EXTH-22. A NEW DESIGN FOR TRANSDUCER ARRAYS FOR THE DELIVERY OF TUMOR TREATING FIELDS

Tumor treating fields (TTFields) therapy is delivered to patients’ tumors via four transducer arrays placed on the patient’s scalp. When applying TTFields, the skin temperature below the arrays is monitored continuously to verify it does not exceed a safety threshold of 41 0 C. The temperature sensing is performed using thermistors, positioned in the center of the ceramic insulator disks in the arrays. In the current array design, each of the four arrays is connected through a long wire to a Connector Array Device (CAD) where the temperature from all thermistors is read. Thus, in order to deliver TTFields using the current arrays, there is a need for four long cables running from the arrays to the CAD, which is located near the field generator and often clipped to the patient’s waist or carry bag. The use of four long wires makes the wiring coming off of a patient’s head less flexible and more visible. In addition, the presence of long wires attached to the arrays can make placement of the arrays on the head cumbersome. To overcome these challenges, we have designed a new generation of transducer arrays in which temperature measurements are performed using micro-processers located within connectors which connect to each array on the head. Therefore, placement of the arrays on the head can be performed without the need for individual wires to be connected to the CAD. Following individual array placement, the four arrays are connected via short, thin wires to a miniature hub, placed adjacent to or on the patient’s head. The miniature hub routes the communication from the arrays to the field generator using a single thin cable. This design is intended to significantly improve the ease-of-use and lower the visibility of the TTFields delivery arrays.