Surgery – Magnetic field applied to body for therapy – Externally supported or worn
Reexamination Certificate
2003-10-30
2004-09-28
Lacyk, John P. (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Magnetic field applied to body for therapy
Externally supported or worn
Reexamination Certificate
active
06796937
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS (CLAIMING BENEFIT UNDER 35 U.S.C. 120)
Not applicable.
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT STATEMENT
This invention was not developed in conjunction with any Federally sponsored contract.
MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not applicable.
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
The following web document is incorporated herein, including its illustrations, to the present disclosure “Biological Effects of Magnetism” by E-Magnet Shop,
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the arts of biomagnetism and magnetic therapy.
2. Description of the Related Art
The field of biomagnetics and magnetic therapy is currently re-emerging as treatment for the relief of pain, discomfort and stress, for increasing circulation, and for the possible cure of many diseases in both humans and animals. Historians indicate that magnets have been used as a healing aid for thousands of years, tracing earliest known usage thousands of years. For example, “The Yellow Emperors Book of Internal Medicine”, a Chinese text dating back to 2000 B.C., describes how the application of magnetic stones could correct imbalances in the ‘Qi’ or life force. Egyptian writings document that ancient Egyptian physicians attributed a variety of therapeutic effects to magnetism—a well-known story even states that Cleopatra regularly adorned herself with magnetic jewelry or wore a magnetic stone around her forehead to preserve her youthfulness. Other ancient civilizations known to utilize magnets for health reasons include Indian, Arabic, and Hebrew cultures. Although biomagnetic therapy's popularity has faded and reemerged many times over the centuries, the medical use of magnets has been well established.
Recent university studies confirm that the use of magnets in conjunction with traditional therapies can reduce the amount of time required for many types of wounds and injuries to heal. There is also evidence to show that magnet therapy is effective in reducing and sometimes alleviating pain and stress. Some current research supports that the topical application of permanent magnets may indeed relieve pain and inflammation.
For example, one provider of magnetic products, E-MagnetShop, states that when a therapeutic magnet is placed on the skin of a wearer, the magnetic force field penetrates the flesh and blood that passes through this magnetic force field. Using a microscope, calcium molecules prior to passing through a magnetic field can be seen to have spines and barbs, and are clumped, which can slow down circulation, and may collect on the inside of blood vessels. However, following exposure to a magnetic field, calcium molecules appear to resemble grains of rice, and are smaller than the untreated calcium molecules. The smaller, streamlined calcium molecules are believed to circulate more efficiently. Additionally, oxygen and nutrients are transported faster and toxins are carried away more quickly, according to this web-based retailer of biomagnetic properties.
A document on this company's website entitled “Biological Effects of Magnetism”, also states that other tissue and blood-borne molecules are also affected after passing through a magnetic field such as minerals and hydrogen. For example, they explain that hydrogen molecules control pH, and when exposed to a biomagnetic north field, hydrogen resets pH to the proper balance, which is essential for optimum health. Dr. Burl Payne, former professor at Boston University and Goddard College and inventor-designer of biofeedback instruments, stated in his books “The Body Magnetic” and “Getting Started in Magnetic Healing”, that there are now known factors to be involved in magnetic healing including:
(a) Increasing blood flow with resultant increased oxygen-carrying capacity, both of which are basic to healing the body heals itself.
(b) Changing the migration of calcium ions—adequate magnetic polarities can either bring calcium ions to heal a broken bone in half the usual time, or can help move calcium away from painful, arthritic joints.
(c) The pH balance (acid/alkaline) of various body fluids (often out of balance in conjunction with illness or abnormal conditions) can apparently be altered by magnetic fields.
(d) Hormone production from the endocrine glands (essential to health) can be either increased or decreased by magnetic stimulation.
(e) Altering of enzyme activity and other biochemical processes.
This web site goes on to describe that in a double-blind test, magnetism helped 90 percent of a large group of patients with myositis, bursitis, arthritis and rheumatism, as well as other research has shown better healing of scars. This site also states that a respected medical journal in Switzerland called “Swiss Neuropath” reports magnets are widely used to help patients with headaches including migraines, as well as constipation, bronchitis, hypertension, hemorrhoids, glaucoma and many other serious diseases. This site also quotes Dr. K. E. MaClean, M.D. of New York, as stating that cancer cannot exist in a strong magnetic field.
Many magnetic therapy products are already on the market today, such as the ones sold by E-Magnet Shop. One aspect of their design which determines their effectiveness centers around the “reach” of the magnetic field, and specifically how to provide a useful magnetic field in a topical form that will have a lasting effect within the body.
In the biomagnetic scientific community, poles on magnets used for magnetic therapy are named differently that traditional, non-medical scientific definitions. Classification of a magnetic pole in the fields of biomagnetics and magnetic therapy is based on the attraction to geographic north or south. Simply put, the end of the magnet attracted to geographic North is referred to as the “North” or the “negative” pole of the magnet, and the opposite end of the magnet is referred to as “South” or “positive.”
FIG. 1
depicts the magnetic field (
1
) created by a standard, circular rod magnet (
24
) with conventional biomagnetic north and biomagnetic south labels. As the distance from the magnet is increased (
3
,
4
,
5
), the force of the magnetic field, or magnetic flux, reduces. The magnetic flux surrounding the rod magnet radiates circumferentially and symmetrically around the axis of the cylinder which the rod magnet represents, although
FIG. 1
only shows the flux in a single plane corresponding to the sheet of paper on which the figure is printed. The theory of magnetic therapy is centered around the actual magnetic field, thus, the size of and tissue proximity to the magnet creating the field.
In a topical application, such as magnetic therapy, there exists a need for an easy, portable way to apply a magnetic field to the body without restricting movement or activity. Many products exist on the market utilizing magnetic therapy in semi-permanent forms such as mattress pads with magnets embedded in them, bulky magnetic “belts” which must be strapped around the torso or an appendage, or large, flat magnets which are placed on the body while the user remains immobile.
Existing solutions, such as magnetized mattress pads, belts, wraps (e.g. elbow, ankle, torso, knee, etc.), and beaded necklaces provide magnets which are attached directly to the body, utilizing bipolar or multipolar fields to magnetize blood cells as the blood passes through the magnetic fields. For example, a mattress pad cover has a set of magnets arranged in a grid or checker board pattern, with alternating positive and negative poles facing upwards towards the person undergoing the therapy.
These types of devices typically inhibit the movement and activity level of the wearer or user, and they do not provide a unipolar field, and therefore, do not control the polarity of each blood cell. Rather, these methods rely on the idea of continually changing the polarity of blood cells and molecules in the blood stream as they pass through the alternating magnetic fields to provide relief within the body. Additionally, these types of devices provide a large area of magnetiz
Frantz Robert H.
Lacyk John P.
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