Delivering tumor treating fields (TTFields) to the neck

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11890467-B2
Application number	US-202017005622-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2020
Priority date	Aug 30, 2019
Publication date	Feb 6, 2024
Grant date	Feb 6, 2024

Abstract

Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) can be used to treat tumors (and/or prevent metastases) in or near a person's neck by affixing a first transducer array (i.e., a set of electrode elements) to the person's head and affixing a second transducer array to the person's chest. Subsequently, an AC voltage at a desired frequency (e.g., 100-300 kHz) is applied between the first transducer array and the second transducer array. This induces an electric field that is strong enough to be effective (e.g., greater than 1 V/cm) in most of the person's neck. In some embodiments, the center of the first transducer array is positioned on the vertex of the head or on an upper surface of the person's head. In some embodiments, the second set of electrode elements is positioned immediately below the base of the neck.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of treating a tumor or preventing metastases in or near a person's neck, the method comprising:
affixing a first set of electrode elements having a first centroid to the person's head with the first centroid positioned on the person's head;
affixing a second set of electrode elements having a second centroid to a front of the person's upper chest with the second centroid positioned on the front of the person's upper chest; and
applying an alternating voltage between the first set of electrode elements and the second set of electrode elements,
wherein the applying is performed after affixing the first and second sets of electrode elements, and
wherein the first and second sets of electrode elements are affixed at positions such that when the alternating voltage is applied between the first set of electrode elements and the second set of electrode elements, an electric field intensity greater than 1 V/cm is produced in a majority of a region of interest that includes all portions of the person's neck that are anterior to the person's spine.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrode elements of the first and second sets are capacitively coupled.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alternating voltage that is applied between the first set of electrode elements and the second set of electrode elements has a frequency between 100 kHz and 300 kHz.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of electrode elements comprises a plurality of electrode elements wired in parallel, and wherein the second set of electrode elements comprises a plurality of electrode elements wired in parallel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first centroid is positioned on the vertex of the head.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first centroid is positioned on an upper surface of the person's head.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second set of electrode elements is positioned immediately below the base of the neck.

8. A method of planning the positioning of first and second sets of electrode elements on a person's body, the method comprising the steps of:
obtaining a 3D model of electrical conductivity or resistivity of an anatomic volume within the person's body at a given frequency, wherein the anatomic volume is located in or near the person's neck;
identifying a location of target tissue within the anatomic volume;

analyzing electric fields associated with a plurality of layouts for the first and second sets of electrode elements based on the respective layouts, the 3D model of electrical conductivity or resistivity, and the identified location of the target tissue; and
selecting one of the plurality of layouts based on a result of the analyzing,
wherein the first set of electrode elements has a first centroid, and
wherein in each of the plurality of layouts, (a) the first set of electrode elements is positioned on the person's head with the first centroid positioned on the person's head, and (b) the second set of electrode elements is positioned on the person's chest.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first centroid is positioned on the vertex of the head.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first centroid is positioned on an upper surface of the person's head.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second set of electrode elements is positioned immediately below the base of the neck.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the given frequency is between 100 and 300 kHz.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:
affixing the first and second sets of electrode elements to the person's body at positions that correspond to the selected layout; and
applying electrical signals between the first and second sets of electrode elements subsequent to the affixing step, so as to impose an electric field in the target tissue.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the 3D model of electrical conductivity or resistivity is a 3D model of electrical conductivity.

15. A method of treating a tumor or preventing metastases in or near a person's neck, the method comprising:
affixing a first set of electrode elements to the back of the person's neck;
affixing a second set of electrode elements having a centroid to a front of the person's upper chest with the centroid positioned on the front of the person's upper chest; and
applying an alternating voltage between the first set of electrode elements and the second set of electrode elements,
wherein the applying is performed after affixing the first and second sets of electrode elements, and
wherein the first and second sets of electrode elements are affixed at positions such that when the alternating voltage is applied between the first set of electrode elements and the second set of electrode elements, an electric field intensity greater than 1 V/cm is produced in a majority of a region of interest that includes all portions of the person's neck that are anterior to the person's spine.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the electrode elements of the first and second sets are capacitively coupled.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the alternating voltage that is applied between the first set of electrode elements and the second set of electrode elements has a frequency between 100 kHz and 300 kHz.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first set of electrode elements comprises a plurality of electrode elements wired in parallel, and wherein the second set of electrode elements comprises a plurality of electrode elements wired in parallel.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second set of electrode elements is positioned immediately below the base of the neck.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein an electric field intensity greater than 1 V/cm is produced in at least 99% of the region of interest.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein an electric field intensity greater than 1 V/cm is produced in at least 73% of the region of interest.

Assignees

• Novocure Gmbh

Inventors

• Avraham Yissachar
• Naveh Ariel
• Bomzon Zeev

Classifications

• A61N1/36002 Primary

  Cancer treatment, e.g. tumour · CPC title

• A61N1/0408

  Use-related aspects · CPC title

• A61N1/36034

  specified by the stimulation parameters · CPC title

• G01R29/0807

  characterised by the application · CPC title

• G06F30/10

  Geometric CAD · CPC title