Tumor electric field treatment equipment

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides tumor electric field treatment equipment. The tumor electric field treatment equipment according to the embodiment of the invention comprises an AC signal generator configured to generate an AC electric signal with a specific frequency; an AC signal controller configured to generate a control signal to alternately apply the AC signal generated by the AC signal generator to at least two pairs of electrodes; and the at least two pairs of electrodes are configured to generate an alternating electric field used for tumor treatment based on the alternating current electric signal, the alternating current electric signal has a descending stage of which the amplitude is reduced along with time, and in the descending stage, the amplitude of the alternating current electric signal is reduced along with time. The decreasing rate of the amplitude of the alternating-current electric signal is increased along with the decreasing of the amplitude of the alternating-current electric signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of medical devices, and in particular, to a tumor electrotherapy device. Background Art

[0002] Tumor treating fields (TTFields) technology has currently been effectively applied to the field of tumor treatment. Its core principle is to apply an alternating current (AC) signal with a specific frequency at the lesion site of a patient, and then generate a corresponding alternating electric field to effectively inhibit the proliferation and spread of tumor cells. However, due to the sudden rise in the signal amplitude at the moment of applying the AC signal, the patient is prone to an obvious electrostimulation sensation. This electrostimulation sensation not only brings discomfort to the patient during the tumor treatment process, but also directly limits the increase in the peak value of the AC signal amplitude, thus having an adverse effect on the treatment effect.

[0003] The prior art attempts to reduce the electrostimulation by gradually increasing the amplitude of the AC signal. However, this method cannot well eliminate the electrostimulation effect on the patient. In addition, the prior art usually only focuses on the control of the increase in the AC signal amplitude, but ignores that the rapid decrease in the AC signal amplitude will also cause an electrostimulation sensation to the patient. Therefore, there are still limitations in reducing the electrostimulation sensation of the patient.

[0004] Therefore, a new type of tumor electrotherapy device is needed, which can effectively reduce the electrostimulation sensation of the patient during both the rising and falling stages of the AC signal amplitude, thereby allowing the increase in the peak value of the AC signal amplitude to achieve a better treatment effect. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tumor electrotherapy device, including: an AC signal generator configured to generate an alternating current signal with a specific frequency; an AC signal controller configured to generate a control signal to alternately apply the alternating current signal generated by the AC signal generator to at least two pairs of electrodes; and the at least two pairs of electrodes configured to generate an alternating electric field for tumor treatment based on the alternating current signal, wherein the alternating current signal has a falling stage in which the amplitude decreases with time, and in the falling stage, the rate of decrease in the amplitude of the alternating current signal increases as the amplitude of the alternating current signal decreases.

[0006] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tumor treating device using alternating electric fields, comprising: an AC signal generator configured to generate an alternating current signal having a specific frequency; an AC signal controller configured to generate a control signal for alternately applying the alternating current signal generated by the AC signal generator to at least two pairs of electrodes; and the at least two pairs of electrodes configured to generate an alternating electric field for tumor treatment based on the alternating current signal, wherein the alternating current signal has a rising stage in which the amplitude rises with time, and in the rising stage, the rise of the amplitude of the alternating current signal forms a circular arc curve, and the tangent slope of each point on the circular arc curve decreases as the amplitude of the alternating current signal rises. Description of the Drawings

[0007] By describing the embodiments of the present invention in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become clearer.

[0008] Figure 1 FIG. shows a schematic block diagram of a tumor treating device 100 using alternating electric fields according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 2 FIG. shows a schematic diagram of a first example of the amplitude of an alternating current signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 3 FIG. shows a schematic diagram of a second example of the amplitude of an alternating current signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 4A and Figure 4B FIG. shows a schematic diagram for determining the amplitude-time expression of a circular arc curve in the rising stage of a second example of the amplitude of an alternating current signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 5A and Figure 5B FIG. shows a schematic diagram for determining the amplitude-time expression of a circular arc curve in the falling stage of a second example of the amplitude of an alternating current signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 6 FIG. shows a schematic diagram of a third example of the amplitude of an alternating current signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 7 FIG. shows Figure 6 a comparison schematic diagram of the amplitude of an alternating current signal with Figure 3 the amplitude of an alternating current signal.

[0015] Figure 8A and Figure 8BA schematic diagram showing the amplitude-time expression of a circular arc curve for determining the rising stage, which shows the third example of the amplitude of the alternating current signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 9A and Figure 9B A schematic diagram showing the amplitude-time expression of a circular arc curve for determining the falling stage, which shows the third example of the amplitude of the alternating current signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 10 A schematic diagram showing an exemplary specific structure of a tumor electrotherapy device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed implementation manners

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic block diagram showing the schematic composition of a tumor electrotherapy device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 1 shown, the tumor electrotherapy device 100 may include an AC signal generator 101, an AC signal controller 102, and an electrode assembly 103. Among them, the AC signal generator 1 may be configured to generate an alternating current signal with a specific frequency. The AC signal controller 2 may be configured to generate a control signal to alternately output the alternating current signal generated by the AC signal generator 1 to the first pair of electrodes 1031 or the second pair of electrodes 1032 in the electrode assembly 3. In one example, a method of periodically alternatingly outputting an alternating current signal to the two pairs of electrodes may be adopted. Additionally, a non-periodic method may also be used to alternately output an alternating current signal to the two pairs of electrodes, such as randomly alternatingly outputting an alternating current signal to the two pairs of electrodes, and the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0019] The first pair of electrodes 1031 and the second pair of electrodes 1032 in the electrode assembly 103 may be adhesively attached to the body surface corresponding to the patient's tumor site in pairs. By applying an alternating current signal to the first pair of electrodes 1031, an alternating electric field can be generated in the direction between electrode 1 and electrode 2 in the first pair of electrodes 1031. Similarly, by applying an alternating current signal to the second pair of electrodes 1032, an alternating electric field can be generated in the direction between electrode 3 and electrode 4 in the second pair of electrodes 1032. Thus, by alternately applying an alternating current signal to different pairs of electrodes, it is possible to apply an alternating electric field with a continuously changing direction to the patient's tumor site, thereby inhibiting the proliferation or diffusion of tumor cells in all directions.

[0020] In one example of using an alternating electric field applied to a patient's head for treating glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), electrode 1 and electrode 2 in the first pair of electrodes 1031 can be applied to the front and back sides of the patient's head, while electrode 3 and electrode 4 in the second pair of electrodes 1032 can be applied to the left and right sides of the patient's head. By alternately applying an alternating current signal to the first pair of electrodes 1031 or the second pair of electrodes 1032, the first pair of electrodes 1031 can be used to generate an alternating electric field in the front-to-back direction of the patient's head, and the second pair of electrodes 1032 can be used to generate an alternating electric field in the left-to-right direction of the patient's head, so as to apply an alternating electric field with a continuously changing direction to the patient's head for tumor treatment operations.

[0021] It should be noted that although it is shown in Figure 1 and the above examples that an alternating electric field is generated by two pairs of electrodes (i.e., the first pair of electrodes 1031 and the second pair of electrodes 1032), in specific applications, more pairs of electrodes can be selected to generate an alternating electric field in more directions, and the present invention does not limit the number of electrode pairs.

[0022] When the alternating current signal is switched between different pairs of electrodes, due to the sudden increase in the amplitude of the alternating current signal on the corresponding pair of electrodes where the alternating current signal needs to be applied at the moment of switching, it will cause electrical stimulation to the patient, thereby affecting the patient's tolerance to the electric field strength during tumor treatment, being not conducive to increasing the amplitude of the alternating current signal, and further affecting the tumor treatment effect. For example, continue to refer to Figure 1 , when the alternating current signal is cut off from the first pair of electrodes 1031 and switched to be applied to the second pair of electrodes 1032, the amplitude of the alternating current signal on the second pair of electrodes 1032 will suddenly rise from zero to the amplitude peak, thereby causing electrical stimulation to the patient.

[0023] The amplitude of the alternating current signal in the present application can be the current amplitude of the alternating current signal or the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal. The following will take the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal as an example for illustration.

[0024] To address the problem of electric shock to patients caused by the above-mentioned voltage surge, the prior art usually controls the amplitude when applying an alternating current signal, thereby gradually increasing the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal at a specific voltage rise rate to avoid the electric shock to patients caused by the voltage surge. However, since the prior art uses a fixed voltage rise rate to increase the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal, it is impossible to completely eliminate the impact of the voltage amplitude increase on the electric shock to patients. This is because, as the voltage amplitude increases, adding the same voltage increment on the basis of a higher voltage amplitude will more easily trigger the electric shock sensation of patients. In addition, the inventors of the present disclosure have also found that in addition to the rapid increase in voltage amplitude causing electric shock to patients, the rapid decrease in voltage amplitude will also cause electric shock to patients, while the prior art usually only focuses on the control of the increase in voltage amplitude and ignores the impact of the rapid decrease in voltage amplitude. Therefore, there are still limitations in reducing the electric shock sensation of patients.

[0025] In an embodiment according to the present disclosure, the alternating current signal may have a rising stage in which the amplitude increases with time and / or a falling stage in which the amplitude decreases with time. Among them, in the rising stage, the rising rate of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal may decrease as the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal increases, thereby further reducing or even completely eliminating the impact of the signal amplitude increase on the electric shock to patients. Correspondingly, in the falling stage, the falling rate of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal may increase as the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal decreases, thereby further reducing or even completely eliminating the impact of the amplitude decrease on the electric shock to patients. In addition, optionally, the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may also have a constant amplitude stage between the rising stage and the falling stage. During this constant amplitude stage, the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal remains at a constant amplitude peak, so that a stable alternating electric field can be applied to the patient by using this constant amplitude stage to achieve a better treatment effect.

[0026] In an embodiment according to the present disclosure, the rising or falling rate of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal can be controlled by adopting a linear change with different slopes, so as to achieve that the rising or falling rate changes as the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal rises or falls. Specifically, the rising stage of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal can be divided into multiple sub-rising segments. In each sub-rising segment, the rise of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal is linearly changed, and the slope of the linear change in multiple sub-rising segments decreases as the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal increases. Similarly, the falling stage of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal can be divided into multiple sub-falling segments. In each sub-falling segment, the fall of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal is linearly changed, and the absolute value of the slope of the linear change in multiple sub-falling segments increases as the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal decreases.

[0027] Figure 2A schematic diagram showing a first example of the voltage amplitude of an alternating current signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 2 shown, a rectangular coordinate system is established with the voltage amplitude axis of the alternating current signal as the Y-axis and the time axis as the X-axis, and the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal has a rising stage Δt1 in which the amplitude rises with time, a constant amplitude stage Δt2, and a falling stage Δt3 in which the amplitude falls with time. In this example, the rising stage Δt1 of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal is divided into 4 sub-rising segments 201, 202, 203, 204 by four equal divisions (corresponding to the time periods of 0-h1, h1-h2, h2-h3, and h3-h4 respectively). In each sub-rising segment, the rise of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal changes linearly, and the slopes of the linear changes in the 4 sub-rising segments 201-204 decrease as the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal rises. More specifically, the 4 sub-rising segments 201-204 correspond to linearly varying line segments a, b, c, and d respectively, and the slopes of the four line segments a, b, c, and d are m1, m2, m3, and m4 respectively. Thus, expressions between the voltage amplitude V and time t of each line segment can be obtained, where the expression between the voltage amplitude V a corresponding to line segment a and time t is: V a =t*m1 + 0, the expression between the voltage amplitude V b corresponding to line segment b and time t is: V b =(t - h1)*m2 + V1, the expression between the voltage amplitude V c corresponding to line segment c and time t is: V c =(t - h2)*m3 + V2, the expression between the voltage amplitude V d corresponding to line segment d and time t is: V d =(t - h3)*m4 + V3. It can be seen from Figure 2 that the slope m1 of line segment a > the slope m2 of line segment b > the slope m3 of line segment c > the slope m4 of line segment d, that is to say, the slopes of the four line segments a, b, c, and d decrease as the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal rises. Correspondingly, in a sub-rising segment with a higher voltage amplitude (for example, sub-rising segment 204), the change amount of the voltage amplitude per unit time is smaller, thereby being able to better reduce the user's electric stimulation feeling.

[0028] Continue to refer to Figure 2, in this example, the falling stage Δt3 of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal is also divided into 4 sub-falling segments 205, 206, 207, and 208 by four equal divisions. In each sub-falling segment, the decrease in the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal changes linearly, and the absolute value of the slope of the linear change in the 4 sub-falling segments 205 - 208 increases as the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal decreases. More specifically, the 4 sub-falling segments 205 - 208 respectively correspond to the linearly changing line segments e, f, g, and h, and the slopes of the four line segments e, f, g, and h are m5, m6, m7, and m8 respectively. As can be seen from Figure 2 , the slope m5 of line segment e > the slope m6 of line segment f > the slope m7 of line segment g > the slope m8 of line segment h (i.e., the absolute value of the slope m5 of line segment e < the absolute value of the slope m6 of line segment f < the absolute value of the slope m7 of line segment g < the absolute value of the slope m8 of line segment h). That is to say, the absolute values of the slopes of the four line segments e, f, g, and h increase as the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal decreases. Correspondingly, in the sub-falling segment with a higher voltage amplitude (e.g., sub-falling segment 205), the change in voltage amplitude per unit time is smaller, while in the sub-falling segment with a lower voltage amplitude (e.g., sub-falling segment 208), the change in voltage amplitude per unit time is larger, thereby being able to better reduce the user's electrostimulation feeling.

[0029] It should be noted that in this example, although the rising stage and the falling stage of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal are divided into multiple sub-rising segments or multiple sub-falling segments with the same duration, different sub-rising segments or sub-falling segments can also have different durations, and the present invention does not limit this.

[0030] In this example, for the convenience of better control and illustration, the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal in the rising stage is mirror-symmetrically set with the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal in the falling stage. However, in actual applications, according to the different tolerances of different patients during the voltage increase and decrease processes of the alternating current signal, the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal in the rising stage and the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal in the falling stage can also be non-mirror-symmetrically set, so as to further make personalized adjustments to the corresponding alternating current signal for different patients and specifically reduce the electrostimulation feelings of different patients.

[0031] In addition, in the above example, the rising stage and the falling stage of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal are schematically shown as being divided into 4 sub-rising segments and 4 sub-falling segments. However, the present invention does not limit the specific number of sub-rising segments and sub-falling segments. In actual applications, the rate of change of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal can be more finely controlled by dividing the rising stage and the falling stage into a greater number of sub-rising segments and sub-falling segments and changing the slope of their linear change, so as to further reduce the patient's electrostimulation sensation. For example, in one example, the number of sub-rising segments and / or sub-falling segments can be greater than or equal to 4.

[0032] In another embodiment according to the present disclosure, an arc-shaped curve can be used to implement the rising stage and / or the falling stage of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal. Among them, in the rising stage, the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal rises in an arc-shaped curve, and the tangent slope of each point on the arc-shaped curve can decrease as the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal rises. In the falling stage, the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal falls in an arc-shaped curve, and the absolute value of the tangent slope of each point on the arc-shaped curve can increase as the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal decreases. Thus, the rising and falling stages of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal are equivalent to being divided into an infinite number of sub-rising segments and sub-falling segments with continuously changing slopes. Therefore, more delicate control of the voltage amplitude can be achieved, thereby significantly reducing or even completely eliminating the patient's electrostimulation sensation, improving the comfort and safety of the treatment, and since the patient's tolerance is significantly increased, a better treatment effect can be achieved by increasing the amplitude peak of the voltage signal.

[0033] Figure 3 Shows a schematic diagram of a second example of the voltage amplitude of an alternating current signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 3 shown, a rectangular coordinate system is established with the voltage amplitude axis of the alternating current signal as the Y-axis and the time axis as the X-axis, and the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal has a rising stage Δt1 with an arc-shaped curve for amplitude rise, a constant amplitude stage Δt2, and a falling stage Δt3 with an arc-shaped curve for amplitude fall. Among them, in the rising stage Δt1, points E, F, G, and H on the arc-shaped curve are randomly selected and tangents are made at each point respectively. From Figure 3It can be seen that the tangent slopes of each of the points E, F, G, and H are different, and the tangent slope e1 at point E > the tangent slope f1 at point F > the tangent slope g1 at point G > the tangent slope h1 at point H. It can be seen that by adopting the rising stage with an arc-shaped curve, the higher the voltage amplitude, the smaller the tangent slope of each point on the curve, that is, the smaller the change amount of the voltage amplitude per unit time, thus achieving a more delicate control of the rising voltage amplitude in the rising stage. Correspondingly, in the falling stage Δt3 corresponding to the arc-shaped curve, the higher the voltage amplitude, the smaller the absolute value of the tangent slope of each point on the curve, that is, the smaller the change amount of the voltage amplitude per unit time, thus achieving a more delicate control of the falling voltage amplitude in the falling stage.

[0034] In this embodiment according to the present disclosure, the arc-shaped curve in the rising stage of the alternating current signal can be determined by the circumcircle of the triangle formed by the arc rising start point, the arc rising end point of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal, and the symmetric point of the arc rising end point about the time axis. Similarly, the arc-shaped curve in the falling stage of the alternating current signal can be determined by the circumcircle of the triangle formed by the arc falling start point, the symmetric point of the arc falling start point about the time axis, and the arc falling end point of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal. In one example, the radius of the circumcircle of the above triangle can be calculated, and based on this radius, the amplitude-time expressions of the arc-shaped curves in the rising stage and the falling stage can be determined.

[0035] Figure 4A and Figure 4B shows a schematic diagram for determining the amplitude-time expression of the arc-shaped curve in the rising stage of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal according to a second example of the present disclosure. As Figure 4A shown, in the rising stage Δt1, the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal can gradually rise from zero at point P along the arc-shaped curve 401 to the amplitude peak value ΔV at point Q, where the duration of the rising stage Δt1 and the magnitude of the amplitude peak value ΔV are preset in the tumor treating electric field device 100. Therefore, the coordinates of the arc rising start point P, the arc rising end point Q, and the symmetric point T of the arc rising end point Q about the time axis of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal can also be preset in the tumor treating electric field device 100, thereby determining the triangle ΔPQT formed by the three points P, Q, and T. Subsequently, the circumcircle of the triangle ΔPQT can be made, and the arc between the arc rising start point P and the arc rising end point Q on the circumcircle is the arc-shaped curve 401 in the rising stage. In this example, the formula for the radius R of the circumcircle of the triangle can be used: (i.e., the radius R of the circumcircle of a triangle = the product of the three sides of the triangle / (4 * the area of the triangle)), to calculate the size of the radius R of the circumcircle of the triangle, where the S point is the intersection of the line segment QT and the time axis. Subsequently, referring to Figure 4B , the amplitude-time expression of the amplitude V and time t on the circular arc curve 401 can be obtained through the Pythagorean theorem: . By substituting the size of the radius R of the circumcircle of the triangle calculated above into the above amplitude-time expression, the final amplitude-time expression of the circular arc curve 401 can be obtained:

[0036] (1),

[0037] where, as described above, the duration of the rising stage Δt1 and the size of the amplitude peak ΔV are preset values.

[0038] Figure 5A and Figure 5B shows a schematic diagram for determining the amplitude-time expression of the circular arc curve in the falling stage of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal according to the second example of the present disclosure. As Figure 5A shown, in the falling stage Δt3, the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal can gradually decrease from the amplitude peak ΔV at the W point to zero at the V point along the circular arc curve 501. Similar to what was described above for the circular arc curve in the rising stage, the duration of Δt3 and the size of the amplitude peak ΔV are preset in the tumor electric field treatment device 100. Therefore, the coordinates of the circular arc falling start point W, the symmetric point X of the circular arc falling start point W with respect to the time axis, and the circular arc falling end point V of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal can also be preset in the tumor electric field treatment device 100. Thus, a triangle ΔVWX formed by the three points V, W, and X can be determined. Subsequently, the circumcircle of the triangle ΔVWX can be constructed, where the arc between the circular arc falling start point W and the circular arc falling end point V on the circumcircle is the circular arc curve 501. In this example, the formula for the radius R of the circumcircle of the triangle can be used: , to calculate the size of the radius R of the circumcircle of the triangle, where the Z point is the intersection of the line segment WX and the time axis. Subsequently, referring to Figure 5B , the amplitude-time expression of the amplitude V and time t on the circular arc curve 501 can be obtained through the Pythagorean theorem: , where T1 is the total duration of the alternating current signal applied to a pair of electrodes within a single cycle. By substituting the size of the radius R of the circumcircle of the triangle calculated above into the above amplitude-time expression, the final amplitude-time expression of the circular arc curve 501 can be obtained:

[0039] (2),

[0040] Among them, as described above, the duration of the descending stage Δt3 and the magnitude peak value ΔV are preset values that are preset.

[0041] In one example, it is assumed that an alternating current signal is periodically and alternately applied to two pairs of electrodes, and the total duration of the alternating current signal applied to a pair of electrodes (for example, Figure 1 the first pair of electrodes 1031 in) within a single cycle is T1, and the total duration of the alternating current signal applied to the other pair of electrodes (for example, Figure 1 the second pair of electrodes 1032 in) within a single cycle is T2 = T1. Then, the duration of a single cycle of the alternating current signal T = T1 + T2 = 2 * T1. Since when actually applying the alternating current signal, the value of time t usually ranges from 0 to +∞, for the convenience of actual application, the time t in the amplitude-time expressions (1) and (2) corresponding to a single cycle obtained above can be converted using "t % T", so as to obtain the amplitude-time expressions of the voltage amplitude V of the alternating current signals applied to the two pairs of electrodes respectively and the time t ranging from 0 to +∞, as follows:

[0042] (3)

[0043] (4)

[0044] Among them, the above expressions (3) and (4) are the amplitude-time expressions of the voltage amplitude V of the alternating current signals applied to different pairs of electrodes respectively, and the "%" in the expressions represents the "remainder" operation.

[0045] In the above embodiments according to the present disclosure, better tumor treatment effects can be achieved while reducing or eliminating the electrical stimulation impact on patients by reasonably setting the durations of each stage such as the rising stage Δt1, the constant amplitude stage Δt2, and the descending stage Δt3, as well as the magnitude of the voltage amplitude peak value ΔV of the alternating current signal, etc. For example, in one example, the value range of the duration T of a single cycle during which the alternating current signal is applied can be 0.1 s to 10 s. Correspondingly, the value range of the total duration T1 = T2 = T / 2 of the alternating current signal applied to a certain pair of electrodes within a single cycle can be 0.05 s to 5 s. Additionally, it can be set that Δt1 = Δt3 = T1 / 4 = T2 / 4 = T / 8, then the value ranges of the rising stage Δt1 and the descending stage Δt3 can be 0.0125 s to 1.25 s. Furthermore, the value range of the voltage amplitude peak value ΔV of the alternating current signal can be 0 v to 100 v.

[0046] The following uses an example with specific values to illustrate how to determine the amplitude-time expression of the arc-shaped curves in the rising and falling stages in the second example of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring again to Figure 4A , in the example where T = 2s, T1 = T2 = T / 2 = 1s = 1000ms, Δt1 = Δt3 = 0.06s = 60ms, and ΔV = 80v, according to the above values, it can be calculated that: Δt2 = T1 - Δt1 - Δt3 = 1 - 0.06 - 0.06 = 0.88s = 880ms, and combined with Figure 4A it can be obtained that PS = 60, QS = TS = 80. According to the Pythagorean theorem, it can be calculated that: .

[0047] After determining the triangle ΔPQT formed by points P, Q, and T, the circumcircle of the triangle ΔPQT can be drawn, and the radius of the circumcircle of the triangle ΔPQT can be calculated according to the formula .

[0048] After determining the radius R of the circumcircle of the triangle ΔPQT, referring again to Figure 4B , using the Pythagorean theorem, the amplitude-time expression of the amplitude V and time t on the arc-shaped curve PQ within the Δt1 time period can be obtained: .

[0049] Referring again to Figure 5A and according to the above parameters, it can be obtained that ZV = 60, WZ = XZ = 80. Thus, according to the Pythagorean theorem, it can be calculated that: .

[0050] After determining the triangle ΔVWX formed by points V, W, and X, the circumcircle of the triangle ΔVWX can be drawn, and the radius of the circumcircle of the triangle ΔVWX can be calculated according to the formula .

[0051] After knowing the radius R of the circumcircle of the triangle ΔVWX, referring again to Figure 5B , using the Pythagorean theorem, the amplitude-time expression of the amplitude V and time t on the arc-shaped curve VW within the Δt3 time period can be obtained: .

[0052] Thus, the amplitude-time expression of the amplitude V and time t during the T1 period can be obtained:

[0053]

[0054] The inventors of the present disclosure have found that although there are voltage mutations when the alternating current signal is switched between different pairs of electrodes, when the magnitude change corresponding to the mutation is small, the patient usually does not feel the electrical stimulation. Correspondingly, in another embodiment according to the present disclosure, the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal may have a predetermined amplitude at the start point of the rising stage, and the value of the predetermined amplitude may be greater than zero. Similarly, the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal may have a predetermined amplitude at the end point of the falling stage, and the value of the predetermined amplitude may be greater than zero. Generally, a higher amplitude alternating current signal can achieve a higher electric field strength, thus obtaining a better treatment effect. Therefore, this embodiment according to the present disclosure can reduce the electrical stimulation caused to the patient while obtaining a more effective treatment effect by increasing the magnitude of the voltage amplitude when starting and ending the application of the alternating current signal.

[0055] In one example, when the rising stage of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal is divided into multiple sub-rising segments and the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal rises linearly in each sub-rising segment, the start point of the rising stage may correspond to the start point of the first sub-rising segment among the multiple sub-rising segments, and the start point of the first sub-rising segment may have a predetermined amplitude greater than zero. Additionally, similarly, when the falling stage of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal is divided into multiple sub-falling segments and the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal falls linearly in each sub-falling segment, the end point of the falling stage may correspond to the end point of the last sub-falling segment among the multiple sub-falling segments, and the end point of the last sub-falling segment has a predetermined amplitude greater than zero.

[0056] For example, referring back Figure 2 , when the rising stage of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal is divided into multiple sub-rising segments 201 - 204 and the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal rises linearly in each sub-rising segment, the start point of the rising stage may correspond to the start point of the first sub-rising segment 201, and the start point of the first sub-rising segment 201 may have a predetermined amplitude greater than zero. That is, instead of starting to increase the amplitude from zero in the sub-rising segment 201 as Figure 2 shown, the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal may have a predetermined amplitude greater than zero at the start point of the sub-rising segment 201 (i.e., at the moment t = 0). Similarly, when the falling stage of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal is divided into multiple sub-falling segments 205 - 208 and the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal falls linearly in each sub-falling segment, the end point of the falling stage may correspond to the end point of the last sub-falling segment 208, and the end point of the last sub-falling segment 208 may have a predetermined amplitude greater than zero.

[0057] In another example, when the rise of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal forms an arc-shaped curve, the start point of the rise in the rising phase can correspond to the start point of the arc rise of the arc-shaped curve. Additionally, similarly, when the fall of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal forms an arc-shaped curve, the end point of the fall in the falling phase can correspond to the end point of the arc fall of the arc-shaped curve.

[0058] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing a third example of the voltage amplitude of an alternating current signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is as follows Figure 6 As shown, a rectangular coordinate system is established with the voltage amplitude axis of the alternating current signal as the Y-axis and the time axis as the X-axis, and the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal has a rising phase Δt1 with an arc-shaped curve 601 for amplitude rise, a constant amplitude phase Δt2, and a falling phase Δt3 with an arc-shaped curve 602 for amplitude fall. It can be further seen from Figure 6 that the starting point A of the arc rise of the arc-shaped curve 601 has a predetermined amplitude ΔV1 greater than zero, and the ending point G of the arc fall of the arc-shaped curve 602 has a predetermined amplitude ΔV1 greater than zero.

[0059] Figure 7 Shows Figure 6 a comparison schematic diagram of the voltage amplitude of an alternating current signal with Figure 3 that of another alternating current signal. Among them, in Figure 7 the shaded part shows the increased voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal in the rising phase Δt1 and the falling phase Δt3 of the alternating current signal using Figure 6 compared to that of the alternating current signal using Figure 3 As mentioned above, since a higher-amplitude alternating current signal can achieve a higher electric field strength and thus obtain a better treatment effect, a better treatment effect can be achieved by controlling the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal having a predetermined amplitude greater than zero at the start point of the rise and the end point of the fall.

[0060] In the above embodiment according to the present disclosure, similarly, the arc-shaped curve of the alternating current signal in the rising phase can be determined by the circumcircle of the triangle formed by the starting point of the arc rise, the ending point of the arc rise, and the symmetric point of the ending point of the arc rise with respect to the time axis of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal, and the arc-shaped curve of the alternating current signal in the falling phase can be determined by the circumcircle of the triangle formed by the starting point of the arc fall, the symmetric point of the starting point of the arc fall with respect to the time axis, and the ending point of the arc fall of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal. In one example, the radius of the circumcircle of the above triangle can be calculated, and based on this radius, the amplitude-time expressions of the arc-shaped curves in the rising phase and the falling phase can be determined.

[0061] Figure 8A and Figure 8B shows a schematic diagram for determining the amplitude - time expression of the circular arc curve in the rising stage of the voltage amplitude of an alternating current signal according to a third example of an embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 8A shown, in the rising stage Δt1, the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal can gradually rise from ΔV1 at point A along the circular arc curve 601 to the amplitude peak value ΔV at point B. Among them, the duration of the rising stage Δt1 and the magnitudes of the predetermined amplitude ΔV1 and the amplitude peak value ΔV are preset in the tumor electric field treatment device 100. Therefore, the coordinates of the starting point A of the circular arc rise, the ending point B of the circular arc rise, and the symmetric point C of the ending point B of the circular arc rise with respect to the time axis can also be preset in the tumor electric field treatment device 100. Thus, a triangle ΔABC formed by points A, B, and C can be determined. Subsequently, the circumcircle of the triangle ΔABC can be drawn, and the arc between the starting point A of the circular arc rise and the ending point B of the circular arc rise on this circumcircle is the circular arc curve 601. In this example, the formula for the radius R of the circumcircle of the triangle can be used: , to calculate the magnitude of the radius R of the circumcircle of the triangle, where point E is the intersection point obtained by drawing a perpendicular line through point A on line segment BC. Subsequently, referring to Figure 8B , through the Pythagorean theorem, the amplitude - time expression of the amplitude V and time t on the circular arc curve 601 can be obtained, . By substituting the magnitude of the radius R of the circumcircle of the triangle calculated above into the above amplitude - time expression, the final amplitude - time expression of the circular arc curve 601 can be obtained:

[0062] (5),

[0063] wherein, as described above, the duration of the rising stage Δt1 and the magnitudes of the predetermined amplitude ΔV1 and the amplitude peak value ΔV are preset values.

[0064] Figure 9A and Figure 9B shows a schematic diagram for determining the amplitude - time expression of the circular arc curve in the falling stage of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal according to a third example of an embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 9AAs shown, during the descending stage Δt3, the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal can gradually decrease from the amplitude peak ΔV at point H to ΔV1 at point G along the arc-shaped curve 602. Similar to what was described above regarding the arc-shaped curve, the duration of Δt3 and the magnitudes of the predetermined amplitude ΔV1 and the amplitude peak ΔV are preset within the tumor electric field therapy device 100. Therefore, the coordinates of the starting point H of the arc-shaped decrease of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal, the symmetric point I of the starting point H of the arc-shaped decrease with respect to the time axis, and the ending point G of the arc-shaped decrease can also be preset within the tumor electric field therapy device 100. Thus, a triangle ΔHIG formed by points H, I, and G can be determined. Subsequently, the circumcircle of triangle ΔHIG can be constructed, and the arc between the starting point H and the ending point G of the arc-shaped decrease on this circumcircle is the arc-shaped curve 602. In this example, the formula for the radius R of the circumcircle of the triangle can be used: , to calculate the magnitude of the radius R of the circumcircle of the triangle, where point J is the intersection point obtained by drawing a perpendicular line through point G on the line segment HI. Subsequently, referring to Figure 9B , the amplitude-time expression of the amplitude V and time t on the arc-shaped curve 602 can be obtained through the Pythagorean theorem, , where T1 is the total duration of the alternating current signal applied to a pair of electrodes within a single cycle. By substituting the magnitude of the radius R of the circumcircle of the triangle calculated above into the above amplitude-time expression, the final amplitude-time expression of the arc-shaped curve 602 can be obtained:

[0065] (6),

[0066] where, as described above, the duration of the descending stage Δt3 and the magnitudes of the predetermined amplitude ΔV1 and the amplitude peak ΔV are preset values.

[0067] In one example, assume that the alternating current signal is periodically and alternately applied to two pairs of electrodes, and the total duration of the alternating current signal applied to a pair of electrodes (e.g., Figure 1 the first pair of electrodes 1031 in) within a single cycle is T1 and within a single cycle is applied to another pair of electrodes (e.g., Figure 1The total duration on the second pair of electrodes 1032) is T2 = T1, so the duration of a single cycle of the alternating current signal is T = T1 + T2 = 2 * T1. Since when actually applying the alternating current signal, the value range of time t is usually from 0 to +∞, for the convenience of practical applications, the time t in the amplitude-time expressions (5) and (6) corresponding to a single cycle obtained above can be converted with "t % T" and the expressions can be simplified, so as to obtain the amplitude-time expressions of the voltage amplitude V of the alternating current signals applied to the two pairs of electrodes respectively and the time t in the range from 0 to +∞, as follows:

[0068] (7) (8)

[0069] Among them, expressions (7) and (8) are respectively the amplitude-time expressions of the voltage amplitude V of the alternating current signals applied to different pairs of electrodes, and "%" in the expressions represents the "remainder" operation.

[0070] In the above embodiments according to the present disclosure, better tumor treatment effects can be achieved while reducing or eliminating the electrostimulation influence on patients by reasonably setting the durations of each stage such as the rising stage Δt1, the constant amplitude stage Δt2, and the falling stage Δt3, as well as the magnitudes of the predetermined start / end amplitude ΔV1 and the amplitude peak ΔV of the alternating current signal. For example, in one example, the value range of the duration T of a single cycle of the alternating current signal applied can be 0.1 s to 10 s. Correspondingly, the value range of the total duration T1 = T2 = T / 2 of the alternating current signal applied to a certain pair of electrodes within a single cycle can be 0.05 s to 5 s. In addition, it can be set that Δt1 = Δt3 = T1 / 4 = T2 / 4 = T / 8, so the value range of the rising stage Δt1 and the falling stage Δt3 can be 0.0125 s to 1.25 s. Furthermore, the value range of the voltage peak ΔV of the alternating current signal can be 0 v to 100 v, and the value range of the predetermined start / end amplitude ΔV1 of the alternating current signal can be 0 v to 40 v.

[0071] The following takes an example with specific values to illustrate how to determine the amplitude-time expressions of the circular arc curves in the rising stage and the falling stage in the third example of the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring again to Figure 8A , in the example where T = 2 s, T1 = T2 = T / 2 = 1 s = 1000 ms, Δt1 = Δt3 = 0.06 s = 60 ms, ΔV = 80 v, and ΔV1 = 40 v, according to the above values, it can be calculated that: Δt2 = T1 - Δt1 - Δt3 = 1 - 0.06 - 0.06 = 0.88 s = 880 ms, and combining with Figure 8AIt can be obtained that BE = 40, EC = 120, and AE = 60. According to the Pythagorean theorem, the calculation shows that: and .

[0072] After determining the triangle ΔABC formed by points A, B, and C, the circumcircle of triangle ΔABC can be constructed, and the radius of the circumcircle of triangle ΔABC can be calculated according to the formula .

[0073] After determining the radius R of the circumcircle of triangle ΔABC, referring again to Figure 8B , using the Pythagorean theorem, the amplitude-time expression of the amplitude V on the circular arc curve AB with respect to time t within the time period Δt1 can be obtained: .

[0074] Referring again to Figure 9A and based on the above parameters, it can be obtained that HJ = 40, JI = 120, and JG = 60. Thus, according to the Pythagorean theorem, the calculation shows that: and .

[0075] After determining the triangle ΔHIG formed by points H, I, and G, the circumcircle of triangle ΔHIG can be constructed, and the radius of the circumcircle of triangle ΔHIG can be calculated according to the formula .

[0076] After knowing the radius R of the circumcircle of triangle ΔHIG, referring again to Figure 9B , using the Pythagorean theorem, the amplitude-time expression of the amplitude V on the circular arc curve HG with respect to time t within the time period Δt3 can be obtained: .

[0077] Thus, the amplitude-time expression of the amplitude V with respect to time t during the T1 period can be obtained:

[0078]

[0079] In this way, by applying an alternating current signal with a predetermined amplitude greater than zero at the rising end point and the falling end point by adopting the above embodiments, and realizing the voltage amplitude rise and fall of the alternating current signal through a circular arc curve, it is possible to significantly reduce or even completely eliminate the patient's electrostimulation sensation through more delicate voltage amplitude control, and at the same time, it is possible to increase the magnitude of the signal amplitude when starting to apply the alternating current signal and when ending the application of the alternating current signal, thereby obtaining a more effective treatment effect.

[0080] Figure 10 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary specific structure of a tumor electro-field therapy device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For the sake of easy understanding, inFigure 10 uses the same reference numerals as those used in Figure 1 to denote the same components. By adopting the Figure 10 exemplary specific structure of the tumor treating electric field apparatus 100 shown, it is possible to precisely control the magnitude of the alternating current signal applied to a pair of electrodes by controlling the digital value in the DAC data register, thereby implementing the voltage amplitude of the alternating current signal having a specific rising stage and / or falling stage as described above according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0081] As Figure 10 shown, in this example, the tumor treating electric field apparatus 100 may include: an MCU control unit 11, which includes a storage module 110, an execution module 111 communicatively connected to the storage module 110, a digital-to-analog conversion module (DAC) 112 communicatively connected to the execution module 111, and a control module 113, wherein the storage module 110 may be configured to store various system parameters of the tumor treating electric field apparatus 100, such as the electric field frequency, the amplitude of the output alternating current signal, the period of switching of the alternating electric field direction, etc., and the control module 113 may be configured to control the storage module 110, the execution module 111, and the DAC 112 to perform corresponding operations; an inverter boost control unit 13 electrically connected to the MCU control unit 11; a DC power control unit 12 communicatively connected to both the MCU control unit 11 and the inverter boost control unit 13; a filter control unit 14 electrically connected to the inverter boost control unit 13; an AC voltage control unit 15 electrically connected to the filter control unit 14; a direction control unit 16 electrically connected to the MCU control unit 11; an X-direction switch 17 and a Y-direction switch 18 electrically connected to the direction control unit 16, wherein the X-direction switch 17 may be controlled by the direction control unit 16 to connect or disconnect the alternating current signal output by the AC voltage control unit 15 from the first pair of electrodes 1031 for generating an alternating electric field in the X direction, and the Y-direction switch 18 may be controlled by the direction control unit 16 to connect or disconnect the alternating current signal output by the AC voltage control unit 15 from the second pair of electrodes 1032 for generating an alternating electric field in the Y direction. It should be noted that Figure 10 the connection relationships shown between the various components or modules are only illustrative, and Figure 10 there may be more or fewer connections between different components or modules in

[0082] As Figure 10As further shown, the AC signal generator 101 may include the storage module 110, the execution module 111, the DAC 112 of the MCU control unit 11 described above, as well as the DC power control unit 12, the inverter boost control unit 13, the filtering control unit 14, and the AC voltage control unit 15. Additionally, the AC signal controller 102 may include the storage module 110, the execution module 111, the control module 113 of the MCU control unit 11 described above, as well as the direction control unit 16, the X-direction switch 17, and the Y-direction switch 18. It should be noted that, according to specific needs or division scenarios, the AC signal generator 101 and the AC signal controller 102 may include more or fewer components or modules, which are not limited herein.

[0083] In this example, the execution module 111 may be configured to read various system parameters of the tumor electric field treatment device 100 from the storage module 110, such as the electric field frequency, the voltage amplitude of the output AC signal, the period of the alternating electric field direction switching, etc. Subsequently, the execution module 111 may be further configured to output a periodic direction switching drive signal to the direction control unit 16 according to the read period of the alternating electric field direction switching. In addition, the execution module 111 may also be configured to output a pulse signal with the same frequency as the read electric field frequency and the same voltage amplitude value as the reference voltage of the MCU control unit 11 to the inverter boost control unit 13 according to the read electric field frequency and the reference voltage of the MCU control unit 11. In one example, when the MCU control unit 11 has a reference voltage with an amplitude of 3.3V and the electric field frequency is 200KHz, the execution module 111 may output a square wave with a frequency of 200KHz, a voltage amplitude of 3.3V, and a duty cycle of 50% to the inverter boost control unit 13 as the pulse signal.

[0084] The control module 113 may control the execution module 111 to perform the corresponding functions described above, and the control module 113 may also control the communication between the DAC 112 and the DC power control unit 12 to be turned on and off according to the period of the alternating electric field direction switching read by the execution module 111, and control whether the execution module 111 outputs a pulse signal to the inverter boost control unit 13.

[0085] Continue to refer to Figure 10, the DAC 112 can be communicatively connected to the DC power control unit 12, and can output a DC voltage with a corresponding voltage amplitude to the DC power control unit 12 according to the digital value included in the DAC data register 1120 therein to start the DC power control unit 12, where the amplitude of the DC voltage output by the DAC 112 to the DC power control unit 12 is proportional to the magnitude of the digital value in the DAC data register 1120. In the above example where the MCU control unit 11 has a reference voltage with an amplitude of 3.3V, the digital value corresponding to the reference voltage of 3.3V of the DAC data register 1120 of the DAC 112 and the MCU control unit 11 is 2 12 = 4096, that is to say, when the digital value in the DAC data register 1120 is 4096, the DAC 112 can output a DC voltage with an amplitude of 3.3V to the DC power control unit 12. The magnitude of the DC voltage output to the DC power control unit 12 can be changed proportionally by changing the magnitude of the digital value in the DAC data register 1120.

[0086] After receiving the DC voltage output from the DAC 112, the DC power control unit 12 can output a DC voltage signal with a corresponding magnitude to the inverter boost control unit 13. The inverter boost control unit 13 can have a boost module 130 and an inverter module 131 communicatively connected to the boost module 130, where the boost module can receive the pulse signal output by the execution module 111 of the MCU control unit 11 and the DC voltage signal output by the DC power control unit 12, and perform a superimposition process on the received pulse signal and DC voltage signal and then perform a boost process to output a DC square wave signal with a specific frequency and a specific amplitude to the inverter module 131. Subsequently, the inverter module 131 can perform an inversion process on the received DC square wave signal to output an AC square wave signal with a specific frequency and a specific amplitude to the filter control unit 14. The filter control unit 14 performs a filtering process on the received AC square wave signal to obtain a sine wave with a specific frequency and the peak-to-peak value of a specific AC signal voltage, and outputs the sine wave to the AC voltage control unit 15 as an AC signal.

[0087] The tumor electrotherapy device 100 can output a specific alternating current signal with a frequency range of 100 - 500 KHz and a voltage range of 0V - 160V according to the treatment requirements and the specific boost mode and buck mode described above, so as to generate a corresponding alternating electric field. In an example where the output frequency is 200 KHz and the voltage peak-to-peak value of the alternating current signal is 160V as a sine wave of the alternating current signal, the DC power supply control unit 12 can receive a DC voltage of about 500 mv output by the DAC 112 and output a DC voltage signal of about 20V to the inverter boost control unit 13. The boost module 130 receives a pulse signal with a frequency of 200 KHz, a voltage amplitude of 3.3V, and a duty cycle of 50% output by the execution module 111 and a DC voltage signal with a voltage amplitude of 20V output by the DC power supply control unit 12, superimposes the received pulse signal and DC voltage signal, and then performs a boost process to output a DC square wave signal with a frequency of 200 KHz and an amplitude of 80V to the inverter module 131. The inverter module 131 performs an inversion process on the received DC square wave signal and outputs an AC square wave signal with a frequency of 200 KHz and a voltage amplitude of ±80V to the filter control unit 14. The filter control unit 14 performs a filtering process on the received AC square wave signal to obtain a sine wave with a frequency of 200 KHz and a voltage peak-to-peak value of 160V of the alternating current signal, and outputs the sine wave with a frequency of 200 KHz and a voltage peak-to-peak value of 160V of the alternating current signal after the filtering process to the AC voltage control unit 15 as the alternating current signal. The AC voltage control unit 15 is connected to the X-direction switch 17 and the Y-direction switch 18 at the same time, and selectively applies the alternating current signal with a frequency of 200 KHz and a voltage peak-to-peak value of 160V of the alternating current signal processed by the filter control unit 14 to the first pair of electrodes 1031 or the second pair of electrodes 1032 electrically connected to the AC voltage control unit 15 according to the conduction or disconnection of the X-direction switch 17 and the Y-direction switch 18, so as to generate an X-direction alternating electric field between the first pair of electrodes 1031 or a Y-direction alternating electric field between the second pair of electrodes 1032, and use the alternating electric field to perform tumor treatment on the tumor site.

[0088] The direction control unit 16 can cyclically control the conduction and disconnection of the X-direction switch 17 and the Y-direction switch 18 according to the periodic direction-switching drive signal output by the execution module 111. Specifically, the control module 113 can control the execution module 111 to output a periodic direction-switching drive signal to the direction control unit 16 according to the period of the alternating electric field direction switching read by the execution module 111, and then alternately conduct the X-direction switch 17 and disconnect the Y-direction switch 18, or disconnect the X-direction switch 17 and conduct the Y-direction switch 18 through the direction control unit 16, so as to alternately apply the alternating current signal received by the AC voltage control unit 15 to the first pair of electrodes 1031 or the second pair of electrodes 1032 electrically connected to the AC voltage control unit 15.

[0089] That is to say, when the MCU control unit 11 controls the direction control unit 16 to conduct the X-direction switch 17 and disconnect the Y-direction switch 18, the AC voltage control unit 15 applies an alternating current signal to the first pair of electrodes 1031 electrically connected thereto, so as to generate an X-direction alternating electric field between the first pair of electrodes 1031; when the MCU control unit 11 controls the direction control unit 16 to disconnect the X-direction switch 17 and conduct the Y-direction switch 18, the AC voltage control unit 15 applies an alternating current signal to the second pair of electrodes 1032 electrically connected thereto, so as to generate a Y-direction alternating electric field between the second pair of electrodes 1032. In one example, the duty cycle of the periodic direction-switching drive signal output by the execution module 111 of the MCU control unit 11 to the direction control unit 16 is 50%, and the period T is 2 s. That is, within the first period T, the direction control unit 16 controls the X-direction switch 17 to conduct at the 1st s and controls the Y-direction switch 18 to conduct at the 2nd s, and within the second period T, the direction control unit 16 controls the X-direction switch 17 to conduct at the 3rd s and controls the Y-direction switch 18 to conduct at the 4th s, and so on. In this way, the tumor electric field treatment device 100 can cyclically and alternately apply an alternating current signal to the first pair of electrodes 1031 and the second pair of electrodes 1032 through the cyclic conduction of the X-direction switch 17 and the Y-direction switch 18 to generate an alternating electric field so as to treat the tumor site. In other examples, the duty cycle of the periodic direction-switching drive signal output by the execution module 111 of the MCU control unit 11 to the direction control unit 16 can also be any value among 30% - 50%.

[0090] The above description of the aspects of the invention is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these aspects will be very apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0091] The foregoing description has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. In addition, this description is not intended to limit embodiments of the invention to the form disclosed herein. Although several example aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize some variations, modifications, alterations, additions, and subcombinations thereof.

Claims

1. A tumor electrotherapy device, characterized in that, Comprising: an AC signal generator configured to generate an alternating current signal having a specific frequency; an AC signal controller configured to generate a control signal to alternately apply the alternating current signal generated by the AC signal generator to at least two pairs of electrodes; and at least two pairs of the electrodes configured to generate an alternating electric field for tumor treatment based on the alternating current signal, wherein the alternating current signal has a falling phase in which the amplitude decreases with time, and in the falling phase, the rate of decrease of the amplitude of the alternating current signal increases as the amplitude of the alternating current signal decreases.

2. The tumor electric field treatment device according to claim 1, wherein The falling phase is divided into a plurality of sub-falling segments, in each of which the decrease in the amplitude of the alternating current signal varies linearly, and the absolute value of the slope of the linear variation in the plurality of sub-falling segments increases as the amplitude of the alternating current signal decreases.

3. The tumor electric field therapy device according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the falling phase, the decrease in the amplitude of the alternating current signal is in the shape of a circular arc curve, and the absolute value of the tangent slope at each point on the circular arc curve increases as the amplitude of the alternating current signal decreases.

4. The tumor electro-field therapy device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The circular arc curve is determined by the circumcircle of a triangle formed by the starting point of the circular arc decrease of the amplitude of the alternating current signal, the symmetric point of the starting point of the circular arc decrease with respect to the time axis, and the ending point of the circular arc decrease.

5. The tumor electro-field therapy device according to claim 4, wherein, Based on the radius of the circumcircle, the amplitude-time expression of the circular arc curve is determined.

6. The tumor electric field treatment device according to claim 1, wherein The amplitude of the alternating current signal has a predetermined amplitude at the ending point of the decrease in the falling phase, and the value of the predetermined amplitude is greater than zero.

7. The tumor electric field treatment device according to claim 6, characterized in that, In the case where the falling phase is divided into a plurality of sub-falling segments and the decrease in the amplitude of the alternating current signal varies linearly in each sub-falling segment, the ending point of the decrease in the falling phase corresponds to the ending point of the last sub-falling segment among the plurality of sub-falling segments.

8. The tumor electric field therapy device according to claim 6, characterized in that, In the case where the decrease in the amplitude of the alternating current signal is in the shape of a circular arc curve, the ending point of the decrease in the falling phase corresponds to the ending point of the circular arc of the circular arc curve.

9. The tumor electro-field therapy device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The circular arc curve is determined by the circumcircle of a triangle formed by the starting point of the circular arc decrease of the amplitude of the alternating current signal, the symmetric point of the starting point of the circular arc decrease with respect to the time axis, and the ending point of the circular arc decrease.

10. The tumor electro-field therapy device according to claim 9, characterized in that, Based on the radius of the circumcircle, the amplitude-time expression of the circular arc curve is determined.

11. A tumor electro-field therapy device, characterized in that, Comprising: an AC signal generator configured to generate an alternating current signal having a specific frequency; an AC signal controller configured to generate a control signal to alternately apply the alternating current signal generated by the AC signal generator to at least two pairs of electrodes; and at least two pairs of the electrodes configured to generate an alternating electric field for tumor treatment based on the alternating current signal, wherein the alternating current signal has a rising phase in which the amplitude increases with time, and in the rising phase, the increase in the amplitude of the alternating current signal is in the shape of a circular arc curve, and the tangent slope at each point on the circular arc curve decreases as the amplitude of the alternating current signal increases.

12. The tumor electro-field therapy device according to claim 11, wherein, The arc-shaped curve is determined by the circumcircle of a triangle formed by the starting point of the arc rise, the ending point of the arc rise of the amplitude of the alternating current signal, and the symmetric point of the ending point of the arc rise with respect to the time axis.

13. The tumor electric field therapy device according to claim 12, wherein Based on the radius of the circumcircle, the amplitude-time expression of the arc-shaped curve is determined.

14. The tumor electro-field therapy device according to any one of claims 11-13, characterized in that, The amplitude of the alternating current signal has a predetermined amplitude at the starting point of the rise in the rising stage, and the value of the predetermined amplitude is greater than zero.

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