A high voltage amplifier for use in medical applications of electroporation

The bio-physical effect known as electroporation or electropermeabilization is becoming more widely used in medical treatment, especially for chemotherapy and gene therapy. The conventional electrical apparatus used is based on DC voltage pulses which may not be optimal. Indications are that AC pulses may provide significant improvements. A high voltage linear amplifier design incorporating vacuum tube valves is presented that could facilitate AC pulse experimentation. Valves are used as they most readily suit the desired electrical specifications of an output voltage of 4kV/sub p/, a bandwidth of 500 Hz-5 MHz, a voltage gain of 52 dB, and an output impedance of