High electric field pulses cause irreversible permeabilizations to form within the cell membrane, directly causing cell ablation. This is a nonthermal treatment procedure, leaving the extracellular matrix and blood vessels intact. Potential applications include treatment of solid tumors, as well as the development of decullarized tissue scaffolds for tissue engineering applications.

This technology combines the benefits of two ablation technologies: reversible electroporation and electrolysis. A low electric field pulse or sequence of pulses is designed to cause temporary permeabilizations to form within the cell membrane while creating electrolytic products that penetrate the cell, resulting in targeted cell death. This nonthermal treatment method allows for cell ablation using lower applied electric fields than irreversible electroporation and does not require the use of cytotoxic drugs. The goal is to develop this method to allow for a simple, inexpensive, and controllable treatment procedure.