UC Irvine

Pulsed electrical ablation has become a powerful tool in biomedicine, with applications in cancer treatment, atrial fibrillation therapy, and opening the blood-brain barrier (BBB) for drug delivery. A key limitation, however, is that the electric field distribution is invisible in soft tissue, making it difficult to monitor and guide treatment in real time. To overcome this challenge, we have developed electroacoustic tomography (EAT)—a novel imaging modality that captures ultrasound signals generated by pulsed electric fields to visualize energy deposition within tissue. EAT offers the potential to distinguish between irreversible electroporation (IRE) and reversible electroporation (RE) regions during therapy. To establish a robust correlation between EAT and tissue response, we constructed a comprehensive ablation library using potato models, which are low-cost, relatively convenient, and free of ethical issues. We systematically varied treatment voltage and performed EAT imaging during each ablation. Following treatment, samples were stained with triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC), and photos were taken after 5–6 hours to assess tissue viability. EAT reconstructions were then compared with histopathological staining to assess spatial agreement and the ability to differentiate IRE from RE zones. Our results demonstrate that EAT reliably visualizes the electric field distribution for IRE and correlates well with post-treatment tissue response, whereas RE visualization-correlation is satisfactory only for low-voltage parameters. This study lays the foundation for real-time treatment monitoring and personalized control of pulsed electroporation therapies.