between the first power lead and the plurality of battery cells and adjustable between an on state in which the plurality of battery cells are in electrical communication with the first power lead and an off state in which the plurality of battery cells are not in electrical communication with the first power lead, and a controller coupled to the safety switch and configured to detect one or more operating conditions and to adjust the safety switch between the on state and the off state based at least in part on the detected operating conditions.

[0007] In yet another aspect, an electroporation apparatus includes a base station and a handset removably coupled to the base station, the handset including a housing, an injection assembly, a circuit board located at least partially within the housing and in communication with the injection assembly, an array having one or more electrodes extending therefrom and in electrical communication with the circuit board, and a battery pack. The battery pack includes a battery housing at least partially located within the housing; a plurality of battery cells located within the battery pack housing; a first power lead in electrical communication with a circuit board; a second power lead coupled between and extending from the plurality of battery cells and the circuit board; a safety switch located within the battery housing and operably coupled between the first power lead and the plurality of battery cells, the safety switch being adjustable between an on state in which the plurality of battery cells are in electrical communication with the first power lead and an off state in which the plurality of battery cells are not in electrical communication with the first power lead; a control device located within the battery housing, interlocked with the safety switch, and configured to detect one or more operating conditions and to adjust the safety switch between an on state and an off state based at least in part on the detected operating conditions; and a power switch located within the battery housing, wherein at least one of the operating conditions includes a state of the power switch. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electroporation unit showing the handset and base unit in a docked configuration. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the battery pack of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is an image of the battery pack of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. [Figure 4] 2 is an image of the battery pack of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Before describing any embodiment of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways.

[0010] It should also be noted that a number of other structural components may be utilized to implement the present invention, and as explained in the following paragraphs, the particular configurations shown are intended to be exemplary of embodiments of the present invention. Alternative configurations are possible.

[0011] An "agent" may refer to a polypeptide, a polynucleotide, a small molecule, or any combination thereof. As detailed in PCT / US2014 / 070188, which is incorporated herein by reference, an agent may be a recombinant nucleic acid sequence encoding an antibody, a fragment thereof, a variant thereof, or a combination thereof. An "agent" may refer to a composition comprising a polypeptide, a polynucleotide, a small molecule, or any combination thereof. As detailed in PCT / US2014 / 070188, which is incorporated herein by reference, a composition may comprise a recombinant nucleic acid sequence encoding an antibody, a fragment thereof, a variant thereof, or a combination thereof. An agent may be formulated, for example, in water or a buffer. The buffer may be, for example, saline-sodium citrate (SSC) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The ionic content of the buffer may increase conductivity, resulting in increased current flow in the target tissue. The concentration of the formulated polynucleotide may be between 1 μg / ml and 20 mg / ml. The concentration of the formulated polynucleotide may be, for example, 1 μg / ml, 10 μg / ml, 25 μg / ml, 50 μg / ml, 100 μg / ml, 250 μg / ml, 500 μg / ml, 750 μg / ml, 1 mg / ml, 10 mg / ml, 15 mg / ml, or 20 mg / ml.

[0012] As used herein, "peptide," "protein," or "polypeptide" may refer to a linked sequence of amino acids, which may be natural, synthetic, or a modified or combination of natural and synthetic.

[0013] As used herein, "polynucleotide" or "oligonucleotide" or "nucleic acid" refers to at least two nucleotides covalently linked together. A polynucleotide may be single-stranded or double-stranded, or may contain portions of both double-stranded and single-stranded sequence. A polynucleotide may be DNA, both genomic and cDNA, RNA, or a hybrid. A polynucleotide may contain combinations of deoxyribonucleotides and ribonucleotides, as well as combinations of bases, including uracil, adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine, inosine, xanthine, hypoxanthine, isocytosine, isoguanine, and synthetic or non-natural nucleotides and nucleosides. A polynucleotide may be a vector. A polynucleotide may be obtained by chemical synthesis or recombinant methods.

[0014] As used herein, "vector" refers to a nucleic acid sequence containing an origin of replication. A vector can be a viral vector, a bacteriophage, a bacterial artificial chromosome, or a yeast artificial chromosome. A vector can be a DNA or RNA vector. A vector can be a self-replicating extrachromosomal vector, preferably a DNA plasmid.

[0015] As used herein, "electroporation" ("EP") refers to the use of electric field pulses to induce reversible microscopic passageways (pores) in biological membranes, the presence of which allows agents to pass from one side of the cell membrane to the other.

[0016] During the electroporation process, the electrodes in contact with the target tissue and other elements of the electroporation device require power to generate the necessary electroporation effect. In the example of a handheld electroporation device, the power required to drive these elements is provided by one or more battery packs, which then electrically communicate with one or more relatively fragile circuit boards. During the manufacturing process of the electroporation device, charged battery packs must be soldered to the circuit boards to provide connections sufficient to avoid electrical inefficiencies and enable the battery packs to meet the relatively large electrical load required to generate the electroporation signal. Furthermore, the connections between the battery packs and the circuit boards must be small enough to allow the battery packs to be located within the device and maintain proper center of gravity and ergonomics during use.

[0017] In some conventional systems, electrical components (i.e., resistors or switches) are bonded to the circuit board to prevent short circuits from occurring when the battery pack is attached. While these electrical components provide adequate resistance to prevent short circuits from occurring on the circuit board when the battery pack is soldered, they also introduce inefficiencies that can hinder the battery pack's ability to provide sufficient power for the device to generate the required electroporation signal. In other conventional systems, an external switch is bonded to the circuit board. The external switch is separate from the battery pack and connected in series with one of the battery pack's leads. The external switch prevents the battery pack from electrically connecting to the circuit board until the external switch is closed. However, external switches strong enough to carry the electrical load required for electroporation are typically too large and inefficient to be useful. For example, external switches cause a voltage drop that reduces the voltage supplied to the circuit board even when in the closed position. Furthermore, the housing of such switches negatively impacts both the ergonomics and center of gravity of the electroporation device.

[0018] The present invention relates to a handset 100 of an electroporation device 102 having a battery pack 10. As illustrated in Figure 1, the electroporation device 102 includes a base unit 106 and a handset 100 that may be removably docked to the base unit 106. The base unit 106 typically resides on a table or other flat surface and is capable of providing electrical communication and charging for the battery pack 10 of the handset 100 when the two are in a docked or mated configuration.

[0019] 1 , handset 100 of electroporation device 102 includes housing 104, circuit board 108 located at least partially within housing 104, electrode array 112 in electrical communication with circuit board 108, and battery pack 10 in electrical communication with circuit board 108. Handset 100 also includes an injection assembly 110 for administering agents to target tissue via a hypodermic needle 111. Handset 100 utilizes electroporation pulses generated by circuit board 108 and relayed to the target tissue by electrode array 112 to facilitate the introduction of biomolecules into cells of mammalian target tissue (e.g., skin). Battery pack 10 stores and provides power to handset 100 during administration of an electroporation treatment.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1 , the housing 104 of the handset 100 is formed from two halves or members 116 joined to form a volume 120 therebetween. In particular, the member 116 forms a pistol shape having a top portion 124 with a front end 128 and a rear end 132, and a handle portion 136 extending from the top portion 124 and forming its distal end. The handle portion 136 has a size and shape that maximizes ergonomic comfort for a user when gripping the handset 100. The handle portion 136 also has a sufficiently small cross-sectional shape to allow a user to securely grip the handle portion 136 while actuating the top portion 124 near the front end 128 and a trigger 140 located proximal to the intersection of the handle portion 136, thereby enabling one-handed operation of the handset 100. While the housing 104 of the handset 100 is illustrated as pistol-shaped, it should be understood that the housing 104 may include additional shapes or accommodate different gripping styles.

[0021] In the illustrated embodiment, the housing member 116 includes multiple mounting points (not shown) for positioning and securing the battery pack 10 within the handle portion 136 of the housing 104. More specifically, the mounting points position the battery pack 10 so that the center of gravity (CG) of the handset 100 is entirely proximate the intersection between the top portion 124 and the handle portion 136. In other embodiments, the top portion 124 of the housing 104 may define an axis A extending longitudinally therethrough such that an axis B, which is perpendicular to axis A and passes through the center of gravity (CG), also passes through the handle portion 136 of the housing 104 (see FIG. 1 ).

[0022] The circuit board 108 of the handset 100 is located at least partially within the volume 120 of the housing 104 and is in electrical communication with the battery pack 10, the electrode array 112, and the trigger 140. During use, the circuit board 108 receives power from the battery pack 10 and selectively outputs electroporation signals to the electrode array 112 based at least in part on input from the trigger 140.

[0023] The electrode array 112 includes a plurality of electrodes 142, each extending outwardly from the front end 128 of the top 124 of the housing 104. Each electrode 142 is in electrical communication with the circuit board 108 and is configured to deliver electroporation signals to the target tissue.

[0024] 2 illustrates the battery pack 10 of the handset 100. The battery pack 10 includes, among other things, a battery housing 12, a plurality of battery cells 14, a first power lead 16, a second power lead 18, a controller 20 including a safety switch 26, a power switch 22 in electrical communication with the controller 20, and a thermistor 24. In the illustrated configuration, the plurality of battery cells 14, the controller 20, the safety switch 26, the power switch 22, and thermistor 24 are all disposed within the battery housing 12. The addition of the power switch 22 allows a user to manually disable electrical current between the battery cells 14 and the first power lead 16 during use without the need for an additional external switch or connector. In this manner, the battery pack 10 may be mounted within the housing 104 of the handset 100 without damaging the control circuitry or control board, while minimizing power losses associated with circuitry located outside the housing 12.

[0025] 2, the plurality of battery cells 14 of battery pack 10 includes two battery cells wired in series. However, in alternative embodiments, there may be more or fewer cells, depending on the particular power needs of the device to which battery pack 10 is attached. In some embodiments, the plurality of battery cells 14 includes one type of rechargeable battery, such as, for example, lithium ion, lead acid, nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, etc. Lithium ion batteries are smaller and lighter than traditional lead acid batteries.

[0026] First and second power leads 16 and 18 of the battery pack 10 electrically connect the battery cells 14 and controller 20 to a circuit board 108 of the handset 100. In the illustrated construction, the leads 16, 18 are soldered to the circuit board 108. Soldering the leads 16, 18 directly to the circuit board 108 saves space over other types of electrical couplings, such as releasable connectors. Additionally, soldering minimizes any electrical losses that may occur if a connector or other external component is located between the battery pack 10 and the circuit board 108.

[0027] A thermistor 24 for the battery pack 10 is also located within the battery housing 12. The thermistor 24 is configured to monitor the temperature of the battery pack 10 during use. As shown in Figure 2, the thermistor includes external leads that are in electrical communication with the controller 20.

[0028] As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the safety switch 26 selectively connects and disconnects the plurality of battery cells 14 from the first power lead 16 based at least in part on input from the controller 20. The safety switch 26 is adjustable between a connected configuration in which the plurality of battery cells 14 are in electrical communication with the power lead 16 and a disconnected configuration in which the plurality of battery cells 14 are not in electrical communication with the power lead 16. The safety switch 26 may include a permanent fuse, a resettable fuse, and / or a switch. The length of the wire trace between the safety switch 26 and the plurality of battery cells 14 is shorter than that of external hardware or switches. The shorter wire trace length reduces the effects of voltage loss (i.e., IR voltage loss) and noise (i.e., switching noise) during operation as well as the efficiency of the battery pack 10. Additionally, the safety switch 26 is located entirely within the battery housing 12 of the battery pack 10, occupying a small footprint.

[0029] 2, the controller 20 of the battery pack 10 is configured to determine a plurality of operating conditions of the battery pack 10 and operate the safety switch 26 based at least in part on the collected information. The controller 20 may include an electronic processing device (e.g., a microprocessor, a microcontroller, or another suitable programmable device) and a memory. In some embodiments, the plurality of operating conditions may include an over-temperature condition, an over-current condition, an over-voltage condition, an under-voltage condition, etc., among others.

[0030] In use, the controller 20 is configured to operate the safety switch 26 based at least in part on the detection of a plurality of operating conditions to prevent damage to the battery pack 10 due to undesirable operating conditions. For example, the controller 20 may operate the safety switch 26 to disconnect the first power leads 16 of the plurality of battery cells 14 when an overcurrent condition is detected. In some embodiments, the controller 20 is configured to detect the plurality of operating conditions using a plurality of sensors (not shown) included in the controller 20. The plurality of sensors may include a voltage sensor, a current sensor, a temperature sensor, etc., among others.

[0031] As illustrated in FIGS. 2-4 , the power switch 22 of the battery pack 10 is coupled to the controller 20 and is manually adjustable between an ON state and an OFF state. The controller 20 monitors the position of the power switch 22 during use, as well as the other operating conditions described above. For example, detecting that the power switch 22 is in the OFF state causes the controller 20 to trigger the safety switch 26 to disconnect the plurality of battery cells 14 from the first power lead 16 in a manner similar to when an undesirable operating condition is detected. In such an embodiment, the controller 20 further operates the safety switch 26 to connect the plurality of battery cells 14 to the first power lead 16 when the power switch 22 is in the ON state. In an alternative embodiment, the controller 20 operates the safety switch 26 to disconnect the plurality of battery cells 14 from the first power lead 16 when the power switch 22 is in the ON state. In such an alternative embodiment, the controller 20 further operates the safety switch 26 to connect the plurality of battery cells 14 to the first power lead 16 when the power switch 22 is in the OFF state.

[0032] As illustrated in FIG. 4 , the safety switch 26 is disposed within the housing 12 of the battery pack 10 such that the switch 22 is externally accessible. In the illustrated embodiment, the power switch 22 is accessible through a hole 28 formed in the housing 12. A user can change the state of the power switch 22 by manipulating the position of the power switch 22, for example, using a small screwdriver or tweezers. In other embodiments, the power switch 22 may be an electromechanical switch or a magnetic switch. In such embodiments, a magnet may be used to switch the power switch 22 between an ON state and an OFF state. Because the power switch 22 is externally accessible, the power switch 22 can be switched to an OFF state during the manufacturing process to allow the battery pack 10 to be mounted on a circuit board without causing a short circuit, as described above. Once mounted, the power switch 22 can be switched to an ON state to allow the battery pack 10 to supply power to the circuit board.

[0033] Thus, in devices that include several circuit boards, the power switch 22 allows for the installation of the battery pack 10 before the final circuit board configuration is assembled. By allowing the battery pack 10 to be installed earlier in the installation process, more workspace is provided, making the installation process easier and more efficient. In contrast, in instances where the battery pack 10 must be installed as a final step after the final circuit board configuration is assembled, installing the battery pack 10 may be difficult due to limited available space.

[0034] As mentioned above, the power switch 22 is not connected in series with the plurality of battery cells 14, but rather communicates with the controller 20 to indirectly operate the safety switch 26. In this manner, the power switch 22 acts as an additional operating state in addition to those typically found in a battery pack. The power switch 22 of the present invention therefore provides a user with a manual method for removing the plurality of battery cells 14 from the leads 16, 18 without adversely affecting the performance of the battery pack 10 and while maintaining a small overall footprint of the battery pack 10.

[0035] Thus, the present invention provides, among other things, a power switch 22 for controlling the battery pack 10. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

[0036] The foregoing description of specific embodiments will fully disclose the general features of the invention such that others, by applying knowledge within the purview of those skilled in the art, may readily modify and / or adapt such specific embodiments for various applications without undue experimentation and without departing from the general concepts of the disclosure. Such adaptations and modifications are therefore intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. The phrases or terms used herein are for the purpose of description rather than limitation, and it is to be understood that the terms or terms used herein will be interpreted in light of the teaching and guidance by those skilled in the art.

[0037] The breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary aspects, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

[0038] All publications, patents, patent applications, and / or other documents cited in this application are incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent, patent application, and / or other document was individually indicated to be incorporated by reference for all purposes.

[0039] For completeness, various aspects of the present invention are described in detail in the following numbered clauses.

[0040] Clause 1. An electroporation device handset, comprising: a housing defining a volume therein; a circuit board located at least partially within the volume; an electrode extending from the housing and in electrical communication with the circuit board; A battery pack, a battery pack housing; a plurality of battery cells positioned within the battery pack housing; and a first power lead in electrical communication with the circuit board; a second power lead joined to the plurality of battery cells and in electrical communication with the circuit board; and a safety switch located within the battery pack housing and joined between the first power lead and the plurality of battery cells, the safety switch being adjustable between an ON state in which the plurality of battery cells are in electrical communication with the first power lead and an OFF state in which the plurality of battery cells are not in electrical communication with the first power lead. the battery pack including: A handset comprising:

[0041] Clause 2. The handset of clause 1, wherein the battery pack is located at least partially within the volume.

[0042] Clause 3. The handset of clause 1, wherein the housing includes a top portion and a handle portion extending from the top portion, and the battery pack is located at least partially within the handle portion of the housing.

[0043] Clause 4. The handset of clause 1, wherein the housing includes an upper portion and a handle portion extending from the upper portion, and the center of gravity of the electroporation device is located proximate the intersection of the upper portion and the handle portion.

[0044] Clause 5. The handset of clause 1, wherein the battery pack further includes a control device configured to detect a plurality of operating states, and the control device adjusts the safety switch between an on state and an off state based at least in part on the operating states.

[0045] Clause 6. The handset of clause 5, wherein the operating conditions include at least one of an over-temperature condition, an over-current condition, an over-voltage condition, and an under-voltage condition.

[0046] Clause 7. The handset of clause 5, wherein the battery pack further includes a power switch adjustable between the on state and the off state, and at least one of the operating states includes the state of the power switch.

[0047] Clause 8. The handset of clause 7, wherein the power switch is located inside the battery housing.

[0048] Clause 9. A handset as claimed in clause 8, wherein the power switch is accessible from the exterior of the battery housing.

[0049] Clause 10. The handset of clause 1, wherein the battery pack further includes a power switch accessible from outside the battery housing and adjustable between an on state and an off state, and wherein the safety switch is adjustable between the on state and the off state based at least in part on the state of the power switch.

[0050] Clause 11. The handset of clause 1, wherein the first lead is soldered to the circuit board and the second lead is soldered to the circuit board.

[0051] Clause 12. An electroporation device handset, comprising: Housing and an injection assembly; a circuit board located at least partially within the housing and in communication with the injection assembly; an electrode extending from the housing and in electrical communication with the circuit board; A battery pack, a battery housing at least partially located within the housing; a plurality of battery cells located within the battery pack housing; a first power lead in electrical communication with the circuit board; a second power lead joined to and extending between the plurality of battery cells and the circuit board; a safety switch operably coupled between the first power lead and the plurality of battery cells, the safety switch being adjustable between an ON state in which the plurality of battery cells are in electrical communication with the first power lead and an OFF state in which the plurality of battery cells are not in electrical communication with the first power lead; a controller interfaced with the safety switch, the controller configured to detect one or more operating conditions, the controller configured to adjust the safety switch between the on state and the off state based at least in part on the detected operating conditions; the battery pack including: A handset comprising:

[0052] Clause 13. A handset as claimed in clause 12, wherein the safety switch is located within the battery housing.

[0053] Clause 14. The handset of clause 12, wherein the battery pack further includes a power switch located within the battery housing, and wherein at least one of the operating states is the state of the power switch.

[0054] Clause 15. The handset of clause 14, wherein the battery housing defines an opening and the power switch is accessible from outside the battery housing through the opening.

[0055] Clause 16. The handset of clause 12, wherein the operating conditions include at least one of an over-temperature condition, an over-current condition, an over-voltage condition, and an under-voltage condition.

[0056] Clause 17. The handset of clause 12, wherein the control device is located within the battery housing.

[0057] Clause 18. The handset of clause 12, wherein the housing includes a top portion and a handle portion extending from the top portion, the battery pack being located within the handle portion.

[0058] Article 19. A base station; a handset detachably coupled to the base station, Housing and an injection assembly; a circuit board located at least partially within the housing and in communication with the injection assembly; an array having one or more electrodes extending therefrom, said array in electrical communication with said circuit board; A battery pack, a battery housing at least partially located within the housing; a plurality of battery cells positioned within the battery pack housing; and a first power lead in electrical communication with the circuit board; a second power lead joined to and extending between the plurality of battery cells and the circuit board; a safety switch located within the battery housing and operably coupled between the first power lead and the plurality of battery cells, the safety switch being adjustable between an ON state in which the plurality of battery cells are in electrical communication with the first power lead and an OFF state in which the plurality of battery cells are not in electrical communication with the first power lead; a controller located within the battery housing and interfaced with the safety switch, the controller configured to detect one or more operating conditions, and to adjust the safety switch between the on state and the off state based at least in part on the detected operating conditions; and a power switch located within the battery housing, wherein at least one of the operating states includes the state of the power switch; and the battery pack including: and the handset comprising:

[0059] Clause 20. The electroporation device of clause 19, wherein the battery housing is positioned within the housing such that the center of gravity of the electroporation device is vertically aligned with the battery pack.

[0060] Clause 21. An electroporation apparatus as described in clause 19, wherein the base station is in electrical communication with the battery pack when the handset is mated to the base station.

Claims

1. 1. A handset for an electroporation apparatus, comprising: a housing defining a volume therein; a circuit board located at least partially within the volume; one or more electrodes extending from the housing and in electrical communication with the circuit board; A battery pack, a battery pack housing; a plurality of battery cells located within the battery pack housing; a first power lead in electrical communication with the circuit board; a second power lead joined to the plurality of battery cells and in electrical communication with the circuit board; a safety switch located within the battery pack housing and coupled between the first power lead and the plurality of battery cells, the safety switch being adjustable between an ON state in which the plurality of battery cells are in electrical communication with the first power lead and an OFF state in which the plurality of battery cells are not in electrical communication with the first power lead; a power switch located within the battery pack housing, the power switch accessible from outside the battery pack housing and adjustable between an on state and an off state, and the safety switch adjustable between the on state and the off state of the safety switch based at least in part on the state of the power switch.

2. The handset of claim 1 , wherein the battery pack is at least partially located within the volume.

3. The handset of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a top portion and a handle portion extending from the top portion, the battery pack being at least partially located within the handle portion of the housing.

4. 10. The handset of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a top portion and a handle portion extending from the top portion, the center of gravity of the handset being located proximate an intersection of the top portion and the handle portion.

5. 10. The handset of claim 1, wherein the battery pack further includes a controller configured to detect a plurality of operating states, and wherein the controller adjusts the safety switch between the on state and the off state based at least in part on the operating states.

6. 6. The handset of claim 5, wherein the operating conditions include at least one of an over-temperature condition, an over-current condition, an over-voltage condition, and an under-voltage condition.

7. The handset of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the operating states includes the state of the power switch.

8. 2. The handset of claim 1, wherein the first power lead is soldered to the circuit board and the second power lead is soldered to the circuit board.

9. 1. A handset for an electroporation apparatus, comprising: Housing and an injection assembly; a circuit board located at least partially within the housing and in communication with the injection assembly; one or more electrodes extending from the housing and in electrical communication with the circuit board; A battery pack, a battery pack housing at least partially located within the housing; and a plurality of battery cells located within the battery pack housing; a first power lead in electrical communication with the circuit board; a second power lead joined and extending between the plurality of battery cells and the circuit board; a safety switch coupled between the first power lead and the plurality of battery cells, the safety switch being adjustable between an ON state in which the plurality of battery cells are in electrical communication with the first power lead and an OFF state in which the plurality of battery cells are not in electrical communication with the first power lead; a power switch located within the battery pack housing, the power switch accessible from outside the battery pack housing and adjustable between an on state and an off state, the safety switch being adjustable between the on state and the off state of the safety switch based at least in part on the state of the power switch; the battery pack including: a controller interfaced with the safety switch, the controller configured to detect one or more operating conditions, the controller configured to adjust the safety switch between the on state and the off state based at least in part on the detected operating conditions.

10. 10. The handset of claim 9, wherein the safety switch is located within the battery pack housing.

11. 10. The handset of claim 9, wherein at least one of the operating states is the state of the power switch.

12. 12. The handset of claim 11, wherein the battery pack housing defines an opening, and the power switch is accessible from outside the battery pack housing through the opening.

13. 10. The handset of claim 9, wherein the operating conditions include at least one of an over-temperature condition, an over-current condition, an over-voltage condition, and an under-voltage condition.

14. The handset of claim 9 , wherein the controller is located within the battery pack housing.

15. 10. The handset of claim 9, wherein the housing includes a top portion and a handle portion extending from the top portion, the battery pack being located within the handle portion.

16. A base station; a handset detachably coupled to the base station, Housing and an injection assembly; a circuit board located at least partially within the housing and in communication with the injection assembly; an array having one or more electrodes extending therefrom, said array in electrical communication with said circuit board; A battery pack, a battery pack housing at least partially located within the housing; and a plurality of battery cells located within the battery pack housing; a first power lead in electrical communication with the circuit board; a second power lead joined and extending between the plurality of battery cells and the circuit board; a safety switch located within the battery pack housing and operably coupled between the first power lead and the plurality of battery cells, the safety switch being adjustable between an ON state in which the plurality of battery cells are in electrical communication with the first power lead and an OFF state in which the plurality of battery cells are not in electrical communication with the first power lead; a controller located within the battery pack housing and interfaced with the safety switch, the controller configured to detect one or more operating conditions, and to adjust the safety switch between the on state and the off state based at least in part on the detected operating conditions; a power switch located within the battery pack housing, the power switch being accessible from an exterior of the battery pack housing, and at least one of the operating states including the state of the power switch; the battery pack including:

17. 17. The electroporation apparatus of claim 16, wherein the battery pack housing is positioned within the housing such that the center of gravity of the handset is vertically aligned with the battery pack.

18. 17. The electroporation apparatus of claim 16, wherein the base station is in electrical communication with the battery pack when the handset is mated to the base station.

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