SPEAKER:
Professor
Ravi
P.
Joshi,
Ph.D.,
P.E.,
Dept.
of
Electrical
and
Computer
Engineering,
Texas
Tech
University,
Lubbock,
USA
ABSTRACT:
Pulsed
power
is
a
broad
technical
field
that
is
united
by
a
common
theme
and
activity—the
transformation
of
electrical
energy
into
high
peak-power
pulses.
The
value
in
this
enabling
technology
is
that
pulsed
power
can
be
used
in
a
large
variety
of
applications
that
range
from
generation
of
electromagnetic
radiation
and
high
power
microwaves
either
for
radars
or
destructive
capabilities,
for
high
power
lasers,
in
applications
to
nuclear
fusion,
production
of
X-rays,
to
ultrashort
electrical
pulses
for
bio-treatments,
and
in
food
decontamination
and
sterilizations.
This
presentation
will
focus
on
the
bio-medical
applications
of
this
technology,
especially
as
a
non-thermal
tool
that
would
have
minimal
side-effects
or
collateral
tissue
damage.
The
use
of
electric
fields
on
biological
systems
is
not
new
and
is
also
quite
natural
given
that
every
biological
cell
possesses
built-in
potential,
neurons
generate
signals
and
communicate
via
electrical
impulses,
and
ions
which
are
abundantly
present
in
the
bio-system
can
be
made
to
respond
and
flow
by
externally
applied
electric
fields.
Electrically
induced
cellular
bio-response
manipulation
is
useful
for
a
variety
of
biomedical
applications
such
as
gene
transfection,
electro-chemotherapy,
drug
delivery,
and
electro-ablation.
More
recently,
high
intensity
(~100
kV/cm),
very
short
(nanosecond)
duration
pulsed
electric
fields
have
been
shown
to
be
useful
for
electrically
triggered
intra-cellular
calcium
release,
immunogenic
tumor
cell
death
and
shrinkage
of
tumors,
temporary
blockage
of
action
potential
in
nerves,
and
activation
of
platelets
for
accelerated
wound
healing.
Thus
plausibly,
such
nanosecond
pulsed
electric
fields
could
be
an
alternative
to
ionizing
radiation
for
cancer
treatment.
The
non-thermal
nature
of
this
ultrashort,
high-intensity
electric
pulse
excitation
modality
(unlike
the
heating
caused
by
microwave
or
radiofrequency
ablation)
allows
for
successful
and
safe
treatment
of
tumor
ablation
even
in
close
proximity
to
critical
structures
and/or
large
vessels.
This
presentation
will
focus
on
the
physics-based
modeling
and
simulation
efforts
at
understanding
the
basic
physics
and
mechanisms
of
electric
field
interactions
and
modulation
of
the
bio-responses
especially
by
ultrashort,
high-intensity
electric
pulsing.
For
clarity
and
concreteness,
a
number
of
representative
applications
will
be
chosen.
BIOGRAPHY:
Ravi
P.
Joshi
received
the
B.Tech.
and
M.Tech.
degrees
from
IIT,
India,
and
the
Ph.D.
degree
from
Arizona
State
University,
all
in
electrical
engineering,
in
1983,
1985,
and
1988,
respectively.
He
is
currently
a
Full
Professor
at
Texas
Tech
University.
He
is
the
author
of
more
than
160
journal
publications.
His
current
research
interests
include
the
modeling
of
bioelectric
phenomena,
charge
transport,
high-field
non-equilibrium
effects
in
solids
and
gases,
and
semiconductor
physics.
Dr.
Joshi
has
served
as
a
Guest
Editor
for
five
Special
Issues
of
the
IEEE
Transactions
on
Plasma
Science,
and
is
a
Fellow
of
the
Institute
of
Physics
(FInstP),
the
Institution
of
Engineering
and
Technology
(FIET),
and
the
IEEE,
besides
being
an
IEEE
Distinguished
Lecturer.