Ablation-integrated scoring tool for immunotherapy response
This technology is a treatment planning system that uses electrical pulses to destroy tumor tissue and simultaneously measures the electrical current flowing through the tissue during that process. By analyzing how that current behaves — its average level and how it changes — the system predicts whether a patient's immune system will mount a meaningful response to follow-on immunotherapy drugs. In effect, it turns the ablation procedure itself into a diagnostic test, telling oncologists before they commit to expensive immunotherapy whether a specific patient is likely to benefit. This could help oncologists personalize cancer treatment sequences and avoid ineffective, costly treatments.
What you could build
A software and hardware system integrated into existing non-thermal ablation devices (such as irreversible electroporation units) that generates a predictive immunotherapy-response score during the ablation procedure itself; the primary buyers would be oncology device manufacturers (e.g., AngioDynamics, Pulse Biosciences) seeking to differentiate their ablation platforms with predictive analytics.
Who in Virginia should care
Northern Virginia and Richmond-area academic medical centers, cancer clinics affiliated with UVA Health or Inova, and medtech companies with federal health partnerships would find this relevant.
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, Natalie White
- Granted
- August 19, 2025
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 12390262
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.