Handling and Control System for Expandable Electrodes of A Handpiece for Use in an Electro-Poration Process

A handling and control system for expandable electrodes (2) of a handpiece for use in an electro-poration process comprising:

• a support assembly (3) provided with an elongated insulating body (4) along an axis H at one of its ends and defining in its inside a plurality of inner channels (5) each of which extends from a first distal end (4-a) of the elongated body (4) for a straight portion (6) parallel to the axis H which is contiguous and communicating with a second straight portion (7) that extends along a direction which forms a divergence angle with respect to the axis H having a radial distance with respect to the axis H increasing towards a second portion of the proximal end (4-b) of the elongated body;
• each second straight portion (7) leads to the second proximal end (4-b) through a respective opening (8);
• a plurality of flexible electrodes (11) carried by said support assembly and mobile with respect to said body under the action of a pushing system (12);
• each electrode comprising an elastic cable (14) made of conductive material covered with an insulating sheath (13) and provided with a front uncovered portion (14-f) that forms a needle-shaped active portion;
• each elastic cable (14) being housed inside a respective channel (5) with the active portion (14-f) that, when in use, protrudes from the respective opening (8);
• the pushing system (12) acting on the flexible cables (14) to perform a movement of the cables themselves along an advancement direction (F) wherein the front portions of the cables (14) that protrude from the support assembly advance along said axis H and at the same time radially distance themselves from the axis H itself;
• the handling and control system (2) being characterized in that it further comprises an electronic control device (27) that controls the actuators (17) of the pushing system and the voltage applied to the electrodes performing the following functions:
• a) providing a command to the actuators (17) to perform an initial handling of each cable (14) according to an initial step Δh, performing an axial advancement of the front portion (14-f) with respect to the second proximal end (4-b) and a distancing of the front portion (14-f) from the axis H;
• b) determining for each pair of electrodes (11) the spacing measured along a direction perpendicular to the axis (H), between the tips of the front portions (14-f) of the pair of electrodes (11);
• c) determining a voltage V as a function of said spacing li, V=f(li) and applying to each electrode a pulsed signal having maximum voltage equal to the determined voltage V;
• d) repeating the above steps a), b) and c) for a plurality n of steps k successive to the initial one so that the active portions (14-f) of the electrodes move in space in a three-dimensional application area becoming distanced from each other;
• the voltage applied to the electrodes increases with the increasing of the spacing according to a set law and is such as to generate an electric field which ensures in said application area the complete electro-poration of the tissue.