US 2010/0244818 A1Published application

Apparatus and method for transducing an in vitro or mammalian system with a low-frequency signal

OwnerChristopher G. Atwood, Bennett Michael Butters +3inventors

InventorsChristopher G. Atwood, Bennett Michael Butters, John T. Butters, Shirin M. Marfatia, Gabriel Vogeli

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Abstract

Method and apparatus for generating and selecting low-frequency time-domain signals capable of transducing a mammalian system, to produce an agent-specific effect on the system, are disclosed. Low-frequency time-domain signals are generated in the presence of an injected magnetic stimulus, and the resulting signals are selected by a scoring algorithm, and optionally, by testing each signal identified by the scoring algorithm for its ability to produce an agent-specific response in a in vitro system containing components that are responsive to the agent. The selected signals are used to transduce the mammalian system by applying the signals to an electromagnetic transduction coil that holds the sample.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A method for generating a signal capable of producing an agent-specific effect on a mammalian system, when the system is transduced by the signal within the environment of an electromagnetic tranducer, comprising:

(a) placing a sample containing the agent in a sample container having both magnetic and electromagnetic shielding, wherein the sample acts as a signal source for low-frequency molecular signals, and wherein the magnetic shielding is external to a cryogenic container;
(b) injecting a stimulus magnetic field into the sample, under a selected stimulus magnetic field condition,
(c) recording a low-frequency, time-domain signal composed of sample source radiation superimposed on the injected stimulus magnetic field in the cryogenic container,
(d) repeating steps (b) and (c) at each of a plurality of different stimulus magnetic field conditions,
(e) identifying from among the signals recorded in step (c), one or more signals having the highest signal scores when analyzed by a scoring algorithm that measures the number of low-frequency components above a given threshold in a recorded signal,
(f) testing each signal identified in step (e) for its ability to produce an agent-specific response in a in vitro system containing components that are responsive to the agent, when the in vitro system is transduced with the signal within the environment of an electromagnetic tranducer, and
(g) selecting one or more signals that produce the greatest agent-specific transduction effect in the in vitro system.

4 more elements

A method for generating signals capable of producing an agent-specific effect on an in vitro or mammalian system when the system is transduced by the signal within the environment of an electromagnetic transducer, comprising:

(a) placing a sample containing the agent in a container having both magnetic and electromagnetic shielding, wherein the sample acts as a signal source for molecular signals, and wherein the magnetic shielding is external to a cryogenic container;
(b) injecting a stimulus magnetic field into the sample, a under selected stimulus magnetic field condition selected from the group consisting of (i) white noise, injected at voltage level calculated to produce a selected magnetic field at the sample of between 0 and 1 G (Gauss), (ii) a DC offset, injected at voltage level calculated to produce a selected magnetic field at the sample of between 0 and 1 G, and (iii) sweeps over a low-frequency range, injected successively over a sweep range between at least about 0-1 kHz, and at an injected voltage calculated to produce a selected magnetic field at the sample of between 0 and 1 G,
(c) recording a low-frequency, time-domain signal composed of sample source radiation superimposed on the injected stimulus magnetic field in the cryogenic container,
(d) repeating steps (b) and (c) at each of a plurality of different stimulus magnetic field conditions,
(e) identifying from among the signals recorded in step (c), one or more signals having the highest signal scores when analyzed by a scoring algorithm that measures the number of low-frequency components above a given threshold in a recorded signal, and
(f) transducing the in vitro or mammalian system by placing the system within the environment of an electromagnetic transducer, and transducing the sample with a signal identified in step (e).

3 more elements

Apparatus for producing low-frequency, time-domain signals that are candidates for transducing an in vitro or mammalian system that is responsive to the presence of a selected agent, comprising

(a) a container adapted for receiving a sample of an agent, the container having both magnetic and electromagnetic shielding;
(b) an adjustable-power source operable to inject a stimulus magnetic field into the container, with a sample in the container, at each of a plurality of selected stimulus magnetic field conditions selected from the group consisting of (i) white noise, injected at voltage level calculated to produce a selected magnetic field at the sample of between 0 and 1 G (Gauss), (ii) a DC offset, injected at voltage level calculated to produce a selected magnetic field at the sample of between 0 and 1 G, and (iii) sweeps over a low-frequency range, injected successively over a sweep range between at least about 0-1 kHz, and at an injected voltage calculated to produce a selected magnetic field at the sample of between 0 and 1 G,
(c) a detector for recording, at each of the different stimulus magnetic field conditions injected by said power source, (b) the electromagnetic time-domain signals composed of sample source radiation superimposed on the injected stimulus magnetic fields,
(d) a memory device for storing the signals recorded by the detector, and
(e) a computer operable to:
(i) retrieve time-domain signals stored in the memory device;
(ii) analyzing the retrieved time-domain signals by a scoring algorithm that measures the number of low-frequency components above a given threshold in a recorded signal, and
(iii) identifying those time-domain signals having the greatest number of low-frequency components above the threshold.

5 more elements

A system for producing an agent-specific effect on a mammalian system comprising,

(1) a storage medium having stored thereon, an agent-specific low-frequency time-domain signal produced by the steps of:
(a) placing a sample to which the mammalian system is responsive in a sample container having both magnetic and electromagnetic shielding, wherein the sample acts as a signal source for low-frequency molecular signals, and wherein the magnetic shielding is external to a cryogenic container;
(b) injecting a stimulus magnetic field into the sample, under a selected stimulus magnetic field condition,
(c) recording a low-frequency, time-domain signal composed of sample source radiation superimposed on the injected stimulus magnetic field in the cryogenic container,
(d) repeating steps (b) and (c) at each of a plurality of different stimulus magnetic field conditions,
(e) identifying from among the signals recorded in step (c), one or more signals having the highest signal scores when analyzed by a scoring algorithm that measures the number of low-frequency components above a given threshold in a recorded signal,
(f) testing each signal identified in step (e) for its ability to produce an agent-specific response in a in vitro system containing components that are responsive to the agent, when the in vitro system is transduced by the signal within the environment of an electromagnetic transducer,
(2) an electromagnetic transducer composed of one or more electromagnetic coils, said coils having an interior region defining a transducer environment in which the sample is received, and
(3) an amplifier for amplifying the signal received from the storage medium and supplying the amplified signal to the transduction coil(s).

6 more elements

A storage medium having stored thereon, an agent-specific low-frequency time-domain signal produced by the steps of:

(a) placing a sample to which the mammalian system is responsive in a sample container having both magnetic and electromagnetic shielding, wherein the sample acts as a signal source for low-frequency molecular signals, and wherein the magnetic shielding is external to a cryogenic container;
(b) injecting a stimulus magnetic field into the sample, under a selected stimulus magnetic field condition,
(c) recording a low-frequency, time-domain signal composed of sample source radiation superimposed on the injected stimulus magnetic field in the cryogenic container,
(d) repeating steps (b) and (c) at each of a plurality of different stimulus magnetic field conditions,
(e) identifying from among the signals recorded in step (c), one or more signals having the highest signal scores when analyzed by a scoring algorithm that measures the number of low-frequency components above a given threshold in a recorded signal,
(f) testing each signal identified in step (e) for its ability to produce an agent-specific response in a in vitro system containing components that are responsive to the agent, when the in vitro system is transduced by the signal within the environment of an electromagnetic transducer.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.