Controlled Irreversible Electroporation for Selective Tissue Ablation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current minimally invasive tissue ablation techniques face challenges in selectively destroying undesirable tissue without affecting surrounding tissue, particularly due to difficulties in controlling the extent of tissue damage caused by blood circulation and temperature distribution.
Innovation Solution
The use of irreversible electroporation, achieved by applying controlled electrical pulses through electrodes to target specific cells while maintaining parameters that avoid thermal damage and spare non-targeted cells, such as nerve cells, by managing voltage, wattage, and pulse duration to induce selective cell death without thermal damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If high temperature thermal therapies are used to ablate tissue, then ease of application is improved, but control of the treated area is worsened due to blood circulation effects on temperature distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces thermal-based ablation mechanisms with electrical field-based irreversible electroporation. Instead of using heat conduction and blood flow dynamics that are difficult to control, the invention uses controlled electrical pulses to create pores in cell membranes, providing precise spatial control over the treated area while maintaining ease of application through electrode placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental physical parameter from temperature to electrical field strength. By controlling electrical pulse amplitude, duration, and number of pulses, the invention achieves precise control over which cells undergo irreversible electroporation, eliminating the uncontrolled thermal diffusion that occurs with high temperature therapies.
2Reliability
If irreversible electroporation parameters are increased to destroy targeted cells, then cell destruction effectiveness is improved, but thermal damage to surrounding cells worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies electrical pulses in a periodic manner with specific timing intervals. By delivering multiple pulses at controlled frequencies and durations, the invention accumulates electroporation effects in targeted cells while allowing surrounding tissues to remain below thermal damage thresholds, thus achieving effective cell destruction without harmful thermal side effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent precisely controls electrical pulse parameters (amplitude, duration, number of pulses) to achieve irreversible electroporation in targeted cells. By optimizing these parameters, the invention maximizes cell membrane permeabilization and cell death effectiveness while keeping the total energy deposition below levels that would cause thermal damage to surrounding tissues.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method allows for precise destruction of targeted cells, such as cancer cells, while preserving surrounding tissues and avoiding thermal damage, thereby enhancing the control and selectivity of tissue ablation.
Implementation Method 1
irreversible electroporation, achieved by applying controlled electrical pulses through electrodes to target specific cells
Implementation Method 2
Joule heating, the thermal effect that electrical currents produce when applied to biological materials
Data Source
AI summary
Electrical pulses are applied to tissue in a manner which destroys targeted cells such as cancerous cells while sparing non-targeted cells such as nerve cells. The electrical pulses are controlled within ranges for voltage, wattage and duration of application. Multiple pulses or groups of pulses may be applied to obtain a desired result while maintaining any temperature increase below a level which destroys cells.