Florida Patent of the Month – August 2023
Soft tissue treatment has long been a challenge in the field of medical ablation. Traditional methods like thermal ablation can cause collateral damage to healthy tissues, while non-thermal techniques like irreversible electroporation (IRE) lack the ability to trigger a specific immune response. ImmunSYS, Inc. is set on changing the game completely with their newly patented technique.
ImmunSYS’s cutting-edge research and development team has spent countless hours developing the radiofrequency Electrical Membrane Breakdown (RF-EMB). Unlike its predecessors, EMB applies an external oscillating electric field that directly and instantly disintegrates the cell membrane, leading to the complete destruction of the cell.
The system for treating soft tissue consists of an electric pulse generator and a probe equipped with an electrode. The generator delivers a series of bi-polar electric pulses to the probe, generating an electric field with a strength ranging from 1,500 V/cm to 10,000 V/cm. This field causes immediate electrical membrane breakdown of cells, including the spilling of intracellular components into the extracellular space.
The advantages of RF-EMB are extensive. Firstly, the method allows for the preservation of sensitive tissue structures, sparing healthy tissues from unnecessary damage. Secondly, the exposed non-denatured intra-cellular and membrane proteins trigger a specific immune response in the subject’s body. This immune response can be further enhanced by additional immune modulators, making it a promising tool for cancer treatment.
Its non-thermal technique makes it even more appealing. Unlike thermal ablation methods, EMB destroys cells without denaturing intra-cellular proteins, ensuring the exposure of intact proteins to the immune system. This ability to induce a supplemental immune response sets EMB apart from other tissue ablation techniques.
ImmunSYS’s system includes a controller that allows for precise adjustments to the treatment protocol. It can control the duration, shape, and number of bi-polar electric pulses in the series, as well as the spacing between them. Real-time temperature feedback from a probe ensures that thermal effects are minimized, if not eliminated, during the procedure.
The potential applications of RF-EMB are vast. For instance, the system can be configured to enable the administration of immunologic response enhancing drugs directly into or adjacent to the soft tissue before or after applying the electric field. This opens up new possibilities for increasing the effectiveness of immunotherapy and cancer treatment.
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