Reversible electroporation study of realistic normal and cancerous cervical cells model using avalanche...

In this paper, we study the reversible electroporation process on normal and cancerous cervical cells. The 2D contour of the cervical cells is extracted using image processing techniques from the Pap smear images. The conductivity change in the cancer cell model has been used to differentiate the effects of the high-frequency electric field on normal and cancerous cells. The cells' dielectric constant modulates when this high-frequency pulse is applied based on the Debye relaxation. To computationally visualize the effects of the electroporation on the cell membrane, the Smoluchowski equation is employed to estimate pore density, and Maxwell equations are used to determine the electric potential developed across the membrane of the cervical cell. The results demonstrate the suitability of this mathematical model for studying the response of normal and cancerous cells under electric stress. The electric field is supplied with the help of a realistic pulse generator which is designed on the principle of Marx circuit and avalanche transistor-based operations to produce a Gaussian pulse. The paper here uses a strength-duration curve to differentiate the electric field and time in nanoseconds required to electroporate normal and cancerous cells.