Nanoparticle Interactions with Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields for Ablation Therapy

POSTER

Abstract

The \textit{in vivo} ablation of malignant tumors can be significantly enhanced with nanoparticles (NPs) that absorb energy from electromagnetic (EM) waves and subsequently heat targeted regions in the body. Low-frequency EM fields can penetrate much deeper than near-infrared and visible light. Ohmic heating has primarily been the sole mechanism considered for the coupling of the EM fields to the NPs, but few quantitative analyses have been published to predict NP heating rates. To address this issue, this study identified and modeled four excitation mechanisms for the remote heating of NPs by low-frequency EM waves. These mechanisms included (1) ohmic heating of conductive NPs, (2) translational vibrations of charged NPs, (3) rotational vibrations of piezoelectric NPs, and (4) acoustic wave generation by piezoelectric NPs. Preliminary results showed that for a constant NP volume, the heating rate is independent of NP size for ohmic heating. Additionally, ohmic heating produced the lowest heating rates of the four mechanisms. These results point to possible new NP technologies to optimize heating rates and tumor ablation in patients.

Authors

  • Scott Jensen

  • John Poate

    Brigham Young University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, USA, MV Systems, Inc., USA, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie, Abteilung Silizium-Photovoltaik, Germany, Colorado School of Mines, Department of Physics, USA, Georgia Institute of Technology, Arizona State University, Physics Department of Babolsar University, Iran, Physics Department, New Mexico State University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1604, USA, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA, Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1504, USA, Colorado State University, University of Wisconsin, NSF ERC for Extreme Ultraviolet Science and Technology, Colorado State University, BYU-Provo, Michigan Technical University and Pierre Auger Collaboration, University of Colorado, Colorado School of Mines, Department of Physics, Colorado State University, Department of Physics, Cornell University, NASA, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, University of Massachusetss at Amherst, APS President, Harvard University, Society of Physics Students, Duke University, Computer Science, Brigham Young University, Chemistry \& Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, University of Arizona, University of Utah, Kansas State Univ., Bethel University, University of New Mexico, Stanford University, JILA, University of Colorado at Boulder, NIST, JILA, University of Colorado at Boulder, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, University of Denver, University of Colorado, Boulder, NREL, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287- 1604, USA, DU, ERI, Eleanor Roosevelt Institute (ERI), Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory, Utah State University, Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Sciprint.org, University of Colorado at Boulder, JILA and University of Colorado, Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, University of Heidelberg, Utah Valley University, University of New South Wales, San Francisco State University, Weber State University, Cambridge University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, Kansas State University, Columbia University, NY, University of Colorado/JILA, Vice-President for Research and Technology Transfer, Colorado School of Mines