Granted Patent B2

US 12,390,268 · App. 17/591,992 · Granted Aug 19, 2025

Inventors: Paulo A. Garcia (Somerville, MA); Christopher B. Arena (Blacksburg, VA); Michael B. Sano (Cary, NC); Rafael V. Davalos (Blacksburg, VA)

Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.

A61B18/1477A61B34/10C12N13/00A61B2018/0016A61B2018/00613A61B2018/00779A61B2018/00875A61B2018/00886A61B2018/00892A61B2018/1425A61B2034/104A61B34/25A61B2034/256A61B90/37

Abstract

Claims (43)

1. A method comprising:

obtaining an image of a patient tissue;

identifying a target treatment area in the image of the patient tissue;

modeling an estimated treatment zone in the target treatment area based on one or more electrical energy treatment parameters and one or more tissue-specific conductivity parameters, wherein the tissue-specific conductivity parameters include a measured baseline electrical conductivity, a change in electrical conductivity, a rate at which electrical conductivity changes, an electric field at which the change in electrical conductivity occurs, and/or an electric field at which irreversible electroporation occurs;

providing a graphical representation of the estimated treatment zone;

providing a treatment protocol based on the modeling; and

administering electrical pulses to the target treatment area of the patient tissue according to the treatment protocol.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical representation is a 3D graphical representation of the estimated treatment zone.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the image and/or the 3D graphical representation includes one or more of cells, organs, vessels, heart, kidney, liver, lung, spleen, pancreas, brain, prostrate, breast, small intestine, large intestine, stomach, or mesenchymal tissue.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying of the target treatment area in the image of the patient tissue is performed automatically by software; and/or

wherein the target treatment area is modified by a user.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical representation comprises the estimated treatment zone and a safety margin.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the change in electrical conductivity is due to temperature.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical energy treatment parameters are chosen from one or more of voltage, electrode spacing, electrode diameter, electrode length, number of pulses, treatment duration, pulse width, electric field intensity.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical representation comprises a modeled electrical field distribution derived from Cassini oval calculations.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical representation is an image generated from Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Ultrasound imaging, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) or fluoroscopic imaging.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modeling comprises virtual placement of one or more electrodes.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining a lethal electric field threshold for IRE (E IRE ).

12. A method comprising:

obtaining an image of a patient tissue;

identifying a target treatment area in the image of the patient tissue;

segmenting the target treatment area from surrounding tissue;

modeling an estimated treatment zone in the target treatment area based on one or more treatment parameters and one or more tissue-specific conductivity parameters, wherein the tissue-specific conductivity parameters include a measured baseline electrical conductivity, a change in electrical conductivity, a rate at which electrical conductivity changes, an electric field at which the change in electrical conductivity occurs, and/or an electric field at which irreversible electroporation occurs;

providing a graphical representation of the estimated treatment zone;

identifying one or more area within the estimated treatment zone that may be subject to thermal damage based on the modeling;

modifying one or more of the treatment parameters through one or more iterations to provide modified treatment parameters capable of preventing thermal damage within the one or more area of the estimated treatment zone; and

providing a modified graphical representation of the estimated treatment zone based on the modified treatment parameters and providing a treatment protocol based on the modeling that prevents thermal damage within the one or more area within the estimated treatment zone.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the graphical representation and/or the modified graphical representation is a 3D graphical representation.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the identifying of the target treatment area in the image of the patient tissue is performed automatically by software; and/or

wherein the target treatment area is modified by a user.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the graphical representation and/or the modified graphical representation comprises the estimated treatment zone and a safety margin.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the treatment parameters and/or the modified treatment parameters are chosen from one or more of voltage, electrode spacing, electrode diameter, electrode length, number of pulses, treatment duration, pulse width, electric field intensity, a baseline electrical conductivity for the target treatment area, or an electrical conductivity for a specific tissue type.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the graphical representation or the modified graphical representation is derived from Cassini oval calculations.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising administering the treatment protocol to the patient.

19. A method comprising:

obtaining an image of a patient tissue;

identifying a target treatment area in the image of the patient tissue;

virtually placing one or more simulated electrodes in the target treatment area;

modeling an estimated treatment zone in the target treatment area based on one or more treatment parameters, the virtually placed electrodes, and one or more tissue-specific conductivity parameters, wherein the tissue-specific conductivity parameters include a measured baseline electrical conductivity, a change in electrical conductivity, a rate at which electrical conductivity changes, an electric field at which the change in electrical conductivity occurs, and/or an electric field at which irreversible electroporation occurs;

providing a graphical representation of the estimated treatment zone;

providing a treatment protocol based on the modeling;

placing one or more electrodes into the target area based on the treatment protocol; and

administering the treatment protocol to the patient.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (22)

References Cited (400)

Cited By (3)

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