Vivo treatment of skin lesions by electrical nanopulses

Abstract

This disclosure relates to an in vivo treatment of a skin lesion of a mammal comprising application of electrical energy to the skin lesion in a form of electrical pulses. At least one electrical pulse is applied. The pulse duration may be at least 0.01 nanoseconds at the full-width-at-half-maximum. This treatment may at least prevent growth of the lesion.

1 . A method of in vivo treatment of a skin lesion, the method comprising:
 selecting, based on a type of the skin lesion, a duration of an electrical pulse at a full-width-half-maximum and an amplitude of the electrical pulse, wherein the duration is at least 0.01 nanoseconds;   determining at least one of a volume of the skin lesion or a surface area of the skin lesion;   selecting, based on at least one of the volume of the skin lesion or the surface area of the skin lesion, a configuration of electrodes of a pulse delivery device;   determining, prior to a start of a delivery of the electrical energy and based on the duration and the amplitude of the electrical pulse and on the configuration of the electrodes, a total number of electrical pulses to generate for a delivery of electrical energy per volume of the skin lesion of at least 10 mJ/mm 3 ;   setting, prior to the start of the delivery of the electrical energy, the duration, amplitude and the total number on a pulse generator connected to the pulse delivery device; and   causing the delivery of the electrical energy of at least 10 mJ/mm 3  to the skin lesion through the electrodes of the pulse delivery device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the skin lesion comprises malignancies, precancerous lesions, human papilloma virus (HPV) infected cells, immune-related conditions, seborrheic keratosis, acrocordon, aged skin, wrinkled skin, damaged skin, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the skin lesion comprises basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis, warts, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the skin lesion comprises common warts, actinic keratosis, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the skin lesion comprises common warts, and wherein the electrical energy per volume of the skin lesion is at least 920 mJ/mm 3 . 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the skin lesion comprises actinic keratosis, and wherein the electrical energy per volume of the skin lesion is at least 473 mJ/mm 3 . 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pulse duration at the full-width-half-maximum is in the range of 1 nanoseconds to 100 nanoseconds. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pulse duration at the full-width-half-maximum is in the range of 1 nanoseconds to 30 nanoseconds. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical field formed by each pulse is at least 1 kV/cm at the peak amplitude of the pulse. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical field formed by each pulse is at least 10 kV/cm at the peak amplitude of the pulse. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical field formed by each pulse is in the range of 1 kV/cm to 1,000 kV/cm at the peak amplitude of the pulse. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical field formed by each pulse is in the range of 10 kV/cm to 100 kV/cm at the peak amplitude of the pulse. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery of the electrical energy comprises at least 10 pulses. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery of the electrical energy comprises at least 100 pulses. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery of the electrical energy comprises at least 1,000 pulses. 
     
     
         16 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the applied electrical energy per volume of the skin lesion is in the range of 10 mJ/mm 3  to 10,000 mJ/mm 3 . 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the applied electrical energy per volume of the skin lesion is at least 920 mJ/mm 3  for at least to prevent growth of the warts. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the treatment induces at least 21% shrinkage of the warts. 
     
     
         22 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the applied electrical energy per volume of the skin lesion is at least 473 mJ/mm 3  to at least prevent growth of the actinic keratosis. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the treatment induces at least 20% shrinkage of the actinic keratosis. 
     
     
         28 - 34 . (canceled)