Use of electromagnetic fields in cancer and other therapies

• US 6,853,864 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2000
• Issued: 02/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Catholic University of America (Catholic University)
• Original Assignee: Catholic University of America (Catholic University)
• Inventors: Litovitz, Theodore A.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBINSON, DANIEL LEON
• Application Number:
  US09/737,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20010044643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,513 Days
• Field of Search: 607/100, 607/102, 607/96, 607/101, 606/13
• US Class Current: 607/100
• 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 2/02 using magnetic fields produced by coils, including single turn loops or electromagnets A61N2/12 takes precedence

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are described for the treatment of diseases by exposures to electromagnetic fields. Also, apparatus is described for focusing the biological effectiveness of such fields on specific cells, tissues or organs of a human or animal body.

Claims

1. Apparatus for establishing a plurality of electromagnetic (EM) fields to provide a region of bio-effectiveness in a human or animal body, the apparatus comprising;

means to generate a first EM field encompassing in part a region in a human or animal body wherein bio-effectiveness is to be achieved,

means to generate at least one additional EM field also in part encompassing in part said region,

means for modulating the first field to cause it to be at a first magnitude for a first period of time and at a second magnitude for a following period of time, with changes occurring with approximately 10 second intervals,

means for modulating the additional field to cause it to be at a first magnitude for a first period of time and at a second magnitude for a following period of time, with changes occurring within approximately 10 second intervals,

means for controlling said modulation means to cause the magnitude of the first EM field and the magnitude of the additional field at all given times to be complementary in respect of time,

whereby within said region the respective fields will provide a combined field having a predetermined pattern of limited differences in magnitudes but outside the region the respective fields will alternate between said first and second magnitudes.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said predetermined pattern of magnitudes within said region does not vary from continuous by more than approximately 25 percent of the maximum magnitude of the respective fields.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the means for generation of said first field is a Helmholtz pair of coils.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the means for generation of said additional field is a single coil.

5. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the means for generation of said additional field is a Helmholtz pair of coils.

6. Apparatus for use in anti-cancer treatments, comprising means for exposing both normal and diseased tissues to EM fields for a minimum of 20 minutes, with the field exposure ending at a maximum of 10 hours prior to treatment with therapeutic agents, the generating means including two EM field source configurations.

7. Apparatus as in claim 6 wherein the exposure is for at least 1 hour.

8. Apparatus as in claim 6 wherein the field exposure exists for 1 hour.

9. Apparatus as in claim 6 wherein the magnitude of the exposure from the EM fields is dependent on the field type used with a preferred level of no less than 2 microTesla and no greater than 2000 microTesla.

10. Apparatus as in claim 6 and including means for administering the EM fields in conjunction with prior focusing onto the diseased tissue alone.

11. Apparatus for exposure of EM fields to tissue, including means for generating circular polarized fields for a minimum of 20 minutes and a maximum of 10 hours, the generating means including two EM field source configurations in different orientations.

12. Apparatus for focusing the biological effect on cells, tissues or organs with an applied time varying EM field resulting from the superimposition of two biologically ineffective time varying fields when applied separately, the fields being generated from a primary source configuration producing a spatially varying EM field and from a secondary source configuration producing a second spatially varying EM field of the same frequency and waveform as the primary source configuration, with the primary and secondary field amplitudes being within 25% of being equal only on the targeted cells, tissues and organs.

13. Apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the primary source configuration produces EM field exposures with on and off cycling with a maximum of 5 seconds time on and a maximum of 5 seconds time off, and the secondary configuration produces EM field exposures which are off when the primary exposures are on, and on when the primary exposures are off.

14. Apparatus as in claim 13 in which the times on and off are of 2 seconds duration.

15. Apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the time and magnitude of the exposure from each of the source configurations is no less than 2 microTesla and no greater than 2000 microTesla.

16. Apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the EM field magnitude corresponds to a radiative energy of at least 1.0 mW/cm squared.

17. Apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the secondary source configuration comprises 2 quadrupoles which provide maximum fields along the symmetry axis thereof, and wherein the field from one quadrupole is on for a maximum time of 5 seconds when the field from the other quadrupole is off for a maximum time of 5 seconds.

18. Apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the maximum times are 2 seconds.

19. Apparatus as in claim 17 wherein the quadrupoles are coaxial.

20. Apparatus as in claim 17 wherein the quadrupoles have partially shielded windings.

21. Apparatus as in claim 20 wherein the shielded windings are shielded away from the axis thereof.

22. Apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the secondary source configuration is comprised of 2 quadrupoles in spatial and phase quadratures provide a maximum circularly polarized field along the symmetry axis thereof, and wherein the field is on for a maximum time of 5 seconds.

23. Apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the quadrupoles have partially shielded windings.

24. Apparatus as in claim 23 wherein the windings are shielded away from their axis.

25. Apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the field on time is 2 seconds.