THERAPEUTIC LOW FREQUENCY PULSED MAGNETIC FIELDS AND DEVICES THEREFOR

• US 20090216068A1
• Filed: 06/15/2006
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fralex Therapeutics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fralex Therapeutics, Inc.
• Inventors: Robertson, John, Yuwaraj, Thas, Mali, Shyam, Thomas, Alex W.
• Application Number:
  US11/917,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20090216068A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/006 for magnetic stimulation of nerve tissue

Abstract

The present invention is a device for delivering a low frequency magnetic field pulse (Cnp) to affect the physiological and/or neurological conditions of an animal or human. In particular, distinct Cnps are designed to have anti-depression, analgesic, or anti-anxiety effects. These Cnps may be applied in combination in a sequence.

Claims

1. An electrotherapy devices comprising

a transducer;

and

a controller, the controller being capable of energizing the transducer to produce a specific low frequency magnetic field pulse waveform (Cnp), the Cnp comprising a plurality of intermittent waveforms, with one or more latency periods between the waveforms.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the waveforms are designed to initially mimic an endogenous electrical activity of target tissue of a subject.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the latency period between the waveforms varies in a predetermined manner over time.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the Cnp is designed to initially entrain the electrical activity of the target tissue and as a result affect endogenous electrical activity of the target tissue.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the Cnp comprises an anti-depression Cnp (Cnp-1).

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the waveform mimics the electromagnetic waveform of:

at least one of;

the medial thalamus, anterior cingulated, frontal cortex and the pre-frontal cortex in an animal.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the latency period is in the range of 1 to 200 ms milliseconds (ms).

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the Cnp comprises an analgesic Cnp (Cnp-3).

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the waveform mimics the electromagnetic waveform of at least one of:

the insular cortex, Papez circuit and the anterior cingulate in an animal.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein Cnp comprises an anti-anxiety Cnp (Cnp-3).

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the latency period is in the range of 1 to 250 milliseconds (ms).

19. The device of claim 1, comprising a plurality of Cnps, the Cnps being separated by at least one refractory period therebetween, and wherein consecutive refractory periods are variable.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the consecutive refractory periods progressively increase in duration.

22. The device of claim 21, comprising four consecutive refractory periods.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the Cnp comprises an anti-depression Cnp (Cnp-1) and the refractory period is in the range of 100 to 4000 ms.

25. The device of claim 21, wherein the Cnp comprises an analgesic Cnp (Cnp-2) and the refractory period is in the range of 50 to 1900 ms.

27. The device of claim 21, wherein the Cnp comprises an anti-anxiety Cnp (Cnp-3) and refractory period is in the range of 200 to 7000 ms.

29. The device of claim 1, further comprising one or more additional Cnps, and wherein the controller is capable of causing the transducer to produce at least two different pluralities of Cnps in succession.

31. The device of any one of claim 29, wherein each of the at least two different pluralities of Cnps respectively comprise at least one of:

an anti-depression Cnp (Cnp-1), an analgesic Cnp (Cnp-2), and an anti-anxiety Cnp (Cnp-3).

34. The device of claim 31, wherein the at least two different Cnps in succession form a sequence designed to treat eating disorders.

35. The device of claim 34, wherein the at least two different Cnps in succession respectively comprise the Cnp-1 followed by Cnp-3.

38. The device of claim 31, wherein the at least two different Cnps in succession form a sequence designed to treat chronic pain.

39. The device of claim 38, wherein the at least two different Cnps in succession comprise Cnp-1 followed by the Cnp-2 followed by the Cnp-3.

42. The device of claim 39, wherein the transducer is a wire coil.

43. The device of claim 42, wherein the wire coil is designed to target a deep brain region.

44. The device of claim 42 wherein the wire coil is elliptical in shape.

45. The device of claim 43 wherein the wire coil is selected from the group comprising:

a core-less wire coil, a solid core wire coil, and a multi-layer printed circuit board wire coil.

55. An array of Cnps according to claim 34.

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

28. (canceled)

30. (canceled)

32. (canceled)

33. (canceled)

36. (canceled)

37. (canceled)

40. (canceled)

41. (canceled)

46. A method for treating a disorder selected from the group of physiological, neurological and behavioral disorders, the method comprising:

applying to a subject a specific low frequency magnetic field pulse waveform (Cnp), the Cnp comprising one or more intermittent waveforms, with a latency period between the waveforms, the waveforms being designed to initially mimic an endogenous electrical activity of target tissue of the subject, wherein application of the Cnp is for a time duration effective to produce a desired effect in the target tissue.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the latency period between the waveforms varies in a predetermined manner over time.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the low frequency pulsed magnetic field initially entrains the electrical activity of the target tissue and as a result affects the endogenous electrical activity of the target tissue.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the Cnp utilized comprises a plurality of Cnps, the Cnps being separated by a plurality of refractory periods, and the refractory periods vary in a predetermined manner over time.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein at least two different pluralities of Cnps are applied in succession.

50. (canceled)

52. (canceled)

53. A low frequency magnetic field pulse (Cnp), the Cnp comprising intermittent waveforms, with a latency period between the waveforms, and the waveforms being designed to initially mimic an endogenous electrical activity of target tissue of a subject.

54. The Cnp of claim 53, wherein the Cnp is selected from the group comprising any one of an anti-depression Cnp (Cnp-1), an analgesic Cnp (Cnp-2) and an anti-anxiety Cnp (Cnp-3).

56. An electrotherapy device comprising transducers oriented such that optimal deep tissue penetration is achieved.

57. An electrotherapy device comprising transducers oriented such that the deep tissue magnetic field is nullified without compromising the magnetic field at surface tissues.