Development of an endothermic electrode for electroporation-based therapies: A simulation study

Abstract

Cell death mediated by non-thermal mechanisms is an essential characteristic of irreversible electroporation for tumor ablation. However, needle electrodes inherently promote thermal damage immediately adjacent to the electrode/tissue interface, especially in cases when intensive pulsed electric fields are applied to get a large ablation. In this study, we propose utilization of endothermic reactions in the core of clinically used needle electrodes to absorb the heat generated during electroporation, thereby accentuating the nonthermal aspect of irreversible electroporation. In this study, numerical models were developed to determine temperature profiles resulting from a typical irreversible electroporation (IRE) protocol in clinic using either conventional solid electrodes or hollow electrodes filled with NH4NO3 to facilitate an endothermic reaction in the electrode core. The results indicate that the endothermic electrodes can reduce the temperature rise and thermal damage during IRE treatment.