IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,633,051
Granted Patent B1
US 12,633,051 · App. 18/510,130 · Granted May 19, 2026

Systems and methods for determining transducer locations for delivering tumor treating fields using a discretized model of a subject

Inventors: Ido Imanuel (Haifa, IL); Michal Holtzman Gazit (Haifa, IL); Reuven Ruby Shamir (Haifa, IL)
Assignee: Novocure GmbH
G06T17/00A61B6/032A61N1/0476A61N1/36002G06T7/0012G06T2207/10081G06T2210/41
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,633,051
App. No.
18/510,130
Granted
May 19, 2026
Kind
B1
Abstract

A computer-implemented method for selecting at least one transducer location for delivering tumor treating fields to a subject, the method including: obtaining a three-dimensional model which includes voxels associated with image data of the subject; computing a discretization of the model to obtain a discretized model; computing boundary conditions for the discretized model; computing a matrix A is based on the discretized model and a vector b based on the boundary conditions for each respective transducer location; computing a vector φ using the matrix A and the vector b for each transducer location, wherein the vector φ is computed by computationally solving an equation Aφ=b, wherein each vector φ represents electrical potentials for the discretized model for each respective transducer location; and selecting one or more transducer locations for delivering tumor treating fields to the subject based on the vectors φ.

Claims (39)

1 . A computer-implemented method for selecting at least one transducer location for delivering tumor treating fields to a subject, the method comprising:

obtaining a three-dimensional model of the subject, the model comprising voxels associated with image data of the subject;

computing a discretization of the model to obtain a discretized model;

computing boundary conditions for the discretized model, wherein the boundary conditions represent at least transducer locations on the subject;

computing a matrix A and a vector b, wherein the matrix A is based on the discretized model, wherein the vector b is based on the boundary conditions for each respective transducer location;

computing a vector φ using the matrix A and the vector b for each transducer location, wherein the vector φ is computed by computationally solving an equation Aφ=b, wherein each vector φ represents electrical potentials for the discretized model for each respective transducer location; and

selecting one or more transducer locations for delivering tumor treating fields to the subject based on the vectors φ.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the discretized model comprises a uniform grid of the voxels in the three-dimensional model of the subject.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the discretized model comprises an octree grid of the voxels in the three-dimensional model of the subject.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the boundary conditions represent the transducer locations as voltage sources on the subject.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the boundary conditions represent the transducer locations as current sources on the subject.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the equation Aφ=b is computationally solved based on a Cholesky-based direct matrix inversion of the matrix A.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the equation Aφ=b is computationally solved using an algebraic multigrid (AMG) method or a conjugate gradient (CG) method.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising computing a tumor treating fields dosage of the discretized model of the subject using the vectors φ for each transducer location,

wherein the one or more transducer locations are selected based on the computed tumor treating fields dosages.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein computing the vector φ is not based on air cells in the discretized model.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein computing the vector φ is based on cover-loop cells in the discretized model.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a representation of a selected transducer location on a representation of the subject.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the model of the subject represents a head of the subject.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the model of the subject represents a torso of the subject.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each transducer location comprises locations for at least two transducer arrays, wherein each transducer array comprises a plurality of electrode elements.

15 . An apparatus for selecting transducer locations for delivering tumor treating fields to a subject, the apparatus comprising: one or more processors; and memory accessible by the one or more processors, the memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

obtain a three-dimensional model of the subject, the model comprising voxels;

compute a cell discretization of the model to obtain a discretized model;

compute a vector φ by solving Aφ=b for each of a plurality of transducer locations, A being a matrix based on the discretized model, b being a vector based on the discretized model;

compute at least one of electric power loss density, current density, or electric field intensity at locations of the discretized model of the subject using the vectors φ for each transducer location; and

select one or more transducer locations based on the computed electric power loss density, computed current density, or computed electric field intensity.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the discretized model comprises a uniform grid of the voxels in the three-dimensional model of the subject.

17 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the discretized model comprises an octree grid of the voxels in the three-dimensional model of the subject.

18 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the vector φ is computed for each transducer location based on boundary conditions for each respective transducer location.

19 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein a first vector φ and a second vector φ are computed simultaneously.

20 . A computer-implemented method for computing a dosage of tumor treating fields delivered to a subject, the method comprising:

obtaining a three-dimensional model of the subject, the model comprising voxels;

computing a discretization of the model to obtain a discretized model;

determining a location on the discretized model of the subject to place a pair of transducers for delivering tumor treating fields;

computing boundary conditions for the discretized model, wherein the boundary conditions represent the location of the transducers on the subject;

computing a vector φ by solving Aφ=b for the boundary conditions, A being a matrix based on the discretized model, b being a vector based on the discretized model, the vector φ representing electrical potentials for the discretized model;

computing at least one of electric power loss density, current density, or electric field intensity at locations of the discretized model of the subject using the vector φ; and

computing a dosage of tumor treating fields delivered to the subject based on at least one of the computed electric power loss density, computed current density, or computed electric field intensity.

Assignments (2)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 4, 2024
From: NOVOCURE GMBH (SWITZERLAND)
To: BIOPHARMA CREDIT PLC
Reel/Frame 067315/0399 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 15, 2023
From: IMANUEL, IDO; HOLTZMAN GAZIT, MICHAL; SHAMIR, REUVEN RUBY
To: NOVOCURE GMBH
Reel/Frame 065574/0837 →
Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 63426488 · Nov 18, 2022
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