Electroporation apparatus and method of using same for ablation of an arbitrary volume

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016113707-A1
Application number	US-201514918703-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 21, 2015
Priority date	Oct 24, 2014
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electroporation apparatus and the method of using same are provided. The apparatus allows for the ablation of an area of tissue of arbitrary volume. The apparatus includes a plurality of conductive electrodes attached to a base pate and electrically connected to a pulse generator to allow individual electrical actuation of the electrodes. In use, the electrodes are inserted into an area of tissue to be ablated, such that the electrodes are in a first position. Predetermined ones of the electrodes are then activated to ablate tissue surrounding the activated electrodes, while leaving other ones of the electrodes un-activated. The electrodes are then moved to a second position which is different than the first position, and predetermined ones of the electrodes are then activated to ablate tissue surrounding the activated electrodes, while leaving other ones of the electrodes un-activated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electroporation apparatus comprising:
a pulse generator; a base plate; and a plurality of conductive electrodes attached to the base plate, each electrode being electrically connected to the pulse generator to allow individual electrical actuation of the electrodes by the pulse generator.

2 . The electroporation apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a support plate connected to the base plate, the base plate and support plate being moveable relative to each other, the electrodes extending through the support plate.

3 . The electroporation apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the electrodes are connected to the support plate by a friction fit.

4 . The electroporation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the support plate is linear.

5 . The electroporation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the support plate is curved.

6 . The electroporation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrodes are provided in an array formed of at least two rows and columns.

7 . The electroporation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrodes are provided in an array formed of a single row.

8 . The electroporation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrodes are angled relative to each other.

9 . The electroporation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each electrode defines a centerline between opposite ends of the electrode, and the centerline of each electrode is parallel to each other.

10 . The electroporation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each electrodes has a sharpened tip.

11 . The electroporation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein predetermined ones of the electrodes have a path therethrough to allow infusion of an agent into tissue into which the electrodes are inserted.

12 . The electroporation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrodes are formed from one of stainless steel, platinum, iridium and gold.

13 . The electroporation apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an insulating material provided on at least one portion of each of the electrodes.

14 . The electroporation apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the insulating material is formed of one of conformal paint, conformal lacquer, and rubber.

15 . An electroporation apparatus comprising:
a pulse generator; a base plate; a support plate connected to the base plate, the base plate and support plate being moveable relative to each other; and a plurality of conductive electrodes provided in an array and attached to the base plate and extending through the support plate, each electrode being electrically connected to the pulse generator to allow individual electrical actuation of the electrodes by the pulse generator, each electrode having insulating material provided on at least one portion thereof, each electrode having a sharpened tip, and predetermined ones of the electrodes have a path therethrough to allow infusion of an agent into tissue into which the electrodes are inserted.

16 . A method of using an electroporation apparatus comprising:
inserting a plurality of conductive electrodes into an area of tissue to be ablated, such that the electrodes are in a first position; activating predetermined ones of the electrodes to ablate tissue surrounding the activated electrodes when the electrodes are in the first position, while leaving other ones of the electrodes un-activated; moving the electrodes to a second position which is different than the first position; and activating predetermined ones of the electrodes to ablate tissue surrounding the activated electrodes when the electrodes are in the second position, while leaving other ones of the electrodes un-activated.

17 . The method as defined in claim 16 , wherein the moving and activating are repeated at various differing positions along the tissue to be ablated.

18 . The method as defined in claim 16 , wherein the electrodes are activated by a pulse generator.

19 . The method as defined in claim 16 , further including moving the electrodes to a third position which is different than the first or second positions and activating all of the electrodes to ablate tissue surrounding the activated electrodes.

20 . The method as defined in claim 16 , wherein electrodes are moved to the third position prior to movement of the electrodes to the first or second positions.

Assignees

• Univ Northwestern

Inventors

• Sahakian Alan V
• Wang Yearnchee C

Classifications

• A61N1/327

  for enhancing the absorption properties of tissue, e.g. by electroporation · CPC title

• A61B18/1477 Primary

  Needle-like probes · CPC title

• A61B2018/00077

  high, i.e. electrically conducting · CPC title

• A61N1/0502

  Skin piercing electrodes · CPC title

• A61B2018/124

  switching the output to different electrodes, e.g. sequentially · CPC title