System and method for electrical control of bacteria
AssigneeThe General Hospital Corporation
InventorsMartin L. Yarmush, William G. Austen, Alexander Goldberg, Saiqa I. Khan
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Abstract
A system and method for controlling microbial growth on and in medical devices and implants, especially biofilm infections, involves using pulsed electric fields (PEF). To eradicate at least a portion of a biofilm on a medical implant, for example, 1500 volts can be applied through an electrode system, with pulse duration of 50 μs and pulse delivery frequency of 2 Hz. In the clinical setting, systemic microbial therapy can be combined with PEF to achieve a synergistic effect leading to improved eradication of infections.
Claims7
A method for disinfecting a medical device using pulsed electric fields, the method including the steps of:
- a. identifying one or more characteristics of a microbial biofilm to be eradicated, the biofilm being located on or in a medical device;
- b. selecting a suitable protocol for the pulsed electric field to be applied, the selected protocol defining:
- 1) a voltage;
- and
- 2) a pulse frequency;
- c. positioning an electrode system at a medical device to be disinfected;
- d. applying a pulsed electric field to the microbial biofilm to eradicate at least a portion of the microbes in the biofilm, the pulsed electric field having:
- 1) A voltage of at least 1000 volts;
- 2) An electric field strength of at least 150 V/mm;
- and
- 3) a pulse frequency of at least 1 Hz.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.