Electromagnetic apparatus and method for the reduction of serum glucose levels

#The present invention relates to the treatment of living animals afflicted with hyperglycemia for reducing the same. In particular, the present invention relates to apparatus and a method for decreasing the serum glucose level of living animals by the application of pulsed magnetic fields.

#For over a century, attempts have been made to utilize electric currents for medical purposes. Many of these attempts were in the hands of charlatans who made claims for "curing" practically every disease known to mankind. Consequently, the scientific community greets most new therapeutic developments involving electric currents and magnetism with some skepticism.

#Recently, however, a slow but definite shift toward a better understanding of bioelectric phenomena has been occurring. Some of the recent work has shown that electric or electromagnetic fields may be helpful or harmful, depending upon the particular field and the particular effect being studied. For example, some Soviet workers have reported on the deleterious effects from alternating magnetic fields of industrial frequency (i.e, 50 to 60 hertz). Kolesova et al, "Pathogenesis of Insulin Deficiency Induced By Alternating Magnetic Field Of Industrial Frequency." 6 Patologicheskaia Fiziologia I Eksperimentalnaia 71 (1978). In particular, the Kolesova et al article reported that in experiments on rats a single action of alternating magnetic field having an intensity of 200 Oe and a frequency of 50 Hz for a 24 hour exposure led to the development of a relative insulin deficiency. Multiple action of the alternating magnetic field (e.g., 6.5 hours per day for 5 days) favored development of an absolute insulin insufficiency.

#FIG. 1 is a schematic representation showing one embodiment of the present invention for reducing the serum glucose levels of a living animal.

#FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b are enlarged graphs showing respectively a waveform as applied to the magnetic coils and as detected by a magnetic field sensor.

#FIG. 2 is a schematic electrical block diagram showing an alternate embodiment for generating the pulsating electric power applied to the coils.

#With reference now to the figures wherein like numerals represent like elements throughout the several views, and in particular with reference to FIG. 1, an electromagnetic apparatus 20 for reducing serum glucose levels in living animals is depicted. Apparatus 20 is comprised of an electromagnet 22 having two, spaced apart, coaxially mounted coils depicted schematically at 24 and 26 above and below a patient treating station 28. Electromagnet 22 is discussed in greater detail hereinbelow. In general, however, electromagnet 22 has an air gap configuration that produces a substantially uniform magnetic field. Such a field is produced, for example, by a pair of Helmholtz coils. Located at patient treating station 28, between coils 24 and 26, is a sensor 30 for measuring the resultant electric field. For exemplary purposes, a living animal patient, in this case a human being, is depicted as being positioned with coils 24 and 26 located above and below the abdomen region where the pancreas is located.

#Apparatus 20 also includes an electric power supply means 32 electrically connected to electromagnet 22 for supplying low frequency, monopolar pulsating power. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, power supply means comprises a frequency generator 34 which produces a sinusoidal wave output depicted at 36. Frequency generator 34 can be any one of a number of commercially available, conventional frequency generators having an adjustable output frequency. The output of frequency generator 34 is coupled to a pulse width circuit 38 that converts the sinusoidal wave into a wave train having a plurality of pulses, such as indicated by wave 40. Pulse width circuit 38 is conventional and includes a means for adjusting the pulse width. The output of pulse width circuit 38 is fed to the input of a pulse shape circuit 42 in which the desired pulse shape can be produced. The output wave from pulse shape circuit 42 is indicated at 44 and is fed into the input of a power output circuit 46. Power output circuit 46 is a conventional amplifying circuit in which the pulse amplitude can be adjusted. The output wave from pulse output circuit 46, indicated at 48, is connected in series to coils 24 and 26. The generated magnetic field is detected by sensor 30 and a typical detected waveform is indicated at 50. The output from sensor 30 is connected to a conventional field sensor amplifier 52, which in turn is connected to a conventional display 54. Display 54 can simply be a conventional oscilloscope.

#Power supply means 32 thus provides a pulse train or wave of power to electromagnet 22 in which the shape, amplitude, and frequency of the pulses can be adjusted. Pulse train 48 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 1a and consists of a plurality of pure, unmodulated pulses 52. By this it is meant that pulses 52 are not wave packets or packets or pulses, but rather are individualized, single pulses. It is well known that the shape of the output pulse from electromagnet 22 will differ from the shape of the input power thereto because of the inductive load from coils 24 and 26. For this reason, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the shape of the applied pulse 52 is selected so as to produce a squared-off top of the detected pulses 54 of detected wave train 50.