Patent Publication Number: US-6217604-B1

Title: Method for treating diseased states, in particular AIDS, using an electromagnetic generator

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/878,996, filed Jun. 19, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,908,444. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to pulsed electromagnetic fields, and more particularly, to a system and method for the treatment of various diseases, including AIDS-related illnesses using complex frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Individual cells in a patient are electrochemical units having a metabolic chemistry with both electrical and chemical properties. Each cell is surrounded by a membrane which acts a “battery” that is continually recharged by the metabolic chemistry of the cell. The cell supports an electrical potential across the membrane, called a transmembrane potential (TMP), which varies in a healthy cell from about 70 to 100 millivolts. 
     When the energy level (bioenergy) of a “sick” cell is reduced by trauma, disease, parasitic infection such as HIV or malnutrition, the TMP falls along with the biochemical metabolism, especially production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), until the cell either recovers, undergoes mitosis or dies. 
     Harmless irradiation of the body by exogenic, non-ionizing pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) for short periods (i.e., minutes) at long intervals (i.e., days or weeks) has been shown to be highly effective in relieving pain, healing trauma and clearing or controlling infections. 
     The healing of diseased or damaged cells is enhanced by the application of electrical current directly to an area of the body, or by exposing an area of the body to an electromagnetic field to induce an electrical current in the diseased or damaged cells. The added current aids healing by raising the TMP and restoring energy to the cells. The electrical current supports the exchange of potassium and sodium ions, and facilitates the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Normal healthy cells are not adversely affected by the added current because a membrane with a normal TMP will not accept additional charge. 
     Electromagnetic fields have been applied to treat a number of diseases. For example, cancer cells have been exposed to electromagnetic fields. It is believed that, as a typical cancer cell grows, its TMP falls. The growing cancer cell will undergo mitosis when its TMP falls below a threshold. The application of an electromagnetic field can maintain the TMP of a cancer cell above the threshold to prevent the mitosis from occurring. As a result, the cancer cell grows too large for its membrane and cannot absorb sufficient nutrients to survive. Eventually, the cancer cell dies. Electromagnetic fields have also been applied to treat bacterial infections, relieve pain, and to eliminate tapeworm and hookworm infestations. 
     The reaction of various species of sick cells is frequency dependent. However, the frequencies required by specific cells is not readily determined. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a system and method for treating individuals with complex frequency PEMFs. The present invention provides this, and other advantages as will be apparent from the following figures and accompanying detailed description. 
     A method is disclosed for the treatment of diseased cells in a patient and comprises generating a first electromagnetic field comprising frequencies that include the visible spectrum and generating a second electromagnetic field comprising frequencies that do not include the visible spectrum. A patient is exposed to the first and second electromagnetic fields for a therapeutic period of time. In one embodiment, the first and second electromagnetic fields are pulsed electromagnetic fields and the method further comprises activating the first and second pulsed electromagnetic fields in time-synchronization with each other. 
     In another embodiment, a method is disclosed for treating AIDS in a patient in need thereof by use of a bio-electric light simulating unit. In the inventive method, the patient is seated in proximity with a bio-electric stimulator unit and generally exposed to pulsing electromagnetic fields. The method may also include the generation of electromagnetic signals having wavelengths in the visible light region. The patient is exposed generally to the pulsing electromagnetic field and the pulsing light emissions for a period of time necessary to treat the individual patient. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for generating several electromagnetic fields according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a bio-electrical light stimulator unit used in a treatment method of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a waveform automatically generated by the system of FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Electromagnetic fields are increasingly being used to treat diseases in both human and animal patients. Individual cells in a patient function in an electrical environment which influences the health of the cells. The electrical environment of the cells may be modified by placing the patient in the proximity of an electromagnetic (EM) field. It is believed that the presence of an EM field has a beneficial impact on diseased or damaged cells and, therefore, a need exists for a device to generate an appropriate EM field and a method for treating patients with the EM field generated by the device. 
     Because the reaction of various types of cells is frequency dependent, the present invention advantageously provides a wide spectrum of harmonics up to approximately 2 GHz. In addition, the present invention provides selected wavelengths within the visible spectrum. Although not intended to be limited by the following theory, the physiological basis for the effectiveness of the present invention is believed to be as follows: at a cellular level, magnetic fields penetrating the body generate microcurrents that are incrementally rectified by the non-linear impedance of cell membranes in such a manner as to increase TMP, and consequently ATP production, in effect heightening the cell&#39;s bioenergy. 
     At a molecular level, the alternating electrical field (1) at some specific frequency within the pulse spectrum may excite specific molecular resonance such as to accelerate biochemical processes, and/or (2) the bipolar oscillations of the electric fields may excite mechanical vibrations of electrically charged molecules (anions/cations) in the tissues to produce acoustic energy that operates to increase blood flow and membrane permeability (electroporosis). At an atomic level, the alternating magnetic fields may affect electron spin and/or linkage bonds in such a manner as to expedite biochemical processes. 
     An apparatus for generating PEMFs according to an embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG.  1 . The present invention is embodied in a system  49  illustrated in FIG.  1 . The system  49  includes a power supply  2 , which supplies high voltages to an air core resonant transformer  4 , which in turn generates a resonant electric field. The resonant electric field induces electromagnetic radiation from the air core resonant transformer  4  and a light emitting system  6 . The power supply  2 , air core resonant transformer  4  and light emitting system  6  are available as a commercial product, known as a bio-electric light stimulator unit (BELS unit)  8 . Operational details of the BELS unit  8  are provided below. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 2, the power supply  2  includes a transformer  10  having a primary winding  12  coupled through a magnetic core to a secondary winding  14 . The secondary winding  14  is tapped at a midpoint to a ground. The secondary winding  14  is connected between the anodes of two diodes  16  and  18  forming a fullwave rectifier. A protection circuit  19  protects the diodes  16  and  18  and the transformer  12  from high voltages generated by the other portions of the BELS unit. The protection circuit  19  may be an RF choke, additional diodes with a high peak inverse voltage rating, or the like. The cathodes of the diodes  16  and  18  are both connected to a first plate of a capacitor  20  and to a first terminal of a spark gap  22 . A second plate of the capacitor  20  is connected to the ground. 
     The air core resonant transformer  4  is coupled to the power supply  2  through a second terminal of the spark gap  22 , which is connected to a first end of a variable inductor  24 . A second end of the variable inductor  24  is connected to the ground. The variable inductor  24  is coupled to a Tesla coil  26  across an air gap  28 . The air gap  28  is made as small as possible to minimize losses in the coupling. However, the air gap  28  must be large enough to prevent arcing between the variable inductor  24  and the Tesla coil  26 . A first end of the Tesla coil  26  is connected to the light emitting system  6  and a second end of the Tesla coil  26  is connected to the ground. 
     The light emitting system  6  may be constructed of one or more translucent tubes  32 , each tube enclosing a selected gas in the following manner. A first electrode  34  extends from an interior volume of the tube  32  through a first end and is connected to a first plate  36 . A second electrode  38  extends from the interior volume of the tube  32  through a second end and is connected to a second plate  40 . The first plate  36  is connected to the first end of a Tesla coil  26 . Each of the tubes  32  in the light emitting system  6  may contain one or more of the following gases: hydrogen, helium, argon, neon, xenon, Krypton, water vapor, oxygen, or nitrogen. Each of the listed gases emits electromagnetic waves over a range of frequencies, including frequencies in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, when the gas is ionized by a substantial electric field. Of course, other gases may also be used to provide electromagnetic waves of different frequencies. 
     The operation of the BELS unit  8  itself may now be described. A standard 120 V, 60 Hz AC line signal is applied to the primary coil  12  of the transformer  10 , and a 6,000 V AC signal is generated by the transformer  10  in the secondary coil  14 . The signal in the secondary coil  14  is rectified by the diodes  16  and  18  and the rectified signal is applied to the first plate of the capacitor  20 . When the first plate of the capacitor  20  is charged to a threshold voltage which exceeds the breakdown voltage of the spark gap  22 , there is a discharge of a voltage pulse in the form of an arc or a spark across the spark gap  22 . The voltage pulse is drawn through the variable inductor  24  to the ground. After the discharge of the voltage pulse across the spark gap  22 , the first plate of the capacitor  20  continues to be charged by the rectified voltage until the threshold voltage is reached, at which point another voltage pulse is driven through the variable inductor. 
     A plot of a voltage Vc on the first plate of the capacitor  20  is shown in FIG.  3 . The capacitor  20  is charged by a 120 Hz signal and discharges every cycle at the threshold voltage. The discharge results in noise which is reflected in the voltage Vc as it falls during a discharge. The voltage Vc begins to rise in the next cycle of the rectified signal. 
     The threshold voltage may be adjusted by changing the distance between the first and second terminals of the spark gap  22 . If the distance between the terminals of the spark gap  22  is increased, the threshold voltage necessary to bridge the spark gap  22  will increase, and the resulting discharge of energy is greater. Conversely, if the distance between the terminals of the spark gap  22  is decreased, the threshold voltage necessary to bridge the spark gap  22  will decrease, and the resulting discharge of energy is reduced. The spark gap  22  may be mechanically adjusted by any simple, well-known mechanical linkage. 
     The air core resonant transformer  4  is tuned such that the voltage pulse in the variable inductor  24  induces a resonant voltage in the Tesla coil  26 . The air core resonant transformer  4  is tuned by adjusting the inductance of the variable inductor  24  until the resonant voltage is produced. The resonance in the circuit amplifies the voltage produced in the Tesla coil  26  which, at its peak, fluctuates between 0 and 750,000 V near the light emitting system  6 . The Tesla coil  26  behaves as an antenna in response to the resonant voltage and produces electromagnetic emissions over a broad range of harmonic frequencies. 
     The resonant voltage in the Tesla coil  26  is applied to the first electrode  34  in each of the tubes  32  in the light emitting system  6 . The high voltage passes from the first electrode  34  to the second electrode  32  through the gas in each tube, and the molecules of the gas, which normally exist as pairs of atoms (e.g., O 2 ), split upon the application of the voltage. The gases produce electromagnetic emissions at higher harmonic frequencies when the molecules recombine. The second electrodes  38  in each of the tubes  32  absorb the voltage pulses which are dissipated to the surrounding atmosphere through arcing. The electromagnetic emissions from the tubes  32  include harmonic frequencies in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, and each gas produces light having a different color. As a result, when the BELS unit  8  is operating each tube  32  produces visible light having a particular color and arcing occurs from the second plate  40 . 
     The resonant electric field generated in the Tesla coil  26  dissipates as a result of the electromagnetic emissions, and is restored by subsequent discharges across the spark gap  22 . 
     The air core resonant transformer  4  and the light emitting system  6  generate electromagnetic emissions at harmonic frequencies between 500 kHz and 3 GHz in response to the voltage pulses in the variable inductor  24 . A patient situated proximate to the unit may benefit from the broad range of harmonic frequencies generated by the BELS unit  8 . 
     The apparatus includes a pulse generator circuit  50  for generating periodic voltage pulses. The pulse generator circuit  50  may be one of many well-known circuits. For example, a pulse generator circuit is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,418 to Pappas entitled “Method and Apparatus for Pulsed Magnetic Induction,” which is incorporated in its entirety herein by way of reference. The circuit disclosed by Pappas is a plasma circuit in which the plasma is induced to oscillate and to thereby generate periodic voltage pulses. It should be noted that the plasma circuit disclosed by Pappas has an unpredictable variability (i.e., jitter) in the pulse start time due to the variability of plasma breakdown. In an exemplary embodiment, the pulse generator  50  is designed to provide variability of several microseconds in the pulse start time. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the pulse generator  50  is connected to a normal 50/60 Hz power circuit and includes a transformer (not shown) to generate high voltage pulses that are coupled to a coil  52  through conductors  54 . The coil  52  provides inductive coupling between the pulse generator circuit  50  and the air core resonant transformer  4  of the BELS unit  8 . The BELS unit  8  operates in the manner described above, except that it is no longer triggered by the rectified waveform illustrated in FIG.  3 . Instead, the air core resonant transformer  4  is triggered by signals generated by the pulse generator circuit  50  and coupled to the air core resonant transformer by the coil  52 . 
     In the embodiment of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, a first end of the Tesla coil  26  is connected to the light emitting system  6  having one or more translucent gas discharge tubes  32 , as previously described with respect to FIG. 2. A second end of the Tesla coil  26  is connected to a ground. 
     The pulse generator circuit  50  is also connected to a third coil, which is a toroidal coil  64 , through flexible conductors  66 . The coil  64  is situated in a protective casing  68  having a rigid handle portion  70 . The coil  64  is typically designed to generate a powerful electromagnetic field and comprises multiple turns of a heavy gauge wire. For example, the circuit disclosed by Pappas uses 2-10 turns of a heavy gauge conductor. Other alternative designs for the coil  64  may also be used. 
     The protective casing  68  is sized to be placed on or near localized areas of a patient, and can be manipulated manually with the handle  70 . In an exemplary embodiment, the coil  64  is coupled in parallel with the coil  52  and receives the first voltage pulses from the pulse generator circuit  50 . The coil  52  and coil  64  may be coupled directly together or isolated by well-known circuitry, which need not be described in greater detail herein. The advantage of coupling the coil  64  and the coil  52  is that the BELS unit  8  operates in synchrony with the pulse generator circuit  50 . Under these conditions, the electromagnetic field and visible radiation generated by the BELS unit  8  works in conjunction with the electromagnetic field generated by the coil  64 . The patient  48  (see FIG. 2) benefits from the overall exposure of the electromagnetic field generated by the BELS unit  8  operating in conjunction with the localized electromagnetic field generated by the coil  64 . 
     The operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 may now be described. The pulse generator circuit  50  generates the first pulses which are coupled to the coil  52 . The coupling between the coil  52  and the air core resonant transformer  4  induces second voltage pulses in the Tesla coil in response to the voltage pulses in the coil  52 . The Tesla coil  26  generates a PEMF across a large portion of the radio frequency spectrum in response to the voltage pulses in the coil  52 . The primary difference in operation of the Tesla coil  26  in the light emitting system  6  in FIG. 1 compared with the Tesla coil  26  and light emitting system  6  in FIG. 2 is that the Tesla coil  26  in FIG. 1 is triggered in synchronism with the localized electromagnetic field generated by the coil  64  while the circuit in FIG. 2 operates at a pulse rate governed by the power line frequency. It should be noted that the system in FIG. 2 has a pulse rate that is set by the power line frequency and is not controlled by the user. In contrast, the pulse generator circuit  50  of FIG. 1 can generate pulses at a controlled rate. In an exemplary embodiment, the pulse rate of signals from the pulse generator circuit  50  is in the order of one to three pulses per second. In addition, the pulse generator circuit  50  may provide a small degree of variability (i.e., jitter) between the pulses, as previously described. 
     The operation of the light emitting system  6  shown in FIG. 1 is also similar to the operation of the light emitting system  6  shown in FIG. 2 except that the light emitting system of FIG. 1 is triggered in a controlled manner by the pulse generator circuit  50  at a very low repetition rate. The voltage pulses in the Tesla coil  26  excite the gas molecules in each of the tubes  32  of the light emitting system  6  to fluorescence such that each tube emits a series of pulses having a frequency in the visible portion of the spectrum at a wavelength corresponding to the gas in the tube. The voltage pulses from the Tesla coil  26  travel through the tubes  32  in the light emitting system  6  to the second plate  40 , and are discharged by arcing to the surrounding environment from the second plate. 
     The coil  64 , which receives the voltage pulses from the pulse generator circuit  50 , generates widely spaced (i.e., low repetition rate), fast rise time, high-current EM pulses in the VHF or UHF spectrum in response to the voltage pulses. The PEMF generated by the Tesla coil  26 , the pulsed light emissions from the light emitting system  6  and the PEMF generated by the coil  64  are synchronized because each is induced by the voltage pulses produced by the pulse generator circuit  50 . The advantage of such synchronization is that the patient  48  is surrounded by the PEMF generated by the BELS unit  8 , the wavelengths of light emitted from the light emitting system  6 , and the localized PEMF generated by the coil  64 . 
     The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is used to treat a patient in the following manner. The patient is situated two to three feet from the Tesla coil  26  such that the patient  48  is substantially surrounded by a low rate PEMF from the Tesla coil and the light emitting system  6 . The coil  64  is placed proximate to a selected area of the body that may benefit from a more focused application of PEMF energy. The PEMF generated by the coil  64  is focused on the selected area of the body. Therefore, the patient  48  benefits from the general exposure to the broad band PEMF generated by the Tesla coil  26 , the wavelengths emitted by the light emitting system  6 , and the broadband PEMF focused by the coil  64 . 
     A patient  48  (see FIG. 2) undergoing treatment with the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 may be placed in the proximity of the apparatus for a selected period of time, and the procedure may be repeated as often as required. Each exposure to the apparatus may be timed according to the needs of the patient  48 . The application of the focused PEMF from the coil  64  may also be carried out periodically as necessary in conjunction with the exposure to the synchronized PEMF generated by the Tesla coil  26  and the light emissions from the light emitting system  6 . 
     The system  49  may be used to treat a wide variety of ailments, including fatigue, pain, injury trauma, disease, including cancer, parasitic infections such as HIV, AIDS, malnutrition, and depression. In typical treatment, the patient  48  is seated in proximity with the Tesla coil  26  and the coil  64  is placed in proximity with a selected portion of the patient for a period of time and a frequency sufficient to achieve beneficial effects. For example, the patient may be treated two to three times per day for ten minutes per treatment. The duration and frequency of treatment may be varied to achieve optimal beneficial results for the patient  48 . 
     In another embodiment, a method for the treatment of AIDS and AIDS-related illnesses are disclosed. Human acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or “AIDS” is a fatal disease for which there is presently no cure. The disease is believed to be caused by a virus known as the human immunodeficiency virus, commonly referred to as “HIV.” The virus is transmitted by HIV-infected individuals through exchange of bodily fluids. HIV infection results most commonly from sexual contact with an infected partner and the sharing among intravenous drug users of hypodermic syringes previously used by an infected individual. A pregnant HIV-infected mother may infect her unborn child by trans-placented transmission, and HIV-contaminated blood is a possible source of infection for individuals subject to blood transfusion. 
     HIV infection causes a suppression of the immune system. This immune suppression renders the infected individual vulnerable to a variety of opportunistic infections and conditions that are otherwise kept in balance by a healthy immune system. Fatalities result from HIV infection due to the inability of AIDS patients to respond to treatment of the opportunistic infections and conditions as a consequence of their compromised immune systems. Because the virus can often remain dormant, the manifestation of AIDS from HIV infection may take as long as ten years. 
     One approach to the treatment of AIDS has targeted the opportunistic infections and conditions which result from HIV infection. While such treatment does not target the underlying HIV infection, it does prolong and enhance the quality of life of the infected individual. 
     A method according to an embodiment of the present invention provides for the treatment of a patient  48  with AIDS or an AIDS-related illness with the BELS unit  8  alone is illustrated in FIG.  2 . The patient  48  may be situated within 2-3 feet of the BELS unit  8  such that the patient receives the full benefit of the dense range of harmonic frequencies between 500 kHz and 3 GHz generated by the BELS unit  8 . The patient  48  may be exposed periodically to the BELS unit  8  as necessary for the treatment of the AIDS-related illness. For example, the patient  48  may be exposed to the BELS unit  8  once every two days for a selected period of time each day. The length of each exposure, and the frequency of such exposures may be varied to suit the needs of the patient  48 . 
     In a pilot study, ten patients were treated using the BELS unit  8 . Six of the ten patients were diagnosed as HIV positive. The patients ranged from 30 to 72 years of age, with an average age of 44.6 years. The pilot study ran for a period of 10 weeks. Patients were exposed to the electromagnetic fields for five to 20 minutes, three times per week. None of the patients involved in the pilot study were taking any allopathic medications during the study. The pilot study concluded that the BELS unit  8  was effective for treating many of the AIDS-related symptoms, such as chronic fatigue and pain syndrome, thrush, headaches, and blurred vision. Variations in the PCR levels of HIV positive patients was inconclusive. However, the BELS unit  8 , used in accordance with the principles of the present invention, has been shown to provide relief from many of the symptoms that accompany AIDS and to increase T-cell count and reduce viral load in some AIDS patients. 
     From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.