Modification of the growth, repair and maintenance behavior of living tissues and cells by a specific and selective change in electrical environment

An electromagnetic body-treatment device for surgically non-invasive modification of the growth, repair and maintenance behavior of living tissues and cells by a specific and selective change in electrical environment, comprising electromagnetic means including a portion adapted for positioning alongside an afflicted body region to be treated, said electromagnetic means including electrical-coil means for establishing via said portion a flux path through the body region, first and second means for electrically exciting said coil means with first and second different successions of low-voltage unidirectional asymmetrical pulses, said pulses having a minimum width characteristic of at least 100 microseconds and a minimum pulse-repetition-rate characteristic of at least one per second and a minimum low-voltage characteristic of at least 0.00001 volt per centimeter of treated tissue and/or cells corresponding to about 0.01 microampere per square centimeter of treated tissue and/or cells, one of said excitation means providing a coil-excitation output characterized by a first mode of succession of asymmetrical pulses selected to produce a first electro-magnetically induced therapeutic result, and the other of said excitation means providing a coil-excitation output characterized by a second and different mode of succession of asymmetrical pulses selected to produce a second electro-magnetically induced therapeutic result, and function-varying means operatively associated with said first and second electrical excitation means for varying at least one of said characteristics in the course of a body treatment and within a range of variation extending above the stated minimum value thereof.

The method of using an electromagnetic body-treatment device for surgically non-invasive modification of the growth, repair and maintenance behavior of living tissues and cells by a specific and selective change in electrical environment, said device comprising electromagnetic means including a portion adapted for positioning alongside an afflicted body region to be treated, said electromagnetic means including electrical-coil means for establishing via said portion a flux path through the body region, means for electrically exciting said coil means with a succession of low-voltage unidirectional asymmetrical pulses, said pulses having a minimum width characteristic of at least 100 microseconds and a minimum pulse-repetition-rate characteristic of at least one per second and a minimum low-voltage characteristic of at least 0.00001 volt per centimeter of treated tissue and/or cells corresponding to about 0.01 microampere per square centimeter of treated tissue and/or cells, and function-varying means operatively associated with said electrical-excitation means for varying at least one of said characteristics in the course of a body treatment and within a range of variation extending above the stated minimum value thereof;

• said method comprising selecting a first pattern of asymmetrical pulses to produce a first desired cellular response, selecting a second and different pattern of asymmetrical pulses to produce a second and different desired cellular response, and setting said function-varying means so as to include both said patterns.