IRE ablation and immunotherapy combo system for solid tumors
This technology combines a well-established tumor-destruction technique called irreversible electroporation (IRE) — which uses precisely timed electrical pulses to kill cancer cells — with immunotherapy agents delivered directly to the treated area. When IRE destroys tumor tissue, it releases cellular debris that can alert the immune system; adding immune-stimulating drugs to that environment is designed to amplify that natural alarm signal into a systemic anti-cancer response. The method specifies very short pulse lengths (10 microseconds or less) and deliberate pauses between pulses, which appear to be tuned to optimize cell killing while preserving the immune-triggering potential of the debris. The combined approach aims to not only eliminate the local tumor but also train the body's immune system to attack cancer cells elsewhere.
What you could build
A procedural protocol and device system — sold to interventional oncology centers and cancer hospitals — that pairs an IRE ablation catheter with a co-administered immunotherapy agent (checkpoint inhibitor or adjuvant), enabling a combined local-systemic cancer treatment in a single procedure session.
Who in Virginia should care
Virginia hospital systems with cancer centers (Inova, UVA Health, VCU Health) and medical device or oncology-focused startups in the Northern Virginia or Richmond corridors would be natural partners or licensees.
Readiness: Lab validated
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Rafael V. Davalos, John H. Rossmeisl, Paulo A. Garcia
- Granted
- December 18, 2018
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 10154874
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.