Electric pulse generation system using capacitive coupling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11525768-B2
Application number	US-201916538616-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2019
Priority date	Jan 17, 2014
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

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. A cuvette comprising:
a body comprising a nonconductive material;
a sample cavity configured to receive a sample;
a first wall configured to couple to a first electrode of a pulse generating system that comprises a capacitive element, wherein the capacitive element is in series with the sample during operation; and
a second wall configured to couple to a second electrode of the pulse generating system.

2. The cuvette of claim 1 , wherein the capacitive element comprises a capacitance in a range between 1 nF and 1 mF.

3. The cuvette of claim 1 , wherein the nonconductive material comprises a quartz or a plastic.

4. The cuvette of claim 1 , wherein the first wall comprises a conductive contact configured to couple to the first electrode to the capacitive element, wherein the conductive contact is separated from the sample cavity by a dielectric gap of the capacitive element, and wherein the dielectric gap comprises the nonconductive material.

5. The cuvette of claim 4 , wherein the dielectric gap comprises a first thickness between about 1 mm and 5 mm.

6. The cuvette of claim 1 , wherein the second wall comprises a second capacitive element.

7. The cuvette of claim 1 , wherein the first wall comprises a dielectric element.

8. The cuvette of claim 7 , wherein the dielectric element comprises a ceramic dielectric or a plastic dielectric.

9. The cuvette of claim 1 , wherein the second wall comprises a conductive contact configured to couple the second electrode directly to the sample cavity.

10. The cuvette of claim 1 , comprising a label that comprises a tag associated with a capacitance of the capacitive element of the cuvette.

11. The cuvette of claim 1 , wherein the first wall is configured to receive a current from the pulse generating system, wherein the current flows through the capacitive element prior to the current reaching the first electrode.

12. The cuvette of claim 1 , wherein the first wall is configured to receive a current from the pulse generating system, wherein pulse generating system comprises the capacitive element configured to receive the current prior to the current reaching the first electrode.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

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

Classifications

• C12N13/00 Primary

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

• C12M35/02

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

• H03K3/53

  by the use of an energy-accumulating element discharged through the load by a switching device controlled by an external signal and not incorporating positive feedback (H03K3/335 takes precedence) · 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

• A61B5/153

  {Devices} specially adapted for taking samples of venous or arterial blood, e.g. with syringes · CPC title