Electrodes for applying an electric field in-vivo over an extended period of time

• US 7,715,921 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2005
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novocure GmbH (NovoCure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Standen'S Limited (Standen's Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Palti, Yoram
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHAETZLE, KENNEDY
• Application Number:
  US11/294,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20060149341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 607/152, 607/142, 600/393
• US Class Current: 607/115
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0408 Use-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0452 Specially adapted for transcutaneous muscle stimulation [TMS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0456 Specially adapted for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/046 Specially adapted for shock therapy, e.g. defibrillation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0476 Array electrodes (including any electrode arrangement with more than one electrode for at least one of the polarities)
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0492 Patch electrodes A61N1/0412, A61N1/0428 take precedence

Abstract

As compared to conventional electrodes, the electrode configurations disclosed herein minimize irritation and damage to the skin when they are placed in contact with a patient'"'"'s body over extended of time. The electrodes are formed from a conductive substrate coated with a thin dielectric material, and a plurality of open spaces pass through the electrodes. Those open spaces are distributed and sized to permit moisture on the surface of the patient'"'"'s body to escape when the electrode is placed in contact with the patient'"'"'s body. One intended use for the electrodes is for treating tumors by applying an AC electric field with specific frequency and field strength characteristics over an extended period of time.

Claims

1. An electrode configured for placement in contact with a surface of a patient'"'"'s body, the electrode comprising:

a conductive substrate having a first side that faces the patient when the electrode is placed in contact with the patient'"'"'s body, the conductive substrate having a plurality of open spaces passing therethrough that pass through the first side of the conductive substrate, wherein the open spaces are distributed and sized to permit moisture on the surface of the patient'"'"'s body to escape via the open spaces when the electrode is placed in contact with the patient'"'"'s body; and

a thin dielectric material disposed on the first side of the conductive substrate so as to insulate the conductive substrate from the patient'"'"'s body when the electrode is placed in contact with the patient'"'"'s body, wherein the dielectric coating has a dielectric constant of at least 1000.

2. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the conductive substrate is a single piece of conductive material.

3. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the conductive substrate comprises a plurality of separate sections that are attached to one another in a manner that permits the sections to move with respect to neighboring sections, by a limited amount.

4. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the conductive substrate comprises a plurality of roughly parallel wires spaced apart by at least 2 mm, and wherein the thin dielectric material surrounds each of the wires.

5. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the open spaces are at least 2 mm wide.

6. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the open spaces are at least 4 mm wide.

7. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the open spaces have an area that is least 4 square mm.

8. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the open spaces have an area that is least 16 square mm.

9. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the open spaces are arranged in a pattern that permits portions of the surface of a patient'"'"'s body that are covered when the electrode is in the first position to become uncovered when the electrode is moved to a second position, with the overall footprint of the electrode in the first position substantially overlapping the overall footprint of the electrode in the second position.

10. The electrode of claim 9, wherein the combined area of all the open spaces is roughly half the area of the footprint of the electrode.

11. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the dielectric coating has a dielectric constant of at least 10,000.