Apparatus and method for treating a tumor or the like

• US 7,089,054 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novocure GmbH (NovoCure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Standen'S Limited (Standen's Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Palti, Yoram
• Primary Examiner(s): Evanisko, George R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAHELIN, MICHAEL WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US10/285,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20040068296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 607/50, 607/76, 607/139, 607/154, 607108-112, 607/115, 607/149
• US Class Current: 607/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/18 Applying electric currents by contact electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/40 Applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling microwave apparatus A61N5/00; Applying radio-frequency signals

Abstract

An article of clothing is provided for selectively destroying dividing cells in living tissue formed of dividing cells and non-dividing cells. The dividing cells contain polarizable intracellular members and during late anaphase or telophase, the dividing cells are connected to one another by a cleavage furrow. The article of clothing includes insulated electrodes to be coupled to a generator for subjecting the living tissue to electric field conditions sufficient to cause movement of the polarizable intracellular members toward the cleavage furrow in response to a non-homogeneous electric field being induced in the dividing cells. The non-homogeneous electric field produces an increased density electric field in the region of the cleavage furrow. The movement of the polarizable intracellular intracellular members towards the cleavage furrow causes the breakdown thereof which adversely impacts the multiplication of the dividing cells.

Claims

1. An apparatus for selectively destroying dividing cells in a target area of living tissue, the dividing cells having polarizable or polar or charged intracellular members, the apparatus comprising:

an article of clothing configured to be worn over the target area;

a first insulated electrode having a first conductor and a contact surface, wherein the first insulated electrode is supported by the article such that, when the article of clothing is worn, the contact surface of the first insulated electrode will be held against the living, tissue;

a second insulated electrode having a second conductor and a contact surface, wherein the second insulated electrode is supported by the article such that, when the article of clothing is worn, the contact surface of the second insulated electrode will be held against the living tissue; and

an electric field source connected to the first and second insulated electrodes for applying an alternating electric potential difference across the first and second conductors, wherein the first insulated electrode, the second insulated electrode, and the electric field source are operatively configured to induce an AC electric field in the target area via capacitive coupling through the first insulated electrode and the second insulated electrode, the induced capacitively coupled electric field having frequency and field strength characteristics such that (a) passage of the electric field through the dividing cells in late anaphase or telophase damages a significant portion of the dividing cells and (b) passage of the electric field through non-dividing cells leaves the non-dividing cells substantially unharmed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the article comprises a hat to be worn over a head for treatment of one of an intra-cranial tumor and a scalp tumor.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first and second insulated electrodes have an arcuate shape for placement against the head.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electric field is of sufficient frequency so that the non-homogeneous electric field produced in the dividing cells defines electric field lines which generally converge at a region of the cleavage furrow, thereby defining the increased density electric field, resulting in destruction of the dividing cells as a result of the polarizable intracellular members movement toward the cleavage furrow.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further including:

a first conductive lead operatively connecting the first electrode to the electric field source; and

a second conductive lead operatively connecting the second electrode to the electric field source.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electrode includes a first dielectric member that is in contact with the first conductor, the first dielectric member for placement against the living tissue to form a capacitor and wherein the second electrode includes a second dielectric member that is in contact with the second conductor, the second dielectric member for placement against the living tissue to form a capacitor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the alternating electric potential has a frequency of between about 50 KHz to about 500 KHz.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the alternating electric potential has a frequency of between about 100 KHz to about 300 KHz.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electric field is a substantially uniform electric field prior to passing through the dividing cells.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electric field source comprises a generator that generates an alternating voltage waveform at frequencies between about 50 KHz to about 500 KHz.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein each of the first and second electrodes are activated by the alternating voltage waveform.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the generator is disposed within the article of clothing.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the generator is disposed outside of the article of clothing.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further including:

a biasing mechanism for biasing each of the first and second electrodes in a direction toward the living tissue when the article of clothing is worn to ensure that the first and second electrodes seat against the living tissue.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the biasing mechanism includes a spring that applies a biasing force against one of the first and second electrodes in the direction toward the living tissue.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the biasing mechanism comprises a body formed of an elastic material that is disposed within the article of clothing in close proximity to or in contact with one of the insulated electrodes.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the body is farmed of a material that has undergone a foaming process.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each insulated electrode includes a conductor and a dielectric member in contact therewith and for placement against the living tissue to form a capacitor.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the insulated electrode includes an intervening filler disposed on the respective dielectric member thereof, the intervening filler being formed of a material that has high conductance and a high dielectric constant.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the intervening filler comprises a gel formed of at least one material selected from the group consisting of hydrogels, gelatins and agar.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the clothing is in the form of a bra.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact surface of the first insulated electrode is substantially flat.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the contact surface of the second insulated electrode is substantially flat.

28. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact surface of the first insulated electrode is shaped to conform with a body part.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the contact surface of the second insulated electrode is shaped to conform with a body part.

22. A method for selectively destroying dividing cells in living tissue, the dividing cells having polarizable or polar or charged intracellular members, the method comprising the steps of;

donning an article of clothing comprising a first insulated electrode;

having a first conductor and a contact surface and a second insulated electrode having a second conductor and a contact surface

wherein the contact surfaces of the first and second insulated electrodes are positioned with respect to the article so that when the article is donned, the contact surfaces are held against the living tissue; and

applying an alternating electric potential across the first and second conductors so as to subject the living tissue to an alternating electric field that is capacitively coupled into the living tissue through the first insulated electrode and the second insulated electrode, the capacitively coupled electric field having frequency and field strength characteristics such that (a) passage of the electric field through the dividing cells in late anaphase or telophase damages a significant portion of the dividing cells and (b) passage of the electric field through non-dividing cells leaves the non-dividing cells substantially unharmed.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the electric field is of sufficient frequency so that the non-homogeneous electric field produced in the dividing cells defines electric field lines which generally converge at a region of the cleavage furrow, thereby defining the increased intensity electric field, resulting in destruction of the dividing cells as a result of the polarizable intracellular members movement toward the furrow.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the applying step comprises applying an alternating electric potential having a frequency of between about 50 KHz to about 500 KHz.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the dividing cells comprise a first sub-cell and a second sub-cell with the cleavage furrow connecting the two in late anaphase or telophase.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein the contact surface of the first insulated electrode is substantially flat.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the contact surface of the second insulated electrode is substantially flat.

32. The method of claim 22, wherein the contact surface of the first insulated electrode is shaped to conform with a body part.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the contact surface of the second insulated electrode is shaped to conform with a body part.

34. The method of claim 22, wherein the applying step comprises applying an alternating electric potential having a frequency of between about 100 KHz to about 300 KHz.