We have developed a new high-voltage switch that allows us to generate short high-frequency high-power electrical pulses. A single switch enables the generation of electrical pulses of 1700 V amplitude, 200 ns length and 100 A current with a pulse repetition rate of 2 MHz. We have shown that developed switches can be connected in series to achieve higher pulse voltages, as well as in parallel to achieve higher pulse currents. We have also shown that large measurement errors can occur when using inadequate equipment for measuring short high-voltage pulses. In our published article, we made a recommendation on how to measure high-voltage nanosecond pulses in electroporation studies.
COBISS.SI-ID: 12650836
In the first in vitro study of high-frequency electrochemotherapy, we showed that even with high-frequency electrical pulses, a chemotherapeutic can be successfully introduced into biological cells. However, for the same effect of electrochemotherapy, the amplitude of high-frequency pulses must be increased by two and a half times compared to classical electroporation pulses. Based on these results, we were later able to perform the first in vivo high-frequency electrochemotherapy, in which the distribution of the electric field in the tissue is supposed to be more homogeneous and thus the therapy more successful.
COBISS.SI-ID: 12549716
It was recently suggested that applying high-frequency short bipolar pulses reduces pain and muscle contractions in reversible and irreversible electroporation treatments; however, higher amplitudes of bipolar pulses are required to achieve a similar effect as with monopolar pulses. High-frequency pulses are in the range of a microseconds, thus, the so-called cancellation effect could be responsible for the need to apply pulses of higher amplitudes. In cancellation effect, the effect of first pulse is reduced by the second pulse of opposite polarity. In the study, we evaluated the cause of the cancellation effect by modelling the assisted discharge and by testing the influence of different parameters of electrical pulses and different cell suspensions on the cancellation effect. We have shown that the cancellation effect could be partially explained by the assisted discharge and not by the hyperpolarization by the chloride channels.
COBISS.SI-ID: 12820564