Treatment of Uveal Melanoma by Nonthermal Irreversible Electroporation: Electrical and Bioheat Finite Element Model of the Human Eye

Abstract

Nonthermal irreversible electroporation (NTIRE) is an new minimally invasive tissue ablation modality that uses high electric field pulses to produce irreversible permeation of the cell membrane (irreversible electroporation) while avoiding thermal damage and is applied to treat malignant tumors. This paper describes efforts to develop NTIRE as a new minimally invasive treatment modality for uveal melanoma, the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults, and other ocular malignancies. The paper deals with a 3D mathematical simulation model of the eye that employs the simultaneous solution to the electric field equation and to the Pennes bioheat equation to predict the electric field in the eye as well as the rise in eye temperature in response to the application of a high power electric pulse. Treatment efficacy was defined as the fraction of tumor volume in which the electric field exceeded a predefined target field and treatment safety was calculated by the ratio of the electric field in the tumor to the electric field in the vitreous humor or in the macula. Results show that treatment efficacy and safety are criteria that can be used to optimize the NTIRE treatment protocol.