Resonance-Induced Tumor Ablation (RITA): A New Alternative to Oncological Therapy

Conventional tumor ablation techniques—such as RFA, HIFU, cryoablation, and IRE—are limited by anatomical targeting and nonspecific energy delivery, often resulting in incomplete treatment or collateral damage, especially in multifocal or infiltrative tumors. Resonance-Induced Tumor Ablation (RITA) is a nonthermal, spectrum-resolved technique that achieves deterministic disintegration by targeting the intrinsic eigenfrequencies ωk of ma- lignant tissue. Energy is delivered only when local strain exceeds the viscoelastic rupture threshold ε(x,t) ≥ εcrit, with automatic cessation upon modal collapse. In simulations (FEM, n = 12) and gel phantom experiments (n = 9), RITA achieved: • Ablation time: 2.8 ± 0.4 s per focus • Energy delivered: 0.76 ± 0.09 J/cm3 • Temperature rise: < 5.8◦C • Spectral selectivity: Q = 38.6 ± 3.9 • Residual vibrational modes: 0–1 post-actuation No off-target effects were detected in adjacent inclusions spaced as close as 5 mm, con- firming spatial selectivity driven purely by spectral decoupling. Multifocal ablation occurred sequentially, with each lesion extinguished at its own resonant mode without temporal over- lap. Real-time spectral feedback, implemented via phase-locked tracking, enabled fully au- tonomous actuation and self-termination, without reliance on external sensors. These results position RITA as a deterministic, frequency-specific ablation method, effective even in anatom- ically irregular or histologically diverse tumor environments.