Generating irreversible-electroporation and radiofrequency-ablation (IRE/RFA) waveforms

A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein to be executed by one or more processors, the program code including instructions to:

• receive a selection of a ratio of IRE/RFA energy to be delivered to a target tissue location inside a heart of a patient using a catheter having at least one ablation electrode;
• receive a selection of an interleaved sequence of a combined IRE/RFA waveform having:
• i) one or more adapted IRE square pulses, the one or more adapted IRE square pulses being formed by adapting generated biphasic IRE square pulses to IRE pulses having a final shape and repetition rate using a biphasic pulse shaper, and ii) one of more RFA cycles, the one or more RFA cycles being formed from converting the generated biphasic IRE square pulses into a RF sinusoidal signal using one or more harmonic filters, the interleaved sequence being generated by interleaving, into a single waveform, the one or more adapted IRE square pulses with one or more cycles of the converted RF sinusoidal signal;
• and
• cause the combined IRE/RFA output signal to be outputted to the at least one electrode for application to the same target tissue location at the same time.

An apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions, which when executed, cause the one or more processors to:
• receive a selection of a ratio of IRE/RFA energy to be delivered to a target tissue location inside a heart of a patient using a catheter having at least one ablation electrode;
• receive a selection of an interleaved sequence of a combined IRE/RFA waveform having:
• i) one or more adapted IRE square pulses, the one or more adapted IRE square pulses being formed by adapting generated biphasic IRE square pulses to IRE pulses having a final shape and repetition rate using a biphasic pulse shaper, and ii) one of more RFA cycles, the one or more RFA cycles being formed from converting the generated biphasic IRE square pulses into a RF sinusoidal signal using one or more harmonic filters, the interleaved sequence being generated by interleaving, into a single waveform, the one or more adapted IRE square pulses with one or more cycles of the converted RF sinusoidal signal;
• and
• cause the combined IRE/RFA output signal to be outputted to the at least one electrode for application to the same target tissue location at the same time.