Patent Application
20080087288
Blood, like all tissues, contains electrically charged ions. A physics principle known as Faraday's Law states that a magnetic field will exert a force on a moving ionic current. Furthermore, as shown in
The Hall effect implies that when a magnet is placed over flowing blood in which ionic charges (such as Na+ and Cl−) exist, some force 6 will be exerted on the ions. Furthermore, the separation of ionic charges will produce an electromotive force, which is a voltage between points in a circuit. In theory, this produces a very small amount of heat. These physical effects account for the purported effects of magnetic field therapy. For example, when a magnetic field 2 with alternating north and south poles is placed over a blood vessel, the influence of the field 2 will cause positive and negative ions (for example, Na+ and Cl−) to bounce back and forth between the sides of the vessel, creating flow currents in the moving blood not unlike those in a river. The combination of the electromotive force, altered ionic pattern, and the currents causes blood vessel dilation with a corresponding increase in blood flow. This effect and its corresponding increase in blood flow may be accomplished using the apparatus and methods described below.
At least one positively charged electrode 16 and at least one negatively charged electrode 18 may be contained within the reservoir 10 while in other variations, as shown in
The electrodes may be secured to the housing 8 by a retaining member 20 which may be positioned within or along the housing 8. The retaining member 20 may also be securable to the housing 8 and in electrical communication with the electrodes. Accordingly, the retaining member 20 may be made of an electrically conductive material (e.g., stainless steel, Nickel, Platinum, etc.). In other alternatives, the retaining member 20 may also be made of a nonconductive material (e.g., plastic) whereby the retaining member 20 may include an electrically conductive material, e.g., placed through a lumen in member 20, to allow for electrical communication with the electrodes. While the retaining member 20 may be permanently affixed to the housing 8, it may also be removable from and/or movable within the housing 8.
The apparatus may also comprise at least one magnet 22 in proximity to the electrodes. Furthermore, the apparatus may additionally include a controller unit 24 in wired or wireless communication with the electrodes and/or magnet 22. In one variation, the controller unit 24 may be external to or integrated within the housing 8. Additionally, the apparatus may further comprise a power source 26, which may also be contained within the controller unit 24 or external to the unit, in electrical communication with the electrodes.
To effect a portion of a patient's body 12 at least partially immersed within a electrically conductive medium 14, the controller unit 24 may be configured to regulate an electric current 4 to the electrodes such that an electric field is induced through the electrically conductive medium 14 in the presence of and/or proximity to a magnetic field 2 generated via the magnet 22. The electric field may be induced by passing an electric current 4 from the positively charged electrode 16 to the negatively charged electrode 18 which are at least partially immersed in the conductive medium 14. The electric field may be induced perpendicularly relative to the magnetic field 2.
The resulting force 6 effected on the patient's body may be equal to or less than 0.5 N, although the resulting force may be regulated to yield a greater force than 0.5 N. To avoid overexposure to the patient's body 12 to excess electrical current, the controller unit 24 may have a current limiting switch and it may also have a timer to regulate or limit the time of exposure of the electric and magnetic fields to a portion of a patient's body. Typically, exposure may last anywhere between 20-45 minutes. However, shorter or longer exposure periods may also be effective.
The controller unit 24 may regulate the electric current 4 so that the electric field may be configured to be a static electric field. As shown in
Any magnetic forces generated by a field affecting fluid movement in blood vessels would have to overcome both the normal, pressure-driven turbulent flow of blood propelled by the heart and the normal thermal-induced Brownian movement of the particles suspended in the blood. This may be accomplished by measuring a physiological parameter of the body while the body portion is subjected to the electric and magnetic field 2. The physiological parameter may be measured using a biofeedback unit 28 in wired or wireless communication with the controller unit 24 as shown in
The controller unit 24 may regulate the electric current 4 through the electrodes such that an electric field generated via the electrodes through the conductive medium 14 is induced between heartbeats or in some corresponding manner depending upon the physiological parameter measured or detected. The controller unit 24 may further regulate the electric current 4 by pulsing the electric current 4 in a corresponding manner between detected heartbeats at a constant amplitude and a constant frequency, as shown in
The apparatus may further comprise a user interface 32 to display the physiological parameter as illustrated in
The magnet 22 may be a ferrous magnet or alternatively an electromagnet 36 which generates an electromagnetic field in electrical communication with the controller unit 24, as shown in
In one variation, the controller unit 24 may regulate the electric current 4 through the electromagnet 6 so that a static magnetic field is generated and the controller unit 24 may also regulate the electric current 4 to the electrodes through the electrically conductive medium 14 so that a static electric field is generated. In another variation, the controller unit 24 may regulate the electric current 4 through the electromagnet 6 so that a static magnetic field is generated and the controller unit 24 may also regulate the electric current 4 to the electrodes through the electrically conductive medium 14 so that a fluctuating electric field is generated. In yet another variation, the controller unit 24 may regulate the electric current 4 through the electromagnet 6 whereby a fluctuating magnetic field is generated and the controller unit 24 may also regulate the electric current 4 to the electrodes through the electrically conductive medium 14 so that a static electric field is generated. In another variation, the controller unit 24 may regulate the electric current 4 through the electromagnet 6 so that a fluctuating magnetic field is generated and the controller unit 24 may also regulate the electric current 4 to the electrodes through the electrically conductive medium 14 so that a fluctuating electric field is generated.
The apparatus may further comprise various mechanical adaptations as shown in
Another variation may include at least one heating element 44 in thermal conductive contact with the electrically conductive medium 14 to further enhance a massaging effect on the user's body. The heating element 44 may comprise of a fluid channel 46 in communication with the reservoir 10 and a pump 48 to circulate the electrically conductive medium 14 through the fluid channel 46 and into thermal contact with the heating element, as shown by arrows 50. Additionally and/or alternatively, the apparatus may further comprise of a bubble generator within the housing 8 having one or more channels 52 defined along the housing. The channels 52 define a plurality of openings 54 along a length of the channel 52 and is connected to at least one pump 56 which may urge air through the one or more channels 52. In this manner, bubbles may be formed and vented into the medium 14 through the plurality of openings 54. The one or more of the channels may be linear or non-linear in configuration while in other variations, two or more channels may each be linear and non-linear.
While illustrative examples are described above, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein. Moreover, various apparatus or methods described above are also intended to be utilized in combination with one another, as practicable. The appended claims are intended to cover all such changers and modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
