Pulsed electric fields for cardiac ablation and beyond: A state of the art review

Irreversible electroporation (IRE) occurs when a strong, pulsed electrical field (PEF) causes permeabilization of the cell membrane, leading to cellular homeostasis disruption and cell death. IRE is a Food and Drug Administration approved treatment for tumor ablation, and has been gaining attention in cardiology as an ablation modality. Applications of PEF in cardiology are vast and include atrial fibrillation, ventricular fibrillation, septal ablation, and targeting vascular structures. PEF has appealing characteristics including ability to be tissue specific and non-thermal.
Source: Heart Rhythm - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: research