Devices and method for treatment of degenerative joint diseases with electromagnetic fields

• US 8,961,385 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2011
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SofPulse, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ivivi Health Sciences, LLC
• Inventors: Pilla, Arthur A., DiMino, Andre A., Drummer, Matthew E.
• Primary Examiner(s): GILBERT, SAMUEL G
• Application Number:
  US13/080,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20110207989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 600 9- 15, 607/2, 607/3, 607 44- 46, 607/50, 607/51, 607/59
• US Class Current: 600/14
• 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 2/004 specially adapted for a specific therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/008 for pain treatment or analgesia
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/02 using magnetic fields produced by coils, including single turn loops or electromagnets A61N2/12 takes precedence

Abstract

Described herein are devices and methods for treating degenerative joint diseases with electromagnetic fields using one or more waveforms that are configured to modulate Ca²⁺ binding to calmodulin and thereby modulate calmodulin-dependent nitric oxide signaling within joint and other affected tissue for the purpose of reducing pain and inflammation, as well as enhancing the healing and regeneration of such tissue.

Claims

1. A method of treating degenerative joint disease comprising:

positioning a flexible coil wire applicator of a lightweight wearable or stationary pulsed EMF therapy device adjacent to a joint or tissue to be treated;

applying a treatment regime from the therapy device, wherein the treatment regime comprises bursts of electromagnetic signals having a peak amplitude of less than about 200 milliGauss, wherein the bursts have a duration of between about 0.5 msec and about 50 msec, further wherein the bursts are repeated at an interburst interval of between about 2 seconds and 0.1 second for a treatment on-time, followed by a treatment off-time that is greater than the treatment on-time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment regime is configured according to a mathematical model.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the mathematical model is one of a signal to noise ratio (SNR) or power signal to noise ratio (PSNR) in respect to calcium binding to calmodulin, and in further respect to calmodulin-dependent NO signaling.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the mathematical model is one of a signal to noise ratio (SNR) or power signal to noise ratio (PSNR) in respect to the asymmetrical kinetics of ion binding to intracellular buffers to increase the rate of calcium binding in further respect to calmodulin-dependent signaling.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment regime is configured to incorporate asymmetrical kinetics of ion binding to intracellular buffers to increase the rate of ion binding and enhance a biochemical signaling pathway employed for growth, repair or maintenance.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the treatment regime is configured to accelerate Ca²⁺binding to intracellular calcium buffers, such as CaM.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment regime is configured to modulate CaM-dependent signaling for cytokine and growth factor production in vivo.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment regime is configured to modulate CaM-dependent NO signaling.

9. The method of claim 1 for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

10. The method of claim 1 for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

11. The method of claim 1 for the treatment of spondyloarthritis.

12. The method of claim 1 for the treatment of arthritis.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment on-time is between about 1minute and about 60 minutes.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment on-time is approximately 15minutes.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment on-time is approximately 5minutes.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment off-time is between about 15minutes and about 23 hours.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment off-time is approximately 11hours.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the interburst interval is approximately 1second.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the interburst interval is approximately 0.5second.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the bursts have a duration of approximately 7msec.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the bursts have a duration of approximately 2msec.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic waves within the burst have a carrier frequency of about 6.8 MHz.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic waves within the burst have a carrier frequency of about 27.12 MHz.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the pulse of electromagnetic waves within the burst have a duration of about 0.5 μ

sec.

25. A method of treating degenerative joint disease comprising:

positioning a flexible coil wire applicator of a lightweight, wearable battery-operated EMF therapy device adjacent to a joint or tissue to be treated;

treating the joint or tissue by applying bursts of electromagnetic waves having a peak amplitude of less than about 200 milliGauss from the therapy device, wherein the bursts have a duration of between about 0.5 msec and about 50msec, further wherein the bursts are repeated at an interburst interval of between about 10 seconds and 0.1 second for a treatment on-time of between about 5minutes and 30 minutes, followed by a treatment off-time that is greater than about 30 minutes.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein treating the joint or tissue comprises applying bursts of 6.8 MHz sinusoidal electromagnetic waves having a peak amplitude of about 50milliGauss, wherein the duration of the burst is about 7 msec, and bursts repeat approximately every second.

27. A method of treating degenerative joint disease comprising:

applying a coil applicator of a lightweight wearable or stationary pulsed EMF therapy device adjacent to a joint or tissue to be treated;

applying a treatment regime from the therapy device, wherein the treatment regime comprises bursts of electromagnetic waves having a peak amplitude of less than about 200 milliGauss, wherein the bursts have a duration of between about 0.5msec and about 50 msec, further wherein the bursts are repeated at an interburst interval of between about 2 seconds and 0.1 second for a treatment on-time, followed by a treatment off-time that is greater than the treatment on-time.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein applying the coil applicator comprises applying a brace or garment incorporating the applicator.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the coil applicator is applied in conjunction with pharmacological agents such as glucosamine.