TTFields Electrode Arrays With Thermal Sensing and Element Shutoff
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing TTFields therapy systems face reduced treatment efficacy due to loss of electrical contact between transducer arrays and the body, leading to increased resistance and temperature rise in individual electrode elements, which necessitates reducing current across all elements, thereby decreasing the electric field strength.
Innovation Solution
Implementing individual conductors for each electrode element in the transducer arrays, allowing independent control of current flow through each element using a controller and switches, without increasing the number of cables significantly, and utilizing thermistors for temperature monitoring to maintain safe skin temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If electrode arrays use fixed non-individually accessible electrode elements, then device simplicity is maintained, but ability to adjust and optimize EFT delivery to different tumor regions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode array is divided into multiple independently controllable electrode elements arranged in rows and columns. Each electrode element can be individually activated or deactivated through separate control circuits, allowing selective application of EFT to different regions of the tumor while maintaining overall system manageability through modular architecture.
2Measurement precision
If temperature sensors are integrated into each electrode element, then localized temperature monitoring precision is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature sensor is integrated directly into the electrode element structure itself, combining the electrical contact function and temperature sensing function into a single unified component. This allows each electrode element to simultaneously deliver EFT and monitor local temperature, eliminating the need for separate sensor assemblies and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Each electrode element is designed to perform multiple functions: delivering electrical field therapy and monitoring local temperature. This multi-functional design reduces the total number of components needed in the system while maintaining the ability to independently control and monitor each treatment zone.
3Reliability
If real-time temperature monitoring is implemented across all electrode elements, then detection of harmful thermal effects is improved, but energy consumption and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Temperature monitoring is performed locally at each electrode element site rather than using a single centralized sensor. Each electrode element includes its own temperature sensor that monitors only the immediate treatment zone, allowing detection of localized overheating while minimizing total energy consumption by limiting active sensing to only those regions currently receiving EFT treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively monitors temperature at each electrode site before harmful thermal effects can develop. By continuously tracking temperature at the source of energy delivery, the system can detect and respond to abnormal heating trends before they reach dangerous levels, preventing tissue damage rather than merely detecting it after the fact.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach maintains optimal current flow and electric field strength by individually adjusting current to overheating elements, ensuring consistent treatment efficacy while minimizing cable bulk and complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature sensor, which may be the same type as each electrode element
Implementation Method 2
The controller may be programmed to detect a temperature gradient
Implementation Method 3
delivering tumor treating fields (ttfields)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2D
Figure 3
AI summary
Tumor treating fields (TTFields) can be delivered to a subject's body at higher field strengths by switching off one or more electrode elements in a transducer array that are overheating. This may be accomplished by using thermistors that sense the temperature of each electrode element. Portions of the wiring of each transducer array is shared between the electrode elements and the thermistors by using a plurality of conductors, each of which electrically connects (a) a pin of a connector, (b) a respective electrode element, and (c) a respective thermistor. In some embodiments, all of the thermistors are wired in series. In other embodiments, all the thermistors share a common connection.