Systems and methods for limiting arcing in electroporation systems

A method for limiting arcing during an electroporation procedure, the method comprising:

• delivering a calibration shock using a catheter;
• measuring a current delivered during the calibration shock and a voltage delivered during the calibration shock;
• calculating, using a processing device, a calibration shock impedance based on the current delivered and the voltage delivered;
• calculating, using the processing device, a bridge impedance based on the calibration shock impedance and a target impedance, wherein the bridge impedance is a difference between the calibration shock impedance and the target impedance;
• adding, in response to the calculation of the bridge impedance, an impedance in series with the catheter, the impedance added based on the calculated bridge impedance and being greater than or equal to the bridge impedance;
• and
• delivering a therapeutic shock including a therapeutic electrical pulse using the catheter in series with the added impedance, wherein the calibration shock includes a calibration electrical pulse with an energy level i) selected to ensure no arcing occurs during delivery of the calibration shock and ii) lower than an energy level of the therapeutic electrical pulse.