Ultra-small oxygen generator increases the effectiveness of anaerobic digestion

For some types of cancer such as pancreatic cancer or cancer of the neck, cancerous tumors are very anaerobic, or in other words, they contain very low levels of oxygen. As radiation therapy now requires oxygen to maximize its effectiveness, anaerobic areas on the tumor are often difficult to kill.

So, to address this problem, Purdue University researchers have recently developed and tested a special electronic device that is designed to be transplanted into solid tumors to create Oxygen and increase the effectiveness of radiation / chemotherapy.

Once implanted in the tumor, the device will use ultrasonic signals to create a small voltage that separates oxygen and hydrogen from water in a chemical process called electrolysis of water. The implant is less than 1 cm in length and is inserted into the tumors with a needle biopsy - a special needle used to biopsy the soft tissues inside the body.

A professor of electrical engineering, computer engineering and biomedical engineering at Purdue - Babak Ziaie said: "We are implanting such devices into the inside of the tumor and for the tumor to contact the super-waves. Ultrasonic energy helps the device operate and generate oxygen. "

The device, manufactured by Purdue's Birck Nanotechnology Center, is currently being tested on pancreatic cancer in mice. Test results show that the device can produce oxygen that causes tumors to shrink faster than untreated tumors.

At present, Purdue researchers are waiting for a patent and looking to redesign the device for early production and clinical trials.