The invention relates to medicine and veterinary. The device for magnetotherapy comprises a variable generator (1) of current pulses, an energy accumulator (2) and a circuit (3) for discharge of the energy accumulator (2), including a controlled switching element (5) and an inductor (4) capable of producing a therapeutic pulsed magnetic field, and also a unit (7) for controlling the duration of pulses of the magnetic field produced by the inductor (4) and a controller (10) of the amplitude of pulses of the magnetic field. According to the invention, the discharge circuit (3) of the energy accumulator (2) includes a unit (6) for controlling the slope of the leading edge of pulses of the magnetic field produced by the inductor (4). The device is predominantly intended for arresting and relieving acute pain syndromes, phantom limb pain and attacks of bronchial asthma, and also for treating mastities of cattle.

The treatment of biological tissue is effected by a pulsed electric field induced by a time changing magnetic field produced by a magnetic coil or a plurality of magnetic coils. These magnetic coils are arranged in the area of desired treatment and respond to a driving current to induce the pulsed electric field into the localized treatment area. The driving current and concomitant magnetic field generates an electric field waveform that has a first pulse in a positive direction having a selected value followed by a second pulse in a negative direction having a larger value than the first pulse, and in turn followed by a third pulse in the positive direction having a value on the order of the first pulse. The apparatus for applying the driving current includes switching circuitry for energizing the magnetic coils in pairs to induce a symmetrical distribution of the magnetic and electric fields in the treatment area. This achieves time averaged uniformity of the pulse electric field in the tissue for applications such as stimulation of osteogenesis in long bone nonfusions.

An interrogator for remotely interrogating an internal counter of a scoliosis treatment device. An internal counter of the treatment device is incremented for those periods of time in which the treatment level of the device is in excess of a compliance level. The interrogator communicates with the internal counter by means of two serial data lines. On one data line the interrogator generates a clock signal to the internal counter for incrementing the device and on the other data line the interrogator receives a pulse indicating the internal counter has overflowed. By incrementing the internal counter through a full cycle of its maximum count the counter will retain the count present when it is interrogated. Additionally, by counting the number of, clock counts comprising the period from the overflow signal to the end of a full cycle a duplication of the count in the remote internal counter can be stored in the interrogator and subsequently displayed.

A method of applying an electrical signal transcranially includes the steps of generating a series of signal trains and applying the signal trains across the head of a subject, wherein each of the trains comprises a number of pulses and is separated from other trains by off periods, during which the signal is not applied. The signal trains are of such short duration that substantially no nerves within the subject's brain that receive the signal trains are demyelinized. In certain embodiments, the signal trains and the off periods are of irregular duration such that the activation of nerves of the brain by a signal is of a substantially continuous rate as the application of the signal train proceeds. The invention also includes particular characteristics of signals used to treat respective afflictions, including drug addictions and habituations, appetite disturbances, stress, insomnia, and pain.

An apparatus for generating electromagnetic waveforms to stimulate a subject includes an electromagnetic waveform signal generator to generate analog signals representing desired electromagnetic waveforms. A selector responsive to channel select input applies the analog signals to selected output channels of the selector. Electromagnetic devices are coupled to the output channels of the selector to convert analog signals into electromagnetic waveforms. The electromagnetic devices coupled to the selected output channels are driven by the analog signals to expose a subject wearing the electromagnetic devices to the desired electromagnetic waveforms.