A high-voltage pulse generation instrument for electrochemotherapy method

Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a new method that uses anticancer drugs delivery with intensive electrical pulses. Recently, ECT as the treatment method can be applied for basal cell and spin cell carcinoma and for melanoma metastases. In this paper, a new design of a high voltage pulse generator with variable output pulse magnitude, repetition frequency, and pulse duration is presented. Furthermore, it has presented the basic theory of ECT, the importance/advantages against other cancer treatment methods, the theoretical model of electroporated cell membrane, and the application ways of ECT method. The proposed instrument is suitable for effective drug delivery of ECT in anti-tumor treatment. Also, this instrument can be applied to gene transfer/therapy methods. © Springer Science + Business Media, Inc. 2006.