Arrays for Longitudinal Delivery of TTFields to a Body

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.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 62 / 356,986 filed Jun. 30, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND[0002]Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) are low intensity alternating electric fields (e.g., 1-3 V / cm) in the intermediate frequency range (e.g., 125-250 kHz, or in some cases 100-500 kHz) that target solid tumors by disrupting mitosis. TTFields are typically delivered through two pairs of electrode arrays. The electrode arrays that make up each of these pairs are positioned on opposite sides of the body part that is being treated. FIGS. 1A and 1B depict the conventional positioning of electrode arrays on a subject's head and thorax, respectively. In each of these examples, a first pair of electrode arrays includes one electrode array at an anterior position 16 / 19 and a second electrode array at a posterior position (not shown, but located directly behind the corresponding a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0027]In some embodiments of the second method, the limb is an arm, the first set of one or more electrodes and the third set of one or more electrodes are positioned proximally with respect to the elbow, and the second set of one or more electrodes and the fourth set of one or more electrodes are positioned distally with respect to the elbow. In some embodiments of the second method, the limb is a leg, the first set of one or more electrodes and the third set of one or more electrodes are positioned proximally with respect to the knee, and the second set of one or more electrodes and the fourth set of one or more electrodes are positioned distally with respect to the knee.

[0028]In some embodiments of the second method, each of the first, second, third, and fourth sets of one or more electrodes comprises a plurality of flat electrode elements.

Problems solved by technology

While the A / P and R / L electrode arrays are well suited for applying electric fields in two roughly perpendicular directions into many portions of a subject's body, a number of situations can be envisioned in which A / P and R / L electrodes may be difficult or impossible to use.

Examples include situations in which a subject has a sore or ulcer at one of the commonly-used sites for positioning an electrode array, as well as treating tumors at locations where using both A / P and R / L electrodes would be uncomfortable and / or impractical (e.g., in a subject's neck, elbow, knee, etc.).

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