Apparatuses and methods for limiting load current in nanosecond pulsed power sources
AssigneePulse Biosciences, Inc.
InventorsChaofeng HUANG, Gregory P. SCHAADT, Kenneth R. KRIEG
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Abstract
Described herein are apparatuses and methods for applying high voltage, high current, sub-microsecond (e.g., nanosecond range) pulsed output to a biological material, e.g., tissues, cells, etc., while preventing damage from load arcing. Some of the apparatuses and methods described herein may limit the load and pulsed power source current in case of load arcing significantly by using a transmission line (e.g., coaxial cable, twisted pair or parallel pair cables) between the pulsed power source and the load having a length configured to achieve this goal.
Claims20
An apparatus for delivering sub-microsecond pulsed electrical energy comprising:
- a sub-microsecond pulse generator configured to provide at least a high voltage pulsed output having a maximum pulse duration in sub-microsecond range;
- a housing at least partially enclosing the sub-microsecond pulse generator;
- a transmission cable coupled to the sub-microsecond pulse generator at a first end, the transmission cable having a characteristic impedance (Z0) and a characteristic pulse speed (v), wherein the transmission cable has a transmission cable length comprising an internal cable length that is housed within the housing and an external cable length that is extended or extendable from the housing, such that a distributed inductance of the transmission cable decreases and delays rapidly rising currents that are reflected back to the sub-microsecond pulse generator to prevent damage to the sub-microsecond pulse generator;
- and
- a pulse delivery output, wherein the pulse delivery output couples to the external cable length of the transmission cable.
A method of generating sub-microsecond pulsed electrical energy, the method comprising:
- generating a high voltage pulsed output having a maximum pulse duration of up to 1000 ns;
- and
- transmitting the pulsed output from a first end of a transmission cable coupled to a sub-microsecond pulse generator to a pulse delivery output at a second end of the transmission cable at a characteristic pulse speed on the transmission cable;
- wherein the transmission cable has a transmission cable length comprising an internal cable length that is housed within a housing and an external cable length that is extended or extendable from the housing, such that a distributed inductance of the transmission cable decreases and delays rapidly rising currents that are reflected back to the sub-microsecond pulse generator to prevent damage to the sub-microsecond pulse generator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.