Patent ID: 7578796

Claim:
The method of stimulating an aquatic life form comprises the steps of: activating a pressure pulse or an acoustic shock wave generator or source to emit pressure pulses or acoustic shock waves wherein the pressure pulses or acoustic shock waves are acoustic pulses which include several cycles of positive and negative pressure, the amplitude of the positive part of such a cycle being above 0.1 MPa having rise times of the positive part of the first pressure cycle amplitude being below 100's of ns and the duration being below 1 to 3 micro-seconds (μs) for the positive part of a cycle and above some micro-seconds for the negative part of a cycle; and subjecting cellular tissue of the aquatic life form to the pressure pulses or acoustic shock waves stimulating said aquatic life form with convergent, divergent, planar or near planar acoustic shock waves or pressure pulses in the absence of a focal point impinging the aquatic life form stimulating a cellular response in the absence of creating cavitation bubbles evidenced by not experiencing the sensation of cellular hemorrhaging caused by the emitted waves or pulses in the cellular tissue of the aquatic life form wherein the cellular tissue of the aquatic life form is positioned within a path of the emitted pressure pulses or shock waves away from any localized geometric focal volume or point of the emitted shock waves wherein the emitted shock waves or pressure pulses either have no geometric focal volume or point or have a focal volume or point ahead of the aquatic life form or beyond the aquatic life form thereby passing the emitted waves through the aquatic life form while avoiding having any localized focal point within the aquatic life form wherein the emitted pressure pulses or shock waves are convergent, divergent, planar or near planar and the pressure pulse shock wave generator or source is based on electro-hydraulic, electromagnetic, piezoceramic or ballistic wave generation having an energy density value ranging as low as 0.00001 mJ/mm 2 to a high end of below 1.0 mJ/, the stimulation having a dosage duration between a few seconds to 20 minutes or greater at an energy density in the range of 0.00001 mJ/mm 2 to 1.0 mJ/mm 2 per shock wave or less while avoiding or minimizing cell or membrane damage or rupturing by not creating cavitation bubbles in the tissue of the aquatic life form.