Method and apparatus using a phased array amplifier system to treat bone or tissue infections

A method of treating a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection in a patient's bone or tissue, which method comprises:

• providing three or more electrode shafts, each electrode shaft having proximal and distal portions and each electrode shaft having at least one electrode band positioned around the distal portion of the electrode shaft;
• positioning the distal portions of the electrode shafts within the patient to define a defined area in the patient's bone or tissue comprising the infection;
• generating instructive signals from a microprocessor or FPGA that are received in an amplifier array comprising differentially driven phased array amplifiers and configured to receive such instructive signals and to deliver signals to the electrode bands;
• and
• dynamically and proportionally steering DC current vectors to the defined infected area to electrically treat the defined infected area to destroy biological membranes of the infection,
• wherein bacteria within a structure of the infection is eradicated or lessened while host tissue or bone is spared, and
• wherein the DC current vectors are in the range of from about 10 μA to about 4 mA.