Improving the efficiency of tumor treating fields delivery in tumor cell proliferation inhibition through conductive...

In current clinical practice, Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) are delivered through insulated ceramic electrode arrays via capacitive coupling, which limits the efficiency of electric field energy transfer. In this study, we propose a new TTFields delivery mode based on conductive electrodes, termed conductive TTFields (Ce-TTFields), to enhance energy delivery efficiency. Electromagnetic-field and lumped-circuit analysis was conducted to understand the underlying mechanisms of TTFields delivery and proposed the novel Ce-TTFields concept. We designed and fabricated a Ce-TTFields culture dish and conducted electromagnetic simulations, in vitro electric-field measurements, and U-87 glioma cell proliferation assays to validate this novel concept. Simulation and test experimental results demonstrate that Ce-TTFields produce stronger electric field intensities in the cell culture and the simulated human brain model compared with conventional insulated electrodes under the same driving voltage. U-87 glioma cell proliferation assays consistently confirmed that the U-87 glioma inhibition efficiency is enhanced by Ce-TTFields, indicating significantly improved energy-delivery efficiency. These findings suggest that Ce-TTFields may help optimize TTFields treatment protocols and offer a promising direction for developing more efficient, lightweight, and cost-effective TTFields therapeutic systems.