Devices, systems, and methods for removing and replacing a subassembly of an electrode assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12465750-B2
Application number	US-202418622143-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2024
Priority date	Mar 31, 2023
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

Apparatuses for use in applying TTFields are disclosed. An apparatus comprises an electrode subassembly including at least one electrode element having a skin-facing side and a skin-facing surface. The apparatus further includes a skin contact subassembly comprising a skin contact conductive adhesive or gel configured to contact skin of a subject. One of the electrode subassembly or the skin contact subassembly comprises an electrically conductive polymer layer, and the other of the electrode subassembly or the skin contact subassembly comprises a second conductive adhesive or gel. The electrically conductive polymer layer is disposed against, and removably coupled to, the second conductive adhesive or gel, thereby removably coupling the electrode subassembly to the skin contact subassembly so that the skin contact conductive adhesive or gel is electrically coupled to the at least one electrode element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
an electrode subassembly having a skin-facing side and a skin-facing surface, and comprising at least one electrode element having a skin-facing side and a skin-facing surface; and a skin contact subassembly comprising:
a skin contact conductive adhesive or skin contact conductive gel configured to contact skin of a subject; and
a layer of anisotropic conductive material, wherein the layer of anisotropic conductive material has a skin-facing side with a skin-facing surface and an opposing outwardly facing surface, wherein the layer of anisotropic conductive material is disposed in contact with the skin contact conductive adhesive or skin contact conductive gel, and wherein the at least one electrode element is in electrical contact with the outwardly facing surface of the layer of anisotropic conductive material;
wherein one of the electrode subassembly or the skin contact subassembly comprises an electrically conductive polymer layer, wherein the other of the electrode subassembly or the skin contact subassembly comprises a layer of conductive adhesive or conductive gel, and wherein the skin contact subassembly is removably coupled to the electrode subassembly by adhesion between the electrically conductive polymer layer and the layer of conductive adhesive or conductive gel, and wherein the skin contact conductive adhesive or skin contact conductive gel is electrically coupled to the at least one electrode element.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrode subassembly comprises the electrically conductive polymer layer, wherein the electrically conductive polymer layer is a non-adhesive electrically conductive polymer layer positioned on the skin-facing side of the at least one electrode element, wherein the non-adhesive electrically conductive polymer layer has a skin-facing surface which defines a skin-facing surface of the electrode subassembly.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the skin contact subassembly comprises at least one additional layer of conductive adhesive or conductive gel, wherein the non-adhesive electrically conductive polymer layer of the electrode subassembly is removably adhered to the at least one additional layer of conductive adhesive or conductive gel of the skin contact subassembly.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the non-adhesive electrically conductive polymer layer is or comprises silicone rubber or silicone elastomer.

5 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the non-adhesive electrically conductive polymer layer of the electrode subassembly has an outwardly facing surface that faces the at least one electrode element, the electrode subassembly further comprising an electrode subassembly conductive adhesive layer or an electrode subassembly conductive gel layer disposed against the outwardly facing surface of the non-adhesive electrically conductive polymer layer.

6 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the electrode subassembly further comprises a dielectric layer between the at least one electrode element and the non-adhesive electrically conductive polymer layer of the electrode subassembly.

7 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the skin contact subassembly comprises a three layer unit, the three layer unit comprising:
the layer of anisotropic conductive material; the skin contact conductive adhesive or skin contact conductive gel; and a second layer of conductive adhesive or conductive gel; wherein the skin facing surface of the layer of anisotropic conductive material is in contact with the skin contact conductive adhesive or skin contact conductive gel, and the outwardly facing surface of the layer of anisotropic conductive material is in contact with the second layer of conductive adhesive or conductive gel.

8 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the non-adhesive electrically conductive polymer layer of the electrode subassembly and the skin contact subassembly are removably coupled by a Van der Waals attractive force.

9 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the apparatus is free of a layer of electrode subassembly conductive adhesive or conductive gel between the at least one electrode and the non-adhesive electrically conductive polymer layer.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive polymer layer is or comprises silicone rubber, silicone elastomer, natural rubber, poly cis-isoprene, polyisobutylene, polychloroprene, cis-polybutadiene, styrene-butadiene, styrene-acrylonitrile-butadiene, polyurethane, EPDM, EVA polymer, AEM polymer, fluoropolymer, perfluoropolymer, polyetherimide, polyetherketone, polyethersulfone, polyether ether ketone, or polyaryl ether ketone, or combinations thereof.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive polymer layer comprises a composite material having conductive particles dispersed therethrough.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the conductive particles comprise carbon particles.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrode subassembly has an operative conductive area, and wherein the skin contact subassembly has an areal footprint that overlies an entirety of the operative conductive area.

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the layer of anisotropic conductive material of the skin contact subassembly is a first layer of anisotropic conductive material, and wherein the electrode subassembly further comprises a second layer of anisotropic conductive material.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the layer of conductive adhesive or conductive gel of the skin contact subassembly is a first layer of conductive adhesive or conductive gel, wherein the skin contact subassembly further comprises a second layer of conductive adhesive or conductive gel, wherein the layer of anisotropic conductive material is sandwiched between the first layer of conductive adhesive or conductive gel and the second layer of conductive adhesive or conductive gel, wherein the first layer of conductive adhesive or conductive gel is in contact with the skin facing surface of the layer of anisotropic conductive material, and wherein the second layer of conductive adhesive or conductive gel is in contact with the opposed outwardly facing surface of the layer of anisotropic conductive material.

16 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the layer of anisotropic conductive material is or comprises graphite.

17 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an attractive force between the electrode subassembly and the skin contact subassembly is supplemented by an added attractive force around a perimeter of the electrode subassembly and the skin contact subassembly, the added attractive force provided by one or more of:
i) one of a hook or loop material positioned on the electrode subassembly and the other of the hook or loop material positioned on the skin contact subassembly; or ii) one of a pair of magnets on the electrode subassembly positioned and the other of the pair of magnets positioned on the skin contact subassembly; or iii) a perimeter region of the electrode subassembly adhered to the skin contact subassembly, or vice-versa, using an adhesive or adhesive tape; or iv) a perimeter region of the electrode subassembly joined to the skin contact subassembly, or vice-versa, using a button and buttonhole fastener or a snap-fastener.

18 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive polymer layer comprises a conductive adhesive or conductive gel or a conductive sealant.

19 . The apparatus of claim 1 , where

Assignees

• Novocure Gmbh

Inventors

• Obuchovsky Stas
• Wasserman Yoram
• Shapiro David

Classifications

• A61N1/0408 Primary

  Use-related aspects · CPC title

• A61N1/36002

  Cancer treatment, e.g. tumour · CPC title

• A61N1/40

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

• A61N1/0496 Primary

  characterised by using specific chemical compositions, e.g. hydrogel compositions, adhesives · CPC title

• A61N1/06 Primary

  for high-frequency therapy · CPC title