Time domain dielectric spectroscopy of nanosecond pulsed electric field induced changes in dielectric properties of pig whole blood

• Dielectric spectra of pig blood under physiological conditions were measured.
• Membrane poration after nsPEF-exposures was characterized by Cole-Cole model.
• The morphological changes in exposed erythrocytes were identified.
• Most erythrocytes could not fully recover from supra-electroporation up to 30 min.

The dielectric spectra of fresh pig whole blood in the β-dispersion range after exposure to 300–nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs) with amplitude higher than the supra-electroporation threshold for erythrocytes were recorded by time domain reflectometry dielectric spectroscopy. The implications of the dielectric parameters on the dynamics of post-pulse pore development were discussed in light of the Cole–Cole relaxation model. The temporal development of the Cole–Cole parameters indicates that nsPEFs induced significant poration and swelling of erythrocytes within the first 5 min. The results also show that the majority of erythrocytes could not fully recover from supra-electroporation up to 30 min. The findings of this study suggest that time domain dielectric spectroscopy is a promising label-free and real-time physiological measuring technique for nsPEF-blood related biomedical applications, capable of following the conformational and morphological changes of cells.