Mechanically Powered Piezoelectric Pulsed‐Field System for Tumor Ablation

ABSTRACT Pulsed electric‐field tumor ablation enables localized treatment but depends on bulky, costly high‐voltage equipment, limiting use to specialized settings. Here, we developed a portable, mechanically powered piezoelectric pulsed‐field (MPPF) system based on an ultra‐low‐cost commercial piezoelectric igniter. Through mechano‐electrical transduction, charge accumulation and pulse modulation, discrete thumb actuations were converted into kilovolts‐level, microsecond exponential‐decay pulses without batteries or an external power supply. Coupled with a microneedle electrode array, the system generated tissue electric fields exceeding irreversible electroporation (IRE) thresholds. Compared with repeated‐dose chemotherapy, MPPF monotherapy outperformed dacarbazine in mouse B16F10 melanoma and performed comparably to docetaxel in 4T1 breast tumors. A single treatment combining MPPF with intratumoral Ca 2 + produced greater tumor growth inhibition than the corresponding multicycle chemotherapy regimens in both models, with macroscopic tumor disappearance by day 2 in >80% of mice. Complete local regression persisted at the study endpoint in 17% and 50% of mice with B16F10 and 4T1 tumors, respectively, with 100% survival in both groups. This treatment was also associated with increased intratumoral CD4 + and CD8 + T‐cell infiltration, increased serum tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) and interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ), and reduced interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) levels. This ultra‐low‐cost (<2 US dollars) platform enables mechanically powered high‐voltage tumor ablation, with potential applicability to decentralized cancer treatment in resource‐limited settings.