Device and method for single-needle in vivo electroporation
AssigneeGenetronics, Inc.
InventorsRune Kjeken, Iacob Mathiesen, Elisabeth Torunn Tjelle, George McHugh
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Abstract
Described is a device and method for administration of molecules to tissue in vivo for various medical applications, the device comprising a single hypodermic injection needle and at least two spaced elongate electrodes which provide for the ability, when the needle is inserted into tissue, such as skin or muscle, to pulse tissue with a non-uniform electric field sufficient to cause reversible poration of cells lying along or in close proximity to the track made by the needle upon its insertion into said tissue.
Claims14
A device for electroporation of tissue in vivo for delivering therapeutic substances into cells of a tissue comprising:
- a single electroporating needle having a tissue-piercing tip, said needle comprising:
- a shaft that is elongated, hollow, and adapted for delivery of a fluid comprising a therapeutic substance to said tissue, said shaft having a length running from one end of the needle to the tip of the needle at an other end of the needle, and
- at least two electrodes exposed along an outer surface of said shaft that are adapted to produce a generally cylindrical electric field, said at least two electrodes spaced and electrically isolated from one another and situated spiraling and parallel to one another along the length of said shaft;
- an electrical energy source;
- and
- electric conduits capable of connecting each of said at least two electrodes to the electrical energy source, wherein when said shaft is inserted into said tissue and said at least two electrodes are energized by said electrical energy source, said at least two electrodes are in contact with said tissue and are capable of generating the generally cylindrical electric field in a treatment zone surrounding the length of said shaft, wherein the at least two electrodes are configured to transmit electric pulses from the electrical energy source that have a current in a range of 1 mAmp to 400 mAmp so as to cause cells in said treatment zone to become reversibly porated so as to allow said cells to take up said therapeutic substance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.