Electric pulse generation systems using capacitive coupling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10329551-B2
Application number	US-201715651900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2017
Priority date	Jan 17, 2014
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

In accordance with the present disclosure, exposure of a sample to one or more electric pulses via capacitive coupling is described. In certain embodiments, the sample may be a biological sample to be treated or modified using the pulsed electric fields. In certain embodiments, the electric pulses may be delivered to a load using capacitive coupling. In other embodiments, the electric pulses may be bipolar pulses.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric pulse generation system comprising:
a sample holder comprising two electrodes wherein the sample holder is configured to electrically couple the two electrodes to a sample container disposed in the sample holder;
pulse generating circuitry configured to generate an electrical pulse between the two electrodes;
control circuitry configured to cause the pulse generating circuitry to generate the electrical pulse to deliver a pulse to the sample container disposed in the sample holder; and
a capacitor disposed in series with the pulse generating circuitry and the two electrodes during the generation of the electrical pulse between the two electrodes.

2. The electric pulse generation system of claim 1 , comprising a resistive path disposed in series with the pulse generating circuitry and the two electrodes and disposed in parallel with the capacitor, and wherein the resistive path comprises a switch configured to bypass the capacitor.

3. The electric pulse generation system of claim 2 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the switch to bypass the capacitor during the delivery of the pulse.

4. The electric pulse generation system of claim 1 , wherein the capacitor is replaceable.

5. The electric pulse generating system of claim 1 , wherein the sample container comprises a cuvette.

6. The electric pulse generation system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical pulse comprises a duration between about 1 nanosecond and about 100 microseconds.

7. The electric pulse generation system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical pulse comprises an electric field strength between 0.1 kV/cm and 350 kV/cm.

8. An electric pulse generation system comprising:
a sample holder comprising two electrodes disposed on opposite sides of the sample holder, wherein the sample holder is configured to receive a sample container;
pulse generating circuitry configured to supply a pulse between the electrodes;
a first resistive path that directly couples the pulse generating circuitry and the two electrodes;
a second resistive path that couples the pulse generating circuitry and the two electrodes through a capacitive element disposed in series with the two electrodes and the pulse generating circuitry; and
switching circuitry configured to select between the first and the second resistive path.

9. The electric pulse generation system of claim 8 , comprising:
a memory configured to store a protocol comprising a first set of instructions and a second set of instructions for the electric pulse generation system; and
a processor configured to execute the protocol stored on the memory, wherein the first set of instructions causes the pulse generating circuitry to supply the pulse between the electrodes, and the second set of instructions causes the switching circuitry to select between the first and the second resistive path.

10. The electric pulse generation system of claim 9 , wherein the first set of instructions comprises a pulse shape or a series of pulse.

11. The electric pulse generation system of claim 8 , wherein the capacitive element comprises replaceable capacitor.

12. The electric pulse generation system of claim 8 , wherein the electric pulse generation system is configured to receive an input from an user input device adjust the switching circuitry.

13. The electric pulse generation system of claim 8 , wherein the switching circuitry comprises a first switch disposed in the first resistive path and a second switch disposed in the second resistive path.

14. A method to operate an electric pulse generation system, the method comprising:
placing a sample in a sample container;
placing the sample container in a sample holder comprising two electrodes, wherein the sample in the sample container is electrically coupled to the two electrodes; and
causing a pulse generating circuitry to deliver an electric pulse signal to the sample in the sample container via a circuit that comprises:

the pulse generating circuitry;
the two electrodes; and
a capacitor arranged in series with the two electrodes and the pulse generating circuitry during the delivery of the electric pulse signal.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the electric pulse signal comprises a sequence of electric pulses, and wherein the method comprises selecting a configuration of the electric pulse signal based on a target parameter, the configuration comprising a number of electric pulses, a shape of the electric pulses, a voltage for the electric pulses, a duration for the electric pulses, or any combination thereof, and wherein the electric pulses are designed based on the capacitor coupled to the pulse generating circuitry.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the target parameter comprises an amount of growth factor released.

17. The method of claim 14 , comprising adjusting switching circuitry to bypass the capacitor and resistively couple the pulse generating circuitry to the two electrodes.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Caiafa Antonio
• Neculaes Vasile Bogdan
• Garner Allen Lawrence
• Torres Andrew Soliz

Classifications

• A61B18/12

  by passing a current through the tissue to be heated, e.g. high-frequency current · CPC title

• G01N33/49

  Blood {(chemical methods for determining blood cell populations G01N33/5094; chemical analysis of blood groups or blood types G01N33/80)} · CPC title

• H03K3/00

  Circuits for generating electric pulses; Monostable, bistable or multistable circuits (H03K4/00 takes precedence; for digital function generators in computers G06F1/02) · CPC title

• C12N13/00 Primary

  Treatment of microorganisms or enzymes with electrical or wave energy, e.g. magnetism, sonic waves · CPC title

• C12M35/02 Primary

  Electrical or electromagnetic means, e.g. for electroporation or for cell fusion · CPC title