System and method for collecting, storing, processing, transmitting and presenting very low amplitude signals

• US 9,417,257 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2012
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nativis, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nativis, Inc.
• Inventors: Butters, John T., Butters, Bennett M., Naughton, Patrick, Puckette, Miller
• Primary Examiner(s): DeJong, Eric S
• Application Number:
  US13/555,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20130041201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 35/00 Antineoplastic agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 43/00 Drugs for specific purposes, not provided for in groups A61P1/00-A61P41/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/56 by using electric or magnetic effects G01F1/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/66 by measuring frequency, phase shift or propagation time of electromagnetic or other waves, e.g. using ultrasonic flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 37/005 Measurement methods not based on established scientific theories

Abstract

A method and apparatus for producing an effect of a chemical or biochemical agent on a system responsive to such agent, are disclosed. In practicing the method, a plurality of low-frequency time-domain signals of the agent are generated, each at a different at a different noise level within a selected noise level range. The signals are analyzed by producing spectral plots of the time-domain signals, and identifying an optimized agent-specific time-domain signal based on information in the spectral plots. A chemical or biological system responsive to the agent is exposed to the optimized time-domain signal by placing the system within the magnetic field of an electromagnetic transducer, and applying the signal to the transducer at a signal amplitude and for a period sufficient to produce in the system an agent-specific effect on the system.

Claims

1. A method for producing an effect of a chemical or biochemical agent on a system, comprising:

(a) generating a plurality of low-frequency time-domain signals by performing (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv);

(i) placing a sample containing the chemical or biochemical agent in a container having both magnetic and electromagnetic shielding,

(ii) injecting noise into the sample at a given noise amplitude;

(iii) recording an electromagnetic time-domain signal composed of sample source radiation superimposed on the injected noise, and

(iv) repeating (ii)-(iii) at each of a plurality of noise levels within a selected noise-level range,

(b) analyzing the plurality of time domain signals generated in (a) by producing spectral plots of the plurality of time-domain signals, and identifying an agent-specific time-domain signal based on information in said spectral plots, and

(c) exposing the agent-responsive system to the agent-specific time-domain signal identified in (b) by placing the system within the magnetic field of an electromagnetic transducer, and applying said identified agent-specific time-domain signal to said electromagnetic transducer at a signal amplitude and for a period associated with the chemical or biochemical agent sufficient to produce in the system an agent-specific effect on the system,

wherein the analyzing includes;

(i) generating a histogram that shows, for each event bin f over a selected frequency range within the range DC to 8 kHz, a number of event counts in each bin, where f is a sampling rate for sampling each of the plurality of recorded electromagnetic time domain signals, assigning to the histogram, a score related to the number of bins that are above a given threshold; and

selecting the agent-specific time-domain signal from the plurality of recorded time-domain signals based on said score;

(ii) autocorrelating each of the plurality of recorded electromagnetic time domain signals, generating an FFT of the autocorrelated signal over a selected frequency range within the range DC to 8 kHz, assigning to the FFT signal, a score related to the number of peaks above a mean average noise value, and selecting the agent-specific time-domain signal from the plurality of recorded time-domain signals based on said score;

or

(iii) calculating a series of Fourier spectra of each of the recorded electromagnetic time-domain signals over each of a plurality of defined time periods, in a selected frequency range between DC and 8 kHz, averaging the Fourier spectra;

assigning to the averaged FFT signal, a score related to the number of peaks above a mean average noise value, and selecting the agent-specific time-domain signal based on said score.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the injected noise is Gaussian noise, and noise is injected into a Helmholtz coil surrounding said sample, at a selected noise output in the range up to 1 volt.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein (b)(i) includes:

(i) storing a time-domain signal of the sample over a sample-duration time T;

(ii) selecting a sampling rate F for sampling the stored time domain signal, where F*T is the total sample count S, F is approximately twice the frequency domain resolution f of a Real Fast Fourier Transform of the time-domain signal sampled at sampling rate F, and S>

(2)f*n, where n is at least 10,

(iii) selecting S/n samples from the stored time domain signal and performing a Real Fast Fourier Transform (RFFT) on the samples,

(iv) normalizing the RFFT signal and calculating an average power for the signal,

(v) placing an event count in each of f selected-frequency event bins where the measured power at the corresponding selected frequency≧

average power*∈

obtains, where 0<

∈

<

1, and is chosen such that the total number of counts placed in an event bin is between about 20-50% of the maximum possible bin counts in that bin,

(vi) repeating (iii-v) N>

2 times, and

(viii) generating a histogram that shows, for each event bin f over a selected frequency range, the number of event counts in each bin.

4. The method of claim 3, which further includes, in (iv) for normalizing the RFFT signal includes placing the normalized power value from the RFFT in f corresponding-frequency power bins, and in (viii) performing the following:

(a) dividing the accumulated values placed in each of the f power bins by n, to yield an average power in each bin, and (b) displaying on the histogram, the average power in each bin.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said recording is carried out using a gradiometer coupled to a SQUID, and said injecting includes injecting noise into said gradiometer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the system comprises:

exposing the system that includes a biological system responsive to the presence of an agent known to bind to an acceptor in the biological system to produce an agent-specific effect to said identified agent-specific time-domain signal.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the biological system includes one or more genes that are upregulated or downregulated by the presence of said agent, and exposing the biological system to said identified agent-specific time-domain signal is carried out at a signal amplitude and for a time sufficient to produce a measurable upregulation or downregulation of said gene.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein exposing the system comprises:

exposing the system that includes a mammalian target to generate an antibiotic response in the mammalian target.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the antibiotic response is associated with ampicillin.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the system comprises:

exposing the system that includes an E. coli target to generate a lac-operon induction response in the E. coli target, wherein the peaks correspond to frequencies of stochastic events produced by arabinose L(+).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the system comprises:

exposing the system that includes a plant target to generate a growth-inhibitory response in the plant target, wherein the peaks correspond to frequencies of stochastic events produced by glyphosate.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the system comprises:

exposing the system that includes a plant target to generate a growth-inhibitory response in the plant target, wherein the peaks correspond to frequencies of stochastic events produced by gibberellin.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the system comprises:

exposing the system that includes a system responsive to the presence of an agent known to promote binding between or assembly of one or more components in a given system, and exposing said system to said identified agent-specific time-domain signal is carried out at a signal amplitude and for a duration sufficient to promote a level of binding between or assembly of said one or more components than is greater than that observed prior to said exposing.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said electromagnet transducer includes a coil winding defining an open interior, and said exposing includes placing the sample within an open interior of said winding.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said electromagnet transducer includes an implantable coil, and said transducer including the implantable coil is implanted in the system that includes a biological system prior to said exposing.

16. A method for treating a tumor in a mammalian subject, comprising:

(a) generating a plurality of low-frequency time-domain signals by performing the following;

(i) placing a sample containing a cancer chemotherapeutic agent in a container having both magnetic and electromagnetic shielding,

(ii) injecting noise into the sample at a given noise amplitude;

(iii) recording an electromagnetic time-domain signal composed of sample source radiation superimposed on the injected noise, and

(iv) repeating (ii)-(iii) at each of a plurality of noise levels within a selected noise-level range,

(b) analyzing the plurality of recorded electromagnetic time domain signals generated in (a) by producing spectral plots of the plurality of recorded electromagnetic time-domain signals, and identifying an agent-specific time-domain signal based on information in said spectral plots, and

(c) exposing the mammalian subject to the agent-specific time-domain signal identified in (b) by placing the mammalian subject within the magnetic field of an electromagnetic transducer, and applying said agent-specific time-domain signal to said electromagnetic transducer at a signal amplitude and for a period sufficient to produce a reduction in the size and/or rate of growth of a tumor in the subject,

wherein the analyzing includes;

(i) generating a histogram that shows, for each event bin f over a selected frequency range within the range DC to 8 kHz, a number of event counts in each bin, where f is a sampling rate for sampling each of the plurality of recorded electromagnetic time domain signals, assigning to the histogram, a score related to the number of bins that are above a given threshold; and

selecting the agent-specific time-domain signal from the plurality of recorded time-domain signals based on said score;

(ii) autocorrelating each of the plurality of recorded electromagnetic time domain signals, generating an FFT of the autocorrelated signal over a selected frequency range within the range DC to 8 kHz, assigning to the FFT signal, a score related to the number of peaks above a mean average noise value, and selecting the agent-specific time-domain signal from the plurality of recorded time-domain signals based on said score;

or

(iii) calculating a series of Fourier spectra of each of the recorded electromagnetic time-domain signals over each of a plurality of defined time periods, in a selected frequency range between DC and 8 kHz, averaging the Fourier spectra;

assigning to the averaged FFT signal, a score related to the number of peaks above a mean average noise value, and selecting the agent-specific time-domain signal based on said score.