Selective electroporation catheter for asymmetric vascular
This technology uses a specialized balloon catheter to treat arterial blockages (stenosis) by delivering precisely targeted electrical pulses that destroy the diseased cells causing the narrowing, without generating heat that could damage surrounding tissue. The catheter is inflated inside the blocked vessel so that an array of independently controlled electrodes can be positioned against the blockage. Because the electrodes can be activated selectively — only on one side of the vessel at a time — the device can treat irregular or asymmetrical blockages without affecting the healthy portion of the vessel wall. The electrical pulses are tuned to kill cells through irreversible electroporation, a non-thermal mechanism that leaves the structural scaffold of the vessel intact.
What you could build
A single-use interventional cardiology or peripheral vascular catheter system sold to hospital cath labs and vascular surgery centers; the primary buyers would be device companies or cardiovascular OEMs seeking a differentiated electroporation-based treatment platform for coronary or peripheral artery disease.
Who in Virginia should care
Virginia's large network of hospital systems (Inova, VCU Health, Sentara) and the presence of cardiovascular device distributors in the DC metro corridor make this relevant to medtech commercialization or hospital technology licensing.
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
- Robert E. Neal II, Paulo A. Garcia, Rafael V. Davalos, Peter Callas
- Granted
- July 7, 2020
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 10702326
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.