Pulsed electric field waveform controller for clean tumor
This technology uses precisely timed bursts of electrical pulses to selectively kill cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. By tuning the duration of each pulse and the gap between pulses, the system creates two distinct treatment zones around implanted electrodes: an inner zone where all cells are destroyed, and an outer zone where only cancer cells are targeted by disrupting their internal membrane function. This outer selective zone is the key innovation — it can reach infiltrating tumor cells at the margins that would otherwise be missed, addressing the root cause of many solid tumor recurrences. The approach is delivered through a device applied directly to tissue during or after surgery, or potentially via a standalone minimally invasive procedure.
What you could build
A pulsed electric field ablation system with an optimized waveform controller, sold to interventional oncology centers and surgical teams treating solid tumors such as pancreatic, liver, lung, or brain cancers where clean margins are critical and healthy tissue preservation is paramount.
Who in Virginia should care
Medical device companies, university health systems, and oncology-focused surgical robotics or energy-delivery firms operating in the Virginia/DC metro corridor — including those near Inova, VCU Health, or UVA Health — would have direct clinical and commercial interest.
Readiness: Prototype likely
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
- Michael B. Sano, Christopher B. Arena, Scott S. Verbridge, Rafael V. Davalos
- Granted
- November 12, 2019
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 10471254
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.