Program storage device usable with a system for applying low energy emission therapy

• US 5,634,939 A
• Filed: 06/02/1995
• Issued: 06/03/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Symtonic SA
• Original Assignee: Symtonic SA
• Inventors: Pasche, Boris, Lebet, Jean-Pierre, Chang, Rea-Woun, Kunz, Henry, Kuster, Niels, Barbault, Alexandre
• Primary Examiner(s): Jastrzab, Jeffrey R.
• Application Number:
  US08/459,399
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 607/45, 607/46, 607/47, 607/58, 607/59, 607/62, 607/68, 607/69, 607/72, 607/76, 607/100, 607/101, 607/98, 607/99, 607/115, 607/116, 607/134, 600/26
• US Class Current: 607/59
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0548 Oral electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/40 Applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling microwave apparatus A61N5/00; Applying radio-frequency signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/00 Radiation therapy ultrasound therapy A61N7/00; devices or apparatus applicable to both therapy and diagnosis A61B6/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0618 Psychological treatment

Abstract

A low energy emission therapy system which includes an emitter of low energy electromagnetic emissions and a probe for applying the emissions to a patient under treatment. The emitter emits a high frequency electromagnetic emission in the form of a carrier signal modulated by a plurality of modulation signals. The invention also includes an impedance transformer located intermediate the emitter and the probe in order to match the impedance of the patient with that of the output of the emitter. Particular modulation signal frequencies and application times and sequences are provided for the treatment of insomnia, and for the treatment of general anxiety disorder which may include panic attacks.

Claims

1. A program storage device readable by a machine having a carrier signal generator, a carrier signal modulator connected to said generator and a probe connected to said modulator, said program storage device tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform the method steps of:

said carrier signal generator generating a radio frequency low energy carrier signal;

said carrier signal modulator modulating said radio frequency low energy carrier signal with a plurality of modulation signals to produce a modulated carrier signal; and

applying said modulated carrier signal to a patient with said probe.

2. The program storage device claim 1, said modulating step comprising:

modulating said carrier signal with a first modulation signal for a first time increment; and

modulating said carrier signal with a second modulation signal for a second time increment.

3. The program storage device of claim 2, wherein said second time increment occurs immediately after expiration of said first time increment.

4. The program storage device of claim 2, wherein the second time increment occurs after a delay for a third time increment after expiration of said first time increment.

5. The program storage device of claim 1, wherein said generating step comprises generating said radio frequency low energy carrier signal with spectral frequency components below 1 GHz, and wherein said modulating step comprises modulating the carrier signal with a plurality of modulation signals having spectral frequency components between 0.1 Hz and 10 kHz.

6. The program storage device of claim 5, wherein the carrier signal has spectral frequency components between 1 MHz and 900 MHz, and wherein the plurality of modulation signals have spectral frequency components between 1.0 Hz and 1000 Hz.

7. The program storage device of claim 5, wherein the plurality of modulation signals comprise frequency components selected from the bandwidths of 1-5 Hz, 9-12 Hz, 14-17 Hz, 21-24 Hz, 40-50 Hz, 100-110 Hz, and 175-200 Hz.

8. The program storage device of claim 5, wherein the plurality of modulation signals comprise frequency components selected from the bandwidths of 1-5 Hz, 14-17 Hz, 40-50 Hz, and 175-200 Hz.

9. The program storage device of claim 8, said modulating step comprising, modulating said carrier signal with a first group of modulation signals in conjunction with a second group of modulation signals.

10. The program storage device of claim 9, wherein the first group of modulation signals comprise frequency components selected from the bandwidth of 1-5 Hz.

11. The program storage device of claim 10, wherein said first group of modulation signals comprise frequency components selected from about 1.4 Hz, about 2.8 Hz, and about 3.4 Hz.

12. The program storage device of claim 11, said modulating step comprising, modulating said carrier signal with the following modulation signals for the following time increments:

about 1.4 Hz for about 40 seconds, about 2.8 Hz for about 20 seconds and about 3.4 Hz for about 15 seconds.

13. The program storage device of claim 11, wherein the modulation signals are used to modulate said carrier signal sequentially over a period of about 15 minutes.

14. The program storage device of claim 11, said modulating step comprising, modulating said carrier signal with the following modulation signals for the following time increments:

about 1.4 Hz for about 37 seconds, about 2.8 Hz for about 18 seconds and about 3.4 Hz for about 15 seconds.

15. The program storage device of claim 14, wherein the modulation signals are used to modulate said carrier signal sequentially over a period of about 15 minutes.

16. The program storage device of claim 10, wherein the second group of modulation signals comprise frequency components selected from the bandwidths of 1-5 Hz, 14-17 Hz, 40-50 Hz, and 175-200 Hz.

17. The program storage device of claim 16, wherein said second group of modulation signals comprise frequency components selected from about 3.4 Hz, about 14.6 Hz, about 42.7 Hz, about 48.9 Hz or about 189.7 Hz.

18. The program storage device of claim 17, said modulating step comprising, modulating said carrier signal with the following modulation signals for the following time increments:

about 3.4 Hz for about 15 seconds, about 14.6 Hz for about 4 seconds, about 42.7 Hz for about 2 seconds, about 48.9 Hz for about 2 seconds, and about 189.7 Hz for about 1 second.

19. The program storage device of claim 18, wherein the modulation signals are used to modulate said carrier signal sequentially over a period of about 30 minutes.

20. The program storage device of claim 5, wherein the plurality of modulation signals comprise frequency components selected from the bandwidths 1-5 Hz, 21-24 Hz, and 40-50 Hz.

21. The program storage device of claim 20, wherein the plurality of modulation signals comprise frequency components selected from about 2.7 Hz, about 21.9 Hz, about 42.7 Hz, and about 48.9 Hz.

22. The program storage device of claim 21, said modulation step comprising, modulating said carrier signal with the following modulation signals for the following time increments:

about 2.7 Hz for about 6 seconds, about 21.9 Hz for about 4 seconds, about 42.7 Hz for about 3 seconds, and about 48.9 Hz for about 3 seconds.

23. The program storage device of claim 22, wherein the modulation signals are used to modulate the carrier signal sequentially over a period of about 20 minutes.

24. The program storage device of claim 23, said modulating step further comprising, introducing a pause between application of the modulation signals.

25. The program storage device of claim 24, wherein the duration of the pause is about 1 second.

26. The program storage device of claim 1, said carrier signal modulator further controlling an amount of low energy emission applied to the patient.

27. The program storage device of claim 26, said controlling step comprising, controlling an amount of power applied to the patient to cause a specific absorption rate of energy absorbed by tissue of the patient to be from 100 microWatt to 50 Watts per kilogram of tissue.

28. The program storage device of claim 26, said tissue of the patient being central nervous system tissue.

29. The program storage device of claim 26, said controlling step comprising, controlling an amount of power applied to the patient to cause a specific absorption rate of energy absorbed by tissue of the patient to be from 100 microWatts to 10 Watts per kilogram of tissue.

30. The program storage device of claim 29, said tissue of the patient being central nervous system tissue.

31. The program storage device of claim 26, said controlling step comprising, controlling an amount of power applied to the patient to cause a specific absorption rate of energy absorbed by tissue of the patient to be from 1 milliWatt to 100 milliWatts per kilogram of tissue.

32. The program storage device of claim 31, said tissue of the patient being central nervous system tissue.