Irreversible electroporation (IRE) based on field, contact force and time

1 . A method of applying irreversible electroporation pulses (IRE) to tissue to form a lesion, the method comprising:

receiving a prespecified target IRE index value, wherein the prespecified target IRE index value is not a size of the lesion but a repeatable predictor of the size of the lesion, the size of the lesion comprising a volume, a depth and a diameter of the lesion;

causing the IRE pulses to be applied to the tissue over a time period to form the lesion;

causing instantaneous contact forces and instantaneous power levels of the IRE pulses applied to the tissue to be measured over the time period;

calculating, on a recurring basis, estimated IRE index values using an integral over the time period of a product of the measured instantaneous contact forces, respectively, raised to a first calibrated non-unity exponent and the measured instantaneous power levels of the IRE pulses, respectively, raised to a second calibrated non-unity exponent, the calculated estimated IRE index values corresponding respectively to an estimated volume, an estimated depth and an estimated diameter of the lesion;

causing progress of the application of the IRE pulses to the tissue over the time period to be displayed as a graphic and/or alphanumeric data while the estimated IRE index values are being calculated;

determining whether a value of the calculated estimated IRE index values has reached the prespecified target IRE index value, and

causing the application of the IRE pulses to the tissue to continue when the value of the calculated estimated IRE index values has not reached the prespecified target IRE index value.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising causing the application of the IRE pulses to the tissue to cease in response to the value of the calculated estimated IRE index values reaching the prespecified target IRE index value.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising causing the calculated estimated IRE index values and the prespecified target IRE index value to be presented to a user.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising causing the instantaneous power levels to be measured by measuring a peak voltage of the IRE pulses.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising causing an electric field produced by the IRE pulses to be simulated.

6 . A system for applying irreversible electroporation pulses (IRE) to tissue to form a lesion, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions, which when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a prespecified target IRE index value, wherein the prespecified target IRE index value is not a size of the lesion but a repeatable predictor of the size of the lesion, the size of the lesion comprising a volume, a depth and a diameter of the lesion;

cause the IRE pulses to be applied to the tissue over a time period to form the lesion;

cause instantaneous contact forces and instantaneous power levels of the IRE pulses applied to the tissue to be measured over the time period;

calculate, on a recurring basis, estimated IRE index values using an integral over the time period of a product of the measured instantaneous contact forces, respectively, raised to a first calibrated non-unity exponent and the measured instantaneous power levels of the IRE pulses, respectively, raised to a second calibrated non-unity exponent, the calculated estimated IRE index values corresponding respectively to an estimated volume, an estimated depth and an estimated diameter of the lesion;

cause progress of the application of the IRE pulses to the tissue over the time period to be displayed as a graphic and/or alphanumeric data while the estimated IRE index values are being calculated;

determine whether a value of the calculated estimated IRE index values has reached the prespecified target IRE index value, and

cause the application of the IRE pulses to the tissue to continue when the value of the calculated estimated IRE index values has not reached the prespecified target IRE index value.

7 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to cause the application of the IRE pulses to the tissue to cease in response to the value of the calculated estimated IRE index values reaching the prespecified target IRE index value.

8 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to cause the calculated estimated IRE index values and the prespecified target IRE index value to be presented to a user.

9 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to cause the instantaneous power levels to be measured by measuring a peak voltage of the IRE pulses.

10 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to cause an electric field produced by the IRE pulses to be simulated.

11 . A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein to be executed by one or more processors, the program code including instructions to:

receive a prespecified target IRE index value, wherein the prespecified target IRE index value is not a size of the lesion but a repeatable predictor of the size of the lesion, the size of the lesion comprising a volume, a depth and a diameter of the lesion;

cause the IRE pulses to be applied to the tissue over a time period to form the lesion;

cause instantaneous contact forces and instantaneous power levels of the IRE pulses applied to the tissue to be measured over the time period;

calculate, on a recurring basis, estimated IRE index values using an integral over the time period of a product of the measured instantaneous contact forces, respectively, raised to a first calibrated non-unity exponent and the measured instantaneous power levels of the IRE pulses, respectively, raised to a second calibrated non-unity exponent, the calculated estimated IRE index values corresponding respectively to an estimated volume, an estimated depth and an estimated diameter of the lesion;

cause progress of the application of the IRE pulses to the tissue over the time period to be displayed as a graphic and/or alphanumeric data while the estimated IRE index values are being calculated;

determine whether a value of the calculated estimated IRE index values has reached the prespecified target IRE index value, and

cause the application of the IRE pulses to the tissue to continue when the value of the calculated estimated IRE index values has not reached the prespecified target IRE index value.

12 . The computer program product according to claim 11 , wherein the program code includes further instructions to cause the application of the IRE pulses to the tissue to cease in response to the value of the calculated estimated IRE index values reaching the prespecified target IRE index value.

13 . The computer program product according to claim 11 , wherein the program code includes further instructions to cause the calculated estimated IRE index values and the prespecified target IRE index value to be presented to a user.

14 . The computer program product according to claim 11 , wherein the program code includes further instructions to cause the instantaneous power levels to be measured by measuring a peak voltage of the IRE pulses.

15 . The computer program product according to claim 11 , wherein the program code includes further instructions to cause an electric field produced by the IRE pulses to be simulated.