Radiofrequency wave absorption in a graded-index GNP-treated cancer cell substrate inserted in a waveguide

The heating of biological tissue with inserted gold nanoparticles (GNPs) by radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic radiation is an important phenomenon with potential to be used as a non-invasive method to treat cancer. The method relies on the cancer cells’ property to intake an abnormal amount of nutrients. If GNPs are coated with suitable nutrient ligands, they can be taken into the cancer cells with high concentration, while their concentration in normal cells remains low. Consequently, the temperature of cells with high GNP concentration will increase to such levels to cause the death of such (cancer) cells under exposure of an externally applied RF field as the GNPs are driven into electrophoretic motion.