Finite Element Analysis of Tissue Conductivity during High-frequency and Low-voltage Irreversible Electroporation

Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a process in which the membrane of the cancer cells are irreversibly damaged with the use of high-intensity electric pulses, which in turn leads to cell death. The IRE is a non-thermal way to ablate the cancer cells. This process relies on the distribution of the electric field, which affects the pulse amplitude, width, and electrical conductivity of the tissues. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship of the pulse width and intensity with the conductivity changes during the IRE using simulation.
For the purpose of the study, the COMSOL 5 software was utilized to predict the conductivity changes during the IRE. We used 4,000 bipolar and monopolar pulses with the frequency of 5 kHz and 1 Hz, width of 100 µs, and electric fields of low and high intensity. Subsequently, we built three-dimensional numerical models for the liver tissue.
The results of our study revealed that the conductivity of tissue increased during the application of electrical pulses. Additionally, the conductivity changes increased with the elevation of the electric field intensity.
As the finding of this study indicated, the IRE with high-frequency and low electric field intensity could change the tissue conductivity. Therefore, the IRE was recommended to be applied with high frequency and low voltage.