Cycled Pulsing for Multi-Electrode Irreversible Electroporation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electrical energy-based therapies for tissue treatment, such as electroporation, face challenges in minimizing Joule heating and thermal damage while maintaining treatment efficacy, particularly when using multiple electrodes.

Innovation Solution

The method involves strategically distributing electrical energy by activating pairs of electrodes in cycles, with optional delays between pulses and bursts, to reduce thermal effects and Joule heating, ensuring that each electrode is activated minimally to avoid consecutive activations, thereby minimizing thermal damage and maintaining effective ablation areas.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If multiple electrodes are activated simultaneously to treat larger tissue areas, then treatment efficiency and coverage are improved, but Joule heating and thermal damage increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment efficiencyVSAvoidJoule heating

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The treatment is divided into multiple cycles, with each cycle activating only a subset of electrode pairs. This segmentation allows the total treatment energy to be distributed over time, reducing peak power delivery and minimizing Joule heating while maintaining overall treatment effectiveness through repeated cycles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs periodic activation of electrode pairs in a cyclic manner, where electrodes are activated in sequences rather than continuously. This periodic action allows thermal dissipation between activation cycles, reducing cumulative thermal damage while maintaining treatment efficacy through repeated exposure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

2Reliability

If electrical pulses are delivered continuously to maintain treatment efficacy, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but thermal damage and Joule heating increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment effectivenessVSAvoidthermal damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses periodic pulsing with defined cycles where electrode pairs are activated for a limited number of pulses, followed by intervals where they are not activated. This periodic pattern maintains treatment effectiveness through repeated exposure while allowing thermal dissipation during off-periods, reducing cumulative thermal damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

While individual electrode pairs are activated intermittently, the system maintains continuous treatment effectiveness by cycling through multiple electrode pairs in sequence. This ensures that treatment coverage is maintained over time without requiring any single electrode pair to operate continuously, thereby reducing thermal accumulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Reliability

If the same electrode pairs are activated repeatedly to ensure complete treatment coverage, then treatment completeness is improved, but localized thermal damage increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment completenessVSAvoidlocalized thermal damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the electrode activation into different cycles, where the same electrode pairs are activated in different cycles rather than consecutively. This segmentation distributes the thermal load over time and allows heat dissipation between activations, reducing localized thermal damage while ensuring complete treatment coverage through repeated exposure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system activates different electrode pairs in different cycles, effectively rotating through the electrode array. This preliminary distribution of activation across multiple cycles ensures that no single electrode pair accumulates excessive thermal energy, while all regions receive the necessary treatment exposure for complete coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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 approach effectively reduces Joule heating and thermal damage, allowing for more precise and efficient tissue treatment with reduced thermal side effects, while maintaining the efficacy of electrical energy-based therapies like irreversible electroporation.

Implementation Method 1

irreversible electroporation (IRE) and high frequency irreversible electroporation (HFIRE)... delivering a total number of electrical pulses to the target region... causing electroporation based therapy

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectIrreversible electroporation:

Implementation Method 2

minimizes Joule heating, thermal effects, and/or thermal damage... delivering electrical energy to tissue in a manner which minimizes Joule heating

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Data Source

PatentUS20240299076A1Cycled pulsing to mitigate thermal damage for multi-electrode irreversible electroporation therapy

Publication Date: 2024.09.12 ANGIODYNAMICS INC

AI summary

Methods and systems for distributing electrical energy to tissue which minimize Joule heating, thermal effects, and/or thermal damage, without sacrificing efficacy of treatment, are described. The methods and systems are particularly suitable to electrical energy-based therapies employing multiple electrodes, such as arrays of electrodes.