A subject is inoculated from a disease by exposing a biopsy of a tumor or other abnormal growth to a nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF). A sufficient treatment can be confirmed by detecting calreticulin on the tumor cell membranes, which indicates apoptosis occurring in the tumor cells. Treated tumor cells from the biopsy are then reintroduced into the subject. The calreticulin-exhibiting tumor cells activate the subject's immune system against the tumor, and any other like tumors in the body, and effectively vaccinates the subject against the disease. The treatment can be combined with CD47-blocking antibodies, doxorubicin, CTLA-4-blocking antibodies, and/or PD-1-blocking antibodies. The immune response may be measured at a later time. Specific electrical characteristics of the nsPEF treatments can be based on the type and/or strength of the tumor.

The present invention relates to electroporation (EP) devices that are able to generate an electroporation causing electrical field at the mucosal layer, and preferably in a tolerable manner. Further, it includes the generation of a protective immune response, cellular and/or humoral, using the oral EP device along with a genetic construct that encodes an immunogenic sequence.

Several embodiments disclosed herein relate to the delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids to an ocular tissue in order to provide a therapeutic effect to reduce symptoms of or otherwise alleviate an ocular disorder. In particular embodiments, plasmid DNA is delivered to the cells of the trabecular meshwork in order to ameliorate increasing intraocular pressure. Devices and systems to accomplish this delivery are also disclosed.

The disclosure is directed to a device for electroporating and delivering one or more antigens and a method of electroporating and delivering one or more antigens to cells of epidermal tissues using the device. The device comprises a housing, a plurality of electrode arrays projecting from the housing, each electrode array including at least one electrode, a pulse generator electrically coupled to the electrodes, a programmable microcontroller electrically coupled to the pulse generator, and an electrical power source coupled to the pulse generator and the microcontroller. The electrode arrays define spatially separate sites.

A device for electroporating cells of a mammalian mucosal membrane includes a housing, an electrode microneedle plate, a voltage return electrode coupled to the housing, and an energy source. The energy source is configured to generate and deliver through the electrode microneedle plate and the voltage return electrode at least one pulse of electrical energy having an electric potential sufficient to electroporate the cells. The electrode microneedle plate is configured to provide an even distribution of a pharmaceutical formulation from the housing and to the mucosal membrane. The electrode microneedle plate includes a plurality of microneedles that are configured to contact the mucosal membrane, deliver the pharmaceutical formulation to a specific depth, and deliver the at least one pulse of ergy to the cells.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an electroporation system comprising an electroporation probe having at least two contiguous electrodes configured to be inserted into biological tissue for electroporation treatment, and a pulse generator electrically connected to the probe and configured to drive the electroporation probe using a sequence of one or more electric pulses to cause current transmission through the probe and induce a non-uniform electric field in the biological tissue proximate the probe electrodes. Treatment tissue can be targeted by controlling the probe configuration, carrier solution characteristics and parameters of the electroporation pulse sequence to achieve predictable electroporation outcomes. This electroporation control method can also reduce potentially toxic effects of electroporation treatment.

A subject is inoculated from a disease by exposing a biopsy of a tumor or other abnormal growth to a nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF). A sufficient treatment can be confirmed by detecting calreticulin on the tumor cell membranes, which indicates apoptosis occurring in the tumor cells. Treated tumor cells from the biopsy are then reintroduced into the subject. The calreticulin-exhibiting tumor cells activate the subject's immune system against the tumor, and any other like tumors in the body, and effectively vaccinates the subject against the disease. The treatment can be combined with CD47-blocking antibodies, doxorubicin, CTLA-4-blocking antibodies, and/or PD-1-blocking antibodies. The immune response may be measured at a later time. Specific electrical characteristics of the nsPEF treatments can be based on the type and/or strength of the tumor.

The present disclosure relates to a non-invasive and continuous biomedical detections and non-invasive and continuous monitoring methods and devices for extracting and analyzing interstitial fluid extracted non-invasively and continuously from the skin of a subject comprising non-invasively electroporating the skin using a non pulsed voltage in combination with a pulsed voltage and applying negative pressure.

An electrode for the electrical stimulation of brain tissue or other tissue of a patient is configured for location between skull and scalp of the patient. The electrode has a stimulation surface which is configured for contacting the skull of the patient. The electrode is a disc-shaped electrode having a pre-shaped flat or concave stimulation surface.

The disclosure is directed to a device for electroporating and delivering one or more antigens and a method of electroporating and delivering one or more antigens to cells of epidermal tissues using the device. The device comprises a housing, a plurality of electrode arrays projecting from the housing, each electrode array including at least one electrode, a pulse generator electrically coupled to the electrodes, a programmable microcontroller electrically coupled to the pulse generator, and an electrical power source coupled to the pulse generator and the microcontroller. The electrode arrays define spatially separate sites.