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BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
This invention relates to electromagnetic devices and particularly to
electromagnetic devices for modifying any of the growth, repair of
maintenance processes in a predetermined local area of a living body.
Although the process is not fully understood, it is believed that if the
electro-chemical equilibrium of a cell is somehow placed into a state of
imbalance, the body will attempt to correct that imbalance. This
correction by the body is believed to be the natural healing process of
the body.
In the past, this cellular equilibrium has been artificially disrupted by
means of magnetic fields applied to the subject cells. It is believed that
if the magnetic field penetrates into the area of the subject cells and if
the intensity of the magnetic field is varied, an induced electron
movement and concomitant change in voltaic potential in or around the
subject cells will result.
In prior art devices, the appropriate magnetic field was created by
electrically exciting an electric coil with a signal having an
asymmetrical waveform. A device that used a signal with a symmetrical
waveform would not be as effective.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, one broad aspect of this invention resides in providing an
electromagnetic device for modifying any of the growth, repair or
maintenance processes in a predetermined local area of a living body that
utilizes a signal having a symmetric waveform to excite a
magnetic-field-producing coil.
Another aspect of this invention resides in providing an electromagnetic
device for modifying any of the growth, repair or maintenance processes in
a predetermined local area of a living body comprising: a coil capable of
inducing a magnetic field, wherein the magnetic field has a time-varying
spatial-configuration and a time-constant spatial-orientation with respect
to said coil; means for generating an electrical signal capable of
exciting said coil so as to induce a magnetic field having a time-varying
spatial-configuration, wherein said signal has a substantially-symmetric
waveform; with a frequency below about 100 Hertz; and wherein, when said
device is in use, said coil is adapted such that the spatial-orientation
of said magnetic field with respect to said local area, is capable of
being varied in time thereby causing time variations in said magnetic
field at any given location in said local area which are of about the same
range of magnitude as the time variations in the magnetic field at said
any given location caused by the time variations in the
spatial-configuration of said magnetic field.
Further aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following
description of preferred embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings which illustrate some embodiments and aspects of the
invention:
FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of the circuit for an embodiment of the
signal generator of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of a treatment head for the present invention
including an electric coil; and
FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of an output driver for use with this
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
With reference to the drawings, the concepts behind the invention as well
as embodiments of the invention will be described. As noted above, it is
believed that if the electro-chemical equilibrium of a cell is somehow
disrupted or placed into a state of imbalance, the body will naturally
attempt to correct that imbalance and that correction is believed to be
the body's natural healing process. Thus, it is believed that if the
electro-chemical equilibrium of cells can be temporarily imbalanced for
sufficiently long periods, the body's natural healing processes can be
artificially stimulated to correct the imbalance.
One way to artificially create an imbalance in the electro-chemical
equilibrium of cells is to induce electron movement and a concomitant
change in the voltaic potential in and around the cells. Such electron
movement can be produced by applying to the cells a magnetic field having
a time-varying spatial-configuration. As the magnetic intensity of the
magnetic field rises and falls with time, an electron movement is believed
to be induced which in turn causes a change in voltaic potential.
The spatial-configuration of a magnetic field is taken to mean or represent
the spatial distribution, or all of the values, of the field throughout
all points in space at any given instant in time. Thus, if a magnetic
field has a time-constant spatial configuration, the value of the field at
any given point in space remains the same or is constant throughout all
time. However, all points in space do not necessarily have the same value
at any given instant in time.
A time-varying spatial-configuration means that the value of the field at
any given point in space varies or changes from one instant of time to the
next.
In a magnetic field having a time-varying spatial-configuration which
varies cyclically, the value of the field at any given point in space
varies from one instant to the other but the sequence of values repeats
during subsequent cyclic periods.
If a magnetic field is induced by a cyclically-changing current in an
electric coil, the induced magnetic field will be cyclical in time.
Moreover, if an exciting electric signal in a coil has a symmetric
waveform, the spatial-configuration of the induced magnetic field will
vary cyclically and symmetrically with time. Furthermore, because induced
electron movement is proportional to the rate of change in the inducing
magnetic field, if the spatial-configuration of an inducing magnetic field
varies symmetrically with time, any induced electron movement in or around
the subject cells will be equally positive and negative. Thus, any
disruption of the electro-chemical equilibrium of the cells occurring
during the positive portion of the cycle will be immediately cancelled or
corrected during the negative portion. Therefore, no residual imbalance
will result and the natural healing processes of the body will not be
artifically stimulated.
On the other hand, if the exciting signal is asymmetrical, the magnitudes
of the positive and negative movement of the electrons will be unequal
even though there will be equal energy associated with the positive and
negative portions of the cycle. Accordingly, it is postulated that if
there is a threshold level of energy associated with cellular electrons
which must be attained in order to cause some movement of the electrons
there will be electron movement in one direction and correspondingly less
movement in the other direction. Thus, there will be a residual imbalance
respecting the electro-chemical equilibrium of the cells and there will be
artificial stimulation of the body's natural healing process in order to
correct this induced imbalance.
Previous research in this area has neglected to consider aspects of the
electromagnetic phenomena associated with process-modifying devices other
than the variation in time of the spatial-configuration of the magnetic
field. The present invention takes advantage of another aspect of the
electromagnetic phenomena. That other aspect is the variation in time of
the spatial-orientation of the magnetic field.
By spatial-orientation is meant the orientation or location in space of the
spatial-configuration of the magnetic field with respect to some point.
Thus, a time-constant spatial-orientation of a magnetic field with respect
to the coil means that the spatial-configuration of the magnetic field
will always appear to be in the same position in space relative to the
coil throughout at least the time period of interest.
Further, a time-constant spatial-orientation of a magnetic field with
respect to a local area of a body means that the spatial-configuration of
the magnetic field will always appear to be in the same position in space
relative to the local area of the body throughout at least the time period
of interest. Accordingly, a time-varying spatial-orientation of a magnetic
field with respect to a local area of a body means that the position or
orientation of the spatial-configuration of the magnetic field will vary
or change in time with respect to the local area of the body even though
the position of the spatial-configuration may remain time-constant with
respect to the inducing coil.
The present invention utilizes the discovery that the electro-chemical
equilibrium of the cells in a local area of a living body can be placed
into a state of imbalance if the spatial-configuration of the magnetic
field is symmetrically varied in time and at the same time the
spatial-orientation of the magnetic field with respect to the local area
is varied in time such that the time variations in the magnetic field at a
given location in said local area caused by the time variations in the
spatial-orientation of the magnetic field with respect to the local area
are of about the same range of magnitude as the time variations in the
magnetic field at the given location in said local area caused by time
variations in the spatial-configuration of the magnetic field.
In a preferred embodiment of this invention, time variations in the
spatial-orientation of the magnetic field with respect to a local area are
caused by manually translating the inducing coil in the same plane over
the area of interest. By translation is meant movement of the coil in a
plane approximately parallel to the surface of the body over the local
area of the body and having the coil aligned for maximum field penetration
into the local area.
Alternatively or additionally, time variations in the spatial-orientation
of the magnetic field with respect to the local area can be caused, in
some instances, by rotation of the coil in a plane approximately parallel
to the surface of the body over the local area of the body and having the
coil aligned for maximum field penetration into the local area. Rotation
is effective only when the spatial-configuration of the magnetic field is
non-symmetrical in the plane of rotation, for instance, when the coil
surrounds the middle finger of an "E"-shaped core as described below.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a treatment head is utilized.
The treatment head comprises at least the coil. Usually, the treatment
head will be a separate unit from the means for generating the exciting
signal. However, with miniturization, it is possible that the means for
generating the exciting signal would be included in the treatment head. In
any case, the treatment head is electrically connected to the means for
generating the exciting signal. Preferable this electrical connection is
made by means of relatively-long, flexible electric wires or cables.
The treatment head can be made of molded plastic or any other suitable
material. Also, the treatment head can be adapted, either during any
molding process or later, to be conveniently gripped by a human hand. This
adaption is intended to aid in easy manual manipulation of the treatment
head.
Alternatively, the treatment head can be adapted to be mechanically
manipulated by any suitable mechanical means.
Whether the coil or treatment head is translated or rotated either manually
or mechanically, the movement of the coil or treatment head should be such
as to cause time variations in said magnetic field at any given location
in said local area which are of about the same range of magnitude as time
variations in the magnetic field at said any given location caused by the
time variations in the spatial-configuration of said magnetic field.
Improved results can be achieved by winding the coil around a magnetic
core. Particularly improved results are obtained if the coil is wound
around the middle finger of a magnetic core formed in the shape of an "E".
A preferred embodiment of this invention includes a means to generate a
pulsed symmetric signal and, in particular, a half-wave-rectified sine
wave.
It is believed that any symmetrical signal having a waveform with a
non-zero differential with respect to time would be suitable. Similarly,
any symmetrical signal having symmetric discontinuities would be suitable.
It is to be noted that the suitable signal need not be generated
exclusively by the signal generating means per se. It is possible that a
signal generated by the signal generating means could be suitably modified
by the inherent electrical characteristics of the remainder of the device
to produce a suitable signal.
Shown in FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a wave-generating
circuit capable of producing a half-wave-rectified sine wave. Shown below
in Table I are typical parts used in the configuration of the circuit
illustrated in FIG. 1.
TABLE I
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C1 Capacitor, Electrolytic, 10 .mu.fd. 16 V
C2 Capacitor, Met. Film, 1.0 .mu.fd. 63 V
C3 Capacitor, Met. Film, .1 .mu.fd. 100 V
C4 Capacitor, Electrolytic, 4.7 .mu.fd. 63 V
C5,6 Capacitor, Electrolytic, 1.0 .mu.fd. 63 V
R1 Resistor, Carbon Film, 47K ohm 1/4 watt
R2,4 Resistor, Carbon Film, 1.0K ohm 1/4 watt
R3 Resistor, Carbon Film, 200 ohm 1/4 watt
R5 Resistor, Carbon Film, 13K ohm 1/4 watt
1C1 Integrated Circuit, Waveform Generator
1C2 Integrated Circuit, Voltage Regulator 12 V 1 amp
J1 PC Connector, 44 pin
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It has been found that signals with frequencies from about 1 to 100 Hertz
are effective. Preferably, signals with frequencies from about 3 to 50
Hertz are used. However, it is to be understood that it is possible to use
higher or lower frequencies depending on the effectiveness to a particular
local area of a particular body.
Shown in FIG. 2 is a schematic of a treatment head incorporating an
electric coil. The treatment head is indicated by dashed lines. The coil
in the treatment head can typically be made from #22 wire, enamelled, with
about 600 turns. Also an "E" core can be used.
The core should be capable of developing a minimum of about 700 gauss at a
location of about 1 centimeter away from the coil. It has been found that
a coil capable of developing 1500 gauss at a comparable distance is
effective. It is to be understood, however, that a higher level may also
be effective.
Shown in FIG. 3 is a typical output driver to be used with the present
invention. Shown below in Table II are typical parts used in the
construction of the circuit illustrated in FIG. 3.
TABLE II
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C1 Capacitor, Electrolytic, 4.7 .mu.fd. 63 V
C2 Capacitor, Met. Film, .0033 .mu.fd, 630 V
C3 Capacitor, Electrolytic, 1.5 .mu.fd. 63 V
C4 Capacitor, Electrolytic, 100 .mu.fd. 63 V
R1 Resistor, Carbon Film, 2.0 M ohm 1/4 watt
R2 Resistor, Carbon Film, 110K ohm 1/4 watt
R3 Resistor, Carbon Film, 33K ohm 1/4 watt
R4,6 Resistor, Carbon Film, 10K ohm 1/4 watt
R5 Resistor, Carbon Film, 1.0K ohm 1/4 watt
VR1 Resistor, Variable, 4.7K ohm, .1 watt
TR1 Transistor, Power Darlington
1C1 Integrated Circuit, Pulse Width Regulator
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In operation, the device of the present invention preferably should be used
for about an average of 20 minutes per day with respect to a specific
local area.
It has been found that there are two possible modes of operation with
respect to the present invention if the current in the coil flows in only
one direction. There is a negative mode and a positive mode. It has been
found that immediately after an injury has occurred at a local area,
treatment with the present invention in the negative mode is more
effective than treatment in the positive mode. The negative mode is more
effective while acute symptoms persist after an injury has occurred. On
the other hand, if an injury displays chronic symptoms, it is more
effective to use the device of the invention in the positive mode.
By negative mode is meant that if the north-seeking end of a compass needle
is exposed to the magnetic field developed by the coil in the area of
effective use, the north-seeking end of the compass needle will be
attrached to the coil.
On the other hand, in the positive mode, the south-seeking end of the
compass needle will be attracted to the coil.
The mode in which the device of the present invention is used is determined
by the direction of the current flow through the coil.
It will be understood that the specific circuits and materials described
herein are for illustration only and that the invention is not limited to
those embodiments.
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