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S. Strauss
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P1.06 - Poster Session with Presenters Present (ID 458)
- Event: WCLC 2016
- Type: Poster Presenters Present
- Track: Advanced NSCLC
- Presentations: 1
- Moderators:
- Coordinates: 12/05/2016, 14:30 - 15:45, Hall B (Poster Area)
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P1.06-015 - Designing Transducer Arrays for the Delivery of TTFields Whilst Maximizing Patient Comfort and Field Intensity in the Thorax (ID 4897)
14:30 - 14:30 | Author(s): S. Strauss
- Abstract
Background:
Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) are an anti-mitotic therapy that utilizes low intensity electric fields in the intermediate frequency range to disrupt cell division. A study to test the efficacy of TTFields in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of mesothelioma is underway, and a pivotal study testing the efficacy of TTFields in treating NSCLC is planned. TTFields are delivered via two pairs of transducer arrays placed on the patient's skin. The transducer arrays comprise a set of ceramic disks that make electric contact with the skin through a thin layer of conductive medical gel. The disks in the arrays currently in use are arranged in an almost rectangular pattern. One pair of arrays is placed on the posterior and anterior sides of the patient’s thorax. The other pair is placed on the lateral and contralateral aspects of the patient. This configuration has several limitations: The array placed on the chest may not adhere well to body curvature, leading to sub-optimal electric contact that reduces field intensity in the tumor. In females and obese individuals, fields generated by arrays placed on the anterior and posterior have to traverse thick layers of adipose in the breast. The high resistivity of these layers damps the intensity of TTFields in the lungs. Here we present novel array designs intended to overcome these limitations.
Methods:
Multiple concepts for arrays designed to adhere comfortably to the body, whilst avoiding regions of high adipose were proposed. Finite element simulations using realistic computational phantoms were used to evaluate the field distribution generated by these arrays, and optimize their design.
Results:
Novel array designs for delivering TTFields to the lungs were developed. These arrays are not designed as large patches, but comprise sets of interconnected small patches that adhere to the natural contours of the patient's bodies. Simulations showed that these arrays deliver uniform field distributions to the lungs. A particularly noteworthy design is a pair of arrays in which one array was shaped as a circular ring placed around the neck and shoulders, and the second array was shaped as a belt placed on the lower torso. This design yielded a highly uniform and intense field directed longitudinally throughout the torso.
Conclusion:
The arrays presented in this study deliver high field intensities to the thorax whilst maintaining patient comfort. These designs could help to improve the outcome of TTFields therapy.
