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

Claim 2

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 two multi-turn electrical coils and body-adapting retaining means adapted to mount said coils in spaced relation on opposite sides of an afflicted body region to be treated, said coils when thus mounted having turns about a flux-development axis through the afflicted body region and being connected in flux-aiding relation, said turns being radially spaced from said axis to an extent establishing an effective local diameter which substantially equals or exceeds the effective axial spacing between said coils, and means for electrically exciting said coils with a succession of low-voltage unidirectional asymmetrical pulses.

Claim 3

The treatment device of claim 1, in which said retaining means comprises strap means adapted for circumferential wrap of the afflicted body region, said coils being mounted to and along said strap means in spaced relation such as to position said coils on opposite sides of the body-treatment region when said strap means is in circumferentially wrapped application to the body.

Claim 4

The treatment device of claim 2, in which said strap means is flexible and includes means for selectively adjusting the strap-connected span between said coils.

Claim 5

The treatment device of claim 3, in which said strap means is of length extending beyond the adjustably connected span in an amount at least sufficient for full circumferential envelopment of said adjustably connected span, and selectively operable means for securing said strap means in the position of such circumferential envelopment.

Claim 6

The treatment device of claim 1, in which at least one of said coils is of generally elliptical configuration.

Claim 7

The treatment device of claim 5, in which said elliptical coil is developed in essentially a single surface which is generally cylindrically arcuate.

Claim 8

The treatment device of claim 6, in which the arcuate curvature is about an axis generally parallel to the major axis of the ellipse.

Claim 9

The treatment device of claim 6, in which the arcuate curvature is about an axis generally parallel to the minor axis of the ellipse.

Claim 10

The treatment device of claim 1, in which both of said coils are of generally elliptical configuration, and in which said retaining means positions the major-axis orientation of said coils in generally parallel relation.

Claim 11

The treatment device of claim 9, in which each of said coils is developed in essentially a single surface which is cylindrically arcuate, said retaining means being adapted to position the concave sides of the respective coils in face-to-face relation across the afflicted region.

Claim 12

The treatment device of claim 9, in which each of said coils is developed in essentially a single surface which is cylindrically arcuate about an axis which is generally parallel to the major axis of its ellipse, said retaining means being adapted to position the major axes in generally parallel relation.

Claim 13

The treatment device of claim 9, in which each of said coils is developed in essentially a single surface which is cylindrically arcuate about an axis which is generally parallel to the minor axis of its ellipse, said retaining means being adapted to position the minor axes in generally parallel relation.

Claim 14

The treatment device of claim 9, in which each of said coils is developed in essentially a single surface which is cylindrically arcuate, said retaining means being adapted to position the concave sides of the respective coils in nested relation, with the concave side of one coil facing the convex side of the other coil across the afflicted region.

Claim 15

The treatment device of claim 1, in which both said coils are of generally helical configuration, the helical advance of both coils being in the same direction.

Claim 16

The treatment device of claim 1, in which each of said coils comprises plural generally helically advancing turns in the same direction.

Claim 17

The treatment device of claim 1, in which said coils are electrically connected in parallel.

Claim 18

The treatment device of claim 1, in which said coils are electrically connected in series.

Claim 19

The treatment device of claim 1, in which said retaining means comprises a rigid tubular frame member with said respective coils rigidly mounted to said frame member at opposed locations, the wall of said frame member being locally open within the region of mounting one of said coils, whereby a body member having the afflicted region may be removably entered into said frame member and pass through the frame opening to place the afflicted region in the treatment zone of said coils.

Claim 20

The treatment device of claim 1, in which said retaining means comprises a rigid tubular frame member with said respective coils rigidly mounted to said frame member at spaced locations, the wall of said frame member being locally open in a region intermediate the mounting of said coils, whereby a body member having the afflicted region may be removably entered into said frame member and pass through the frame opening to place the afflicted region in the treatment zone of said coils.

Claim 21

The treatment device of claim 1, in which said retaining means for at least one of said coils includes a prismatic casing of non-magnetic material, said casing having a front surface adapted for orientation in facing adjacency to one side of the body region to be treated, said one coil being located by and within said casing and in adjacency to said front surface, said surface having a keying recess formed therein, the peripheral edge of said recess extending symmetrically about the central axis of said one coil, and a separate key element conforming to and removably insertable in said recess, said key element having laterally extending adapter means for relatively fixed location of said key element with respect to the body to be treated, whereby once correctly located and fixed with respect to the body, said key element will accurately determine the location of said one coil upon assembly of the surface recess thereto, so that said retaining means can then correctly reference both coils to the body-treatment region, for repeated application and removal of said coils with respect to the body.

Claim 22

The treatment device of claim 20, in which said key element includes radiologically opaque frame-marking means at peripheral edges of said key element.

Claim 23

The treatment device of claim 21, in which said frame-marking means includes a strip of metal tape removably adhered to the peripheral edge of said key element.

Claim 24

The treatment device of claim 1, in which said retaining means for at least one of said coils includes a prismatic casing of non-magnetic material, said casing having a front surface adapted for orientation in facing adjacency to one side of the body region to be treated, said one coil being located by and within said casing and in adjacency to said front surface, said surface having a locating key formation therein in symmetrical placement with respect to the central axis of said one coil, and a removably positionable locating element having a surface formation which conforms to and is interengageable with said key formation, said locating element having laterally extending adapter means for relatively fixed location of said location elements with respect to the body to be treated, whereby once correctly located and fixed with respect to the body, said locating element will accurately determine the location of said one coil upon assembly of said key formation thereto, so that said retaining means can then correctly reference both said coils to the body-treatment region, for repeated application and removal of said coils with respect to the body.

Claim 27

An electromagnetic body-treatment coil assembly, comprising a coil winding having a plurality of turns of large effective radius and short axial extent, and a relatively thin two-part housing for said winding, said housing comprising peripherally flanged front and back panel members assembled in registration with their flanged peripheries in telescoped relation, all turns of said winding being supported and confined at the telescoped peripheral region of and within said housing, said front-panel member being concave and generally cylindrically arucate, and said back-panel member being convex with generally the cylindrically arcuate curvature of said front-panel member, said winding and said peripheries conforming to substantially the same course and said flanges receiving and locating said winding.

Claim 28

An electromagnetic body-treatment coil assembly, comprising a coil winding having a plurality of turns of large effective radius and short axial extent, and a relatively thin two-part housing for said winding, said housing comprising peripherally flanged front and back panel members assembled in registration with their flanged peripheries in telescoped relation, all turns of said winding being supported and confined at the telescoped peripheral region of and within said housing, said front-panel member being concave and generally cylindrically arucate, and said back-panel member being convex with generally the cylindrically arcuate curvature of said front-panel member, said winding and said peripheries conforming to substantially the same course and said flanges receiving and locating said winding.

Claim 29

The coil assembly of claim 25, in which said coil winding is of generally elliptical course, and said panels are arcuate about an axis that is substantially parallel to the major-axis direction of the winding ellipse.

Claim 30

The coil assembly of claim 25, in which said front panel has a central inwardly-cupped prismatic recess formation for removable reception of a body-mounted locating key, said recess formation being symmetrically positioned with respect to the central axis of said coil winding.

Claim 31

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 magnetic-circuit means including two spaced elements and body-adapting retaining means adapted to mount said elements in spaced relation on opposite sides of an afflicted body region to be treated, said elements being adapted when thus mounted to establish a flux-development axis therebetween and through the afflicted body region, and electric-circuit means for exciting said magnetic-circuit means with a succession of low-voltage unidirectional asymmetrical pulses, the effective sectional area of said elements being such in relation to the spacing of said elements when thus mounted as to enable establishment of a substantially uniform flux distribution throughout a major fraction of the geometrical volume defined by and between said elements.

Claim 32

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 magnetic-circuit means including two spaced elements and body-adapting retaining means adapted to mount said elements in spaced relation on opposite sides of an afflicted body region to be treated, said elements being adapted when thus mounted to establish a flux-development axis therebetween and through the afflicted body region, and electric-circuit means for exciting said magnetic-circuit means with a succession of low-voltage unidirectional asymmetrical pulses, the effective sectional area of said elements being such in relation to the spacing of said elements when thus mounted as to enable establishment of a substantially uniform flux distribution throughout a major fraction of the geometrical volume defined by and between said elements.

Claim 33

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 a multi-turn electrical coil and body-adapting retaining means adapted to mount said coil in external adjacency to an afflicted body region to be treated, said coil when thus mounted having turns about a flux-development axis to be aligned through the afflicted body region, said retaining means including a prismatic casing of non-magnetic material, said casing having a front surface adapted for orientation in facing adjacency to one side of the body region to be treated, said coil being located by and within said casing and in adjacency to said front surface, said surface having a locating key formation therein in symmetrical placement with respect to the central axis of said coil, and a removably positionable locating element having a surface formation which conforms to and is interengageable with said key formation, said locating element having laterally extending adapter means for relatively fixed location of said locating element with respect to the body to be treated, whereby once correctly located and fixed with respect to the body, said locating element will accurately determine the location of said coil upon assembly of said key formation thereto, so that said retaining means can then correctly reference said coil to the body-treatment region, for repeated application and removal of said coil with respect to the body.

Claim 34

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 a multi-turn electrical coil and body-adapting retaining means adapted to mount said coil in external adjacency to an afflicted body region to be treated, said coil when thus mounted having turns about a flux-development axis to be aligned through the afflicted body region, said retaining means including a prismatic casing of non-magnetic material, said casing having a front surface adapted for orientation in facing adjacency to one side of the body region to be treated, said coil being located by and within said casing and in adjacency to said front surface, said surface having a locating key formation therein in symmetrical placement with respect to the central axis of said coil, and a removably positionable locating element having a surface formation which conforms to and is interengageable with said key formation, said locating element having laterally extending adapter means for relatively fixed location of said locating element with respect to the body to be treated, whereby once correctly located and fixed with respect to the body, said locating element will accurately determine the location of said coil upon assembly of said key formation thereto, so that said retaining means can then correctly reference said coil to the body-treatment region, for repeated application and removal of said coil with respect to the body.

Claim 35

The treatment device of claim 29 in which said locating key formation is a keying recess in said front surface, and in which the surface formation of said locating element is a key that is removably enterable in said recess.