High-voltage analog circuit pulser

Inventors

Xiao, Shu • Athos, Brian G. • Kreis, Mark P. • Danitz, David J. • Uecker, Darrin R.

Assignees

Pulse Biosciences Inc

Abstract

A sub-microsecond pulsed electric field generator is disclosed. The field generator includes a controller, which generates a power supply control signal and generates a pulse generator control signal, and a power supply, which receives the power supply control signal and generates one or more power voltages based on the received power supply control signal. The field generator also includes a pulse generator which receives the power voltages and the pulse generator control signal, and generates one or more pulses based on the power voltages and based on the pulse generator control signal. In some embodiments, the controller receives feedback signals representing a value of a characteristic of or a result of the pulses and generates at least one of the power supply control signal and the pulse generator control signal based on the received feedback signals.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to a sub-microsecond pulsed electric field generator system that includes a controller, a power supply, and a pulse generator. The controller generates a power supply control signal and a pulse generator control signal, and the power supply generates one or more power voltages based in part on the received power supply control signal. The pulse generator receives the one or more power voltages and the pulse generator control signal and generates one or more pulses based in part on the received power voltages and based in part on the pulse generator control signal.

The pulse generator comprises a pulse generator stage with a switch and a capacitive element coupled to the switch. The switch driver includes a lossy transformer and connects to the switch, and the switch driver generates switch control signal pulses for switching the switch. The system therefore performs charging and discharge of the capacitive element to produce high-voltage output pulses using control signals formed via the lossy transformer.

The disclosed approach addresses feedback-based pulse characteristic control for maintaining desired pulse characteristics and limiting thermal and energy/power effects. Feedback signals from at least current, voltage, and temperature sensing, together with electrode and/or pulse generator measurements, are used to adjust control signals to maintain selected amplitude, pulse width, frequency or number, and rise/fall time, while constraining tissue temperature and energy or power applied to the tissue. The disclosure also specifies tunable pulse generation using a Marx-switch-stack hybrid approach, including few-stage capacitive element arrangements and parallel panel scaling for current and power.

Claims Coverage

The document contains two independent claims: one system claim with inventive hardware architecture and one method claim for generating high-voltage pulses. Across these independent claims, two main inventive features are emphasized: a pulse generator stage using a lossy-transformer-based switch driver, and a method that uses a lossy transformer to convert driving pulses into switch control pulses that discharge a charged capacitive element.

Overall, the independent claims define a sub-microsecond pulsed electric field generator architecture where a controller drives power and pulse generation, and the pulse generator stage uses a lossy-transformer-based switch driver to switch a capacitive element. The independent method claim mirrors the architecture by defining charging of the capacitive element, converting driving pulses into control signal pulses via a lossy transformer, and switching to discharge for high-voltage output pulses.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications