The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1948-07-02
Mayo Scientists Act To Adapt Radar
To Peacetime Deepseated Healing
BY FRANK CAREY
AP Science Reporter


treating the human body.
While radar figuratively
helped to cook the goose of the
Axis, researchers at the Mayo
Clinic hope it now will pro-
vide a new means for heating
living tissue in the treatment
of disorders influenced by pene-
trating heat.
In radar tiny "microwaves"
were beamed through space and
reflected back from targets they
encountered-thus producing an
''image" of the target on a spe-
cial screen.
In the still-experimental
technique known as "microky-
matotherapy,' or "microwave
diathermy," they are designed
to penetrate tissue at any de-
sired point--and do such things
as heat muscle layers beneath
the skin and increase the flow
of blood.
A group of Mayo ~investiga-
tors, headed by DR.. Frank H.
Krusen of the selection on ply
steal medicine, already has pub
lished a preliminary report on
the use of radar waves to heat
living tissue in experimental
animals.
A microwave is an extremely
short wave of electrical current,
the type of wave used in the
heating technique measures
only 10 centimeters "a little
over three inches) in length.
Such waves vibrate about three
billion times a second. Radio
waves used in commercial
broadcasting are more than 50,-
900 times longer and their vi
brating rate is only around l.
SOC, 900 times a second.
The ideal wave for heating
living tissue would be one that
would be short enough to be TO-
cused on any desired area. 1t
also would have a high enough
frequency to produce adequate
penetration and absorption.
Various types of radiating
waves are already in use for
heating living tissues. These in
clude:
/. Infra red heat waves-the
invisible rays of the sun located
Immediately next to the visible
, spectrum. Man can produce in-
fra red waves with special
lamps.
2. "Long-Wave diathermy
currents with frequencies up to
three million cycles a second.
8. "Short-wave" diathermy Ira
dio) radiations of about 80 me-
tiers in length and frequencies
of ten million cycles a second.
4. "Ultra-short' radio waves
of 3-meter length and frequen-
cies of 100 million cycles a sec
ond.
Thus the new microwaves
are 80 times shorter and vi
brate 80 times faster than "ul-
tra-short" waves.
Infra-red rays can be focus
ed from a lamp like a search
light beam, but they penetrate
scarcely at all. The short
radiowaves employed up to
now are penetrating, but they
can not be focused.
The new microwaves are fed
into cone-shaped director which
can be focused on a specific
area and beamed very accurate
ly.
The Mayo studies on animals
have shown that such waves
are at least as penetrating as
ultra short waves" There also
is preliminary evidence that
microwaves are absorbed more
efficiently.
If human use is demonstrated
as feasible, the researchers re-
ported "the possibilities of plac.
ing the microwave' director in
any position will provide wide
f~lexibility in therapeutic appli-
cation. Freedom from pads, en-
numbering cables and toweling
commonly used with short-wave
diathermy will permit more rap
id cooling Of the skin. The ra-
diation from the single micro
wave director can be beamed
and localized in the manner of
a spotlight, thus facilitating
clinical application
The studies on animals show
ed the following:
l Internal tissue can be ade-
quately heated without undue
heating of the skin.
2. A definite increase of blood
flow occurs in a part heated by