Electroporation System Preconditioning Circuit Reduces Muscle Contraction Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
During electroporation therapy, high-amplitude short-duration DC electrical pulses stimulate skeletal muscle tissue, leading to forceful contractions that can be uncomfortable and reduce patient tolerance.
Innovation Solution
An electroporation system that includes a generator with both electroporation and preconditioning circuits, where preconditioning waveforms are applied to skeletal muscle before the main electroporation therapy to pre-contract the muscle, reducing mechanical motion and force of contractions during therapy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-amplitude short-duration DC electrical pulses are applied for electroporation therapy, then electroporation effect is achieved, but skeletal muscle forceful contractions occur causing discomfort and reducing patient tolerance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a preliminary action by delivering a preconditioning waveform to the skeletal muscle tissue before the main electroporation therapy. This preconditioning waveform pre-contracts the muscle fibers, priming them to respond more favorably to the subsequent high-amplitude electrical pulses. The muscle is prepared in advance to reduce forceful contractions during the actual therapy, thereby improving patient comfort and tolerance while maintaining electroporation effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs preliminary anti-action by applying a preconditioning waveform that counteracts the potential harmful effect of forceful muscle contractions before they occur. The preconditioning waveform creates a preparatory state in the muscle tissue that opposes the unwanted forceful contraction response, transforming the muscle's reaction from harmful to beneficial or neutral during the electroporation therapy.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If preconditioning waveforms are applied to skeletal muscle before electroporation therapy, then muscle contraction force is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing the electroporation system to perform multiple functions through a unified platform. The system can deliver both the main electroporation therapy and the preliminary preconditioning waveform using the same generator and electrode infrastructure. This multi-functionality allows the system to reduce muscle contraction force during therapy without requiring entirely separate equipment, thereby managing device complexity while achieving the desired therapeutic effect.
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
The preconditioning waveforms mitigate undesirable muscle contractions, allowing for a slower, more controlled, and weaker muscle response during electroporation therapy, thereby improving patient tolerance and therapy experience.
Implementation Method 1
preconditioning waveforms can be delivered through one or more pairs of cutaneous electrodes positioned local to regions of skeletal muscle that are desirable to stimulate
Implementation Method 2
Electroporation therapy involves electric field induced pore formation on the cell membrane. The electric field may be induced by applying a direct current (DC) signal delivered as a relatively short duration pulse
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides electroporation systems and methods of preconditioning tissue for electroporation therapy. An electroporation generator includes an electroporation circuit, a preconditioning circuit, and a controller. The electroporation circuit is configured to be coupled to a catheter for delivering the electroporation therapy to target tissue of the patient. The electroporation circuit is further configured to transmit an electroporation signal through the catheter. The preconditioning circuit is configured to be coupled to a preconditioning electrode for stimulating skeletal muscle tissue of the patient. The preconditioning circuit is further configured to transmit a preconditioning signal to the preconditioning electrode. The controller is coupled to the electroporation circuit and the preconditioning circuit, and is configured to synchronize transmissions of the electroporation signal and the preconditioning signal such that the preconditioning signal is transmitted prior to transmission of the electroporation signal.