High-Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Generator for Contactless Permeabilization of Cells In Vitro

High-intensity pulsed electromagnetic fields (HI-PEMFs) can be used for contactless permeabilization of biological cells and, thus, exploited for drug and gene delivery or other biomedical applications. Nevertheless, the availability of applicable technological setups is almost non-existent. In this article, we present a new prototype of the HI-PEMF generator, which can be used for contactless permeabilization of cells in vitro. The generator is based on high dI/dt silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) switches and is capable to generate magnetic field pulses up to 7 T and electric fields >10 V/cm in a volume comparable to standard in vitro procedures for electroporation. Three different applicators (inductors) were studied, and the influence on the output pulse is presented, including the thermal analysis. Based on the results, the optimal inductor was selected and experimentally tested on Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells in basic permeabilization [propidium iodide (PI)] experiments. The generator circuit, parameters, characteristics, and recommendations for future HI-PEMF systems are provided.