A feasibility study for electrical impedance tomography as a means to monitor tissue electroporation for molecular medicine.
Molecular medicine involves the introduction of macromolecules, such as drugs or gene constructs, into specific cells of the body. Electroporation, which uses electric pulses to permeate cell membranes, is a method for achieving this. However, as with other molecular medicine procedures, it lacks a real-time mechanism to detect and control which cells have been affected. We propose and demonstrate, via computer simulation, that electrical impedance tomography has the potential for detecting and imaging electroporation of cells in tissue in real-time, thereby providing feedback for controlling electroporation.
Davalos
Rafael V
RV
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California at Berkeley, 94720, USA. rvdaval@sandia.gov
Rubinsky
Boris
B
Otten
David M
DM
D003198:Computer Simulation; D017097:Electric Impedance; D018274:Electroporation / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008967:Molecular Biology; D014054:Tomography / Q000379:methods*
D046911:Macromolecular Substances