Arrays for longitudinal delivery of TTFields to a body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11452863-B2
Application number	US-201916560306-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2019
Priority date	Jun 30, 2016
Publication date	Sep 27, 2022
Grant date	Sep 27, 2022

Abstract

Tumors in portions of a subject's body that have a longitudinal axis (e.g., the torso, head, and arm) can be treated with TTFields by affixing first and second sets of electrodes at respective positions that are longitudinally prior to and subsequent to a target region. An AC voltage with a frequency of 100-500 kHz is applied between these sets of electrodes. This imposes an AC electric field with field lines that run through the target region longitudinally. The field strength is at least 1 V/cm in at least a portion of the target region. In some embodiments, this approach is combined with the application of AC electric fields through the target region in a lateral direction (e.g., front to back and/or side to side) in order to apply AC electric fields with different orientations to the target region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A kit of electrodes for treating a target region in a subject's body with Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields), the target region being located in a portion of the subject's body that has a longitudinal axis, the kit comprising:
a first plurality of capacitively coupled electrodes wired together in parallel, in series, or in a parallel/series combination;
a first band-shaped substrate configured to hold the first plurality of electrodes against the subject's body so that the first plurality of electrodes surrounds a first part of the subject's body at a position that is longitudinally prior to the target region;
a second plurality of capacitively coupled electrodes wired together in parallel, in series, or in a parallel/series combination;
a second band-shaped substrate configured to hold the second plurality of electrodes against the subject's body so that the second plurality of electrodes surrounds a second part of the subject's body at a position that is longitudinally subsequent to the target region;
a third plurality of capacitively coupled electrodes wired together in parallel, in series, or in a parallel/series combination;
a third substrate configured to hold the third plurality of electrodes against the subject's body on a first side of the target region, at a position that is longitudinally between the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes;
a fourth plurality of capacitively coupled electrodes wired together in parallel, in series, or in a parallel/series combination; and
a fourth substrate configured to hold the fourth plurality of electrodes against the subject's body on a second side of the target region that is opposite to the first side, at a position that is longitudinally between the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes.

2. The kit of claim 1 , further comprising an AC voltage generator configured to generate, in a repeating and alternating sequence, (a) an AC voltage with a frequency of 100-500 kHz between the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes, and (b) an AC voltage with a frequency of 100-500 kHz between the third plurality of electrodes and the fourth plurality of electrodes.

3. The kit of claim 1 , further comprising an AC voltage generator configured to generate, in a repeating and alternating sequence, (a) an AC voltage with a frequency of 125-250 kHz between the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes, and (b) an AC voltage with a frequency of 125-250 kHz between the third plurality of electrodes and the fourth plurality of electrodes.

4. The kit of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of electrodes are all wired together in parallel, and the second plurality of electrodes are all wired together in parallel.

5. The kit of claim 4 , wherein each of the first and second substrates is flexible.

6. The kit of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second substrates is shaped and dimensioned to fit around a torso of the subject's body.

7. The kit of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate is shaped and dimensioned to fit around a torso of the subject's body, and wherein the second substrate is shaped and dimensioned to fit around a neck of the subject's body.

8. The kit of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate is shaped and dimensioned to fit around a neck of the subject's body, and wherein the second substrate is shaped and dimensioned to fit around a head of the subject's body.

9. The kit of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate is shaped and dimensioned to fit around a neck of the subject's body, and wherein the second substrate is shaped and dimensioned to fit on a head of the subject's body.

10. The kit of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second substrates is shaped and dimensioned to fit around a limb of the subject's body.

11. The kit of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fifth plurality of capacitively coupled electrodes;
a fifth substrate configured to hold the fifth plurality of electrodes against the subject's body on a third side of the target region, at a position that is longitudinally between the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes;
a sixth plurality of capacitively coupled electrodes; and
a sixth substrate configured to hold the sixth plurality of electrodes against the subject's body on a fourth side of the target region that is opposite to the third side, at a position that is longitudinally between the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes.

12. A kit of electrodes for treating a target region in a subject's body with Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields), the target region being located in a portion of the subject's body that has a longitudinal axis, the kit comprising:
a first plurality of capacitively coupled electrodes wired together in parallel, in series, or in a parallel/series combination;
a first band-shaped substrate configured to hold the first plurality of electrodes against the subject's body so that the first plurality of electrodes surrounds a first part of the subject's body at a position that is longitudinally prior to the target region;
a second plurality of capacitively coupled electrodes wired together in parallel, in series, or in a parallel/series combination; and
a second band-shaped substrate configured to hold the second plurality of electrodes against the subject's body so that the second plurality of electrodes surrounds a second part of the subject's body at a position that is longitudinally subsequent to the target region.

13. The kit of claim 12 , further comprising an AC voltage generator configured to impose an AC voltage with a frequency of 100-500 kHz between the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes.

14. The kit of claim 12 , further comprising an AC voltage generator configured to impose an AC voltage with a frequency of 125-250 kHz between the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes.

15. The kit of claim 12 , wherein the first plurality of electrodes are all wired together in parallel, and the second plurality of electrodes are all wired together in parallel, and wherein each of the first and second substrates is flexible.

16. The kit of claim 12 , wherein each of the first and second substrates is shaped and dimensioned to fit around a torso of the subject's body.

17. The kit of claim 12 , wherein the first substrate is shaped and dimensioned to fit around a torso of the subject's body, and wherein the second substrate is shaped and dimensioned to fit around a neck of the subject's body.

18. The kit of claim 12 , wherein the first substrate is shaped and dimensioned to fit around a neck of the subject's body, and wherein the second substrate is shaped and dimensioned to fit around a head of the subject's body.

19. The kit of claim 12 , wherein the first substrate is shaped and dimensioned to fit around a neck of the subject's body, and wherein the second substrate is shaped and dimensioned to fit on a head of the subject's body.

20. The kit of claim 12 , wherein each of the first and second substrates is shaped and dimensioned to fit around a limb of the subject's body.

Assignees

• Novocure Gmbh

Inventors

• Kirson Eilon
• Wasserman Yoram
• Hershkovich Hadas Sara
• Bomzon Zeev

Classifications

• A61N1/0476 Primary

  Array electrodes (including any electrode arrangement with more than one electrode for at least one of the polarities) · CPC title

• A61N1/40 Primary

  Applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling (microwave apparatus A61N5/00); {Applying radio-frequency signals} · CPC title

• A61N1/0492

  Patch electrodes (A61N1/0412, A61N1/0428 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61N1/044

  Shape of the electrode · CPC title

• A61N1/0484

  Garment electrodes worn by the patient · CPC title