Treating a tumor or the like with an electric field
First Claim
1. A method of selectively destroying or inhibiting the growth of rapidly dividing cells located within a target region of a patient, comprising the steps of:
- imposing an AC electric field in the target region of the patient, wherein the electric field has frequency characteristics that correspond to a vulnerability of the rapidly dividing cells, wherein the electric field is strong enough to damage, during the late anaphase or telophase stages of cell division, a significant portion of the rapidly dividing cells whose long axis is generally aligned with the lines of force of the electric field, and wherein the electric field leaves non-dividing cells located within the target region substantially unchanged,wherein the electric field is imposed in the target region for one or more intervals of time, and wherein the presence of the electric field in the target region for the one or more intervals of time kills a therapeutically significant portion of the rapidly dividing cells.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Cells that are in the late anaphase or telophase stages of cell division are vulnerable to damage by AC electric fields that have specific frequency and field strength characteristics. The selective destruction of rapidly dividing cells can therefore be accomplished by imposing an AC electric field in a target region for extended periods of time. Some of the cells that divide while the field is applied will be damaged, but the cells that do not divide will not be harmed. This selectively damages rapidly dividing cells like tumor cells, but does not harm normal cells that are not dividing. Since the vulnerability of the dividing cells is strongly related to the alignment between the long axis of the dividing cells and the lines of force of the electric field, improved results are obtained when the field is sequentially imposed in different directions.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method of selectively destroying or inhibiting the growth of rapidly dividing cells located within a target region of a patient, comprising the steps of:
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imposing an AC electric field in the target region of the patient, wherein the electric field has frequency characteristics that correspond to a vulnerability of the rapidly dividing cells, wherein the electric field is strong enough to damage, during the late anaphase or telophase stages of cell division, a significant portion of the rapidly dividing cells whose long axis is generally aligned with the lines of force of the electric field, and wherein the electric field leaves non-dividing cells located within the target region substantially unchanged, wherein the electric field is imposed in the target region for one or more intervals of time, and wherein the presence of the electric field in the target region for the one or more intervals of time kills a therapeutically significant portion of the rapidly dividing cells. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of selectively destroying or inhibiting the growth of rapidly dividing cells located within a target region of a patient, comprising the steps of:
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imposing an AC electric field in the target region of the patient, wherein the electric field has frequency and field strength characteristics that cause the electric field to selectively damage cells that are undergoing cell division, and wherein the electric field leaves cells that are not undergoing cell division substantially unharmed, and wherein the electric field is imposed in the target region for one or more intervals of time that are collectively sufficient to cause a therapeutically significant portion of the cells that divide in the target region to die. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An apparatus for selectively destroying or inhibiting the growth of rapidly dividing cells located within a target region of a patient, the apparatus comprising:
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an AC voltage source; and a plurality of insulated electrodes that are operatively connected to the AC voltage source, wherein each of the electrodes has a surface configured for placing against the patient'"'"'s body; wherein the AC voltage source and the electrodes are configured so that, when the electrodes are placed against the patient'"'"'s body, an AC electric field is imposed in the target region of the patient, the electric field having frequency characteristics that correspond to a vulnerability of the rapidly dividing cells, wherein the electric field is strong enough to damage, during the late anaphase or telophase stages of cell division, a significant portion of the rapidly dividing cells whose long axis is generally aligned with the lines of force of the electric field, and wherein the electric field leaves non-dividing cells located within the target region substantially unchanged. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An apparatus for selectively destroying or inhibiting the growth of rapidly dividing cells located within a target region of a patient, the apparatus comprising:
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an AC voltage source; and a plurality of insulated electrodes that are operatively connected to the AC voltage source, wherein each of the electrodes has a surface configured for placing against the patient'"'"'s body; wherein the AC voltage source and the electrodes are configured so that, when the electrodes are placed against the patient'"'"'s body, an AC electric field is imposed in the target region of the patient, the electric field having frequency and field strength characteristics that cause the electric field to (a) selectively damage cells that are undergoing cell division and (b) leave cells that are not undergoing cell division substantially unharmed. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification