MXPA00003781A - Electric and magnetic field generator, corresponding field detector, and sample analyser - Google Patents

Abstract

Magnetic and electric fields are generated using a super-toroidal conductor energised at frequencies greater than 2c/1 where c is the speed of light and 1 is the length of the conductor which is wound super-toroidally. The resulting fields are strongly spatially inhomogeneous in the near field region and may interact with molecules which have electric and magnetic multipolar moments, but not significant dipole moment.

Description

GENERATOR OF ELECTRICAL AND MAGNETIC FIELD. CORRESPONDING FIELD DETECTOR AND SAMPLE ANALYZER FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a generator of electric and magnetic fields, in particular that incorporates a supertoroidal conductor. Also, the invention relates to a corresponding detector of electric and magnetic fields and to a sample analyzer and treatment apparatus that incorporates the generator and / or detector of the field.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The use of toroidal windings as antennas of electromagnetic radiation is known, e.g. from US4622558, 4751515, 5442369 and 5654723; however none of these prior patents contemplates the use of a supertoroidal winding to generate an electromagnetic field. Furthermore, the last two patents assure in particular that a toroidal antenna can be designed to operate at a particular frequency to produce an electromagnetic field equivalent to that produced by conventional magnetic or electric dipole antennas.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is the generation of magnetic and electric variation fields using a super-toroidal winding conductor. In this context, a super-toroidal conductor is one in which the windings of a toroidally wound conductor are constituted by helical windings. The supertoroidal drivers of various orders will be explained in more detail later. Another objective of the present invention is the generation of electric and magnetic fields of periodic variation with intense spatial inhomogeneity, that is, fields with high spatial gradients of the amplitudes of the fields by comparison with the typical electric or magnetic dipole field produced by an antenna of radiation. A further object of the present invention is the detection of electric and magnetic fields of this type which employ a supertoroidal conductor as a detection element. Even another objective of the present invention is the analysis of samples by the use of fields with intense inhomogeneity that generate the supertoroidal conductors. Yet, another objective of the present invention is the treatment of specimens by using said fields of periodic variation with intense inhomogeneity. Accordingly, the present invention provides a field generator that includes at least one supertoroidal conductor and means for energizing the supertoroidal conductor to generate electric and magnetic fields of variation. Where the conductor has a length I, the supertoroidal conductor must be energized with at least one component of frequency equal to or greater than 2c / l, where c is the speed of light in the free space. Then, the field generated in this frequency close to the super-toroidal conductor will have a spatial distribution with similar or more complex intense homogeneity to which they generate four or more electric charges and / or current antinodes. At any particular time, the amplitudes of the components of the electric and magnetic fields of said complex field change significantly over a distance that can be compared with the smaller winding characteristic of the super-toroidal conductor. Such a field with intense inhomogeneity can be distinguished from the classical electromagnetic fields produced in the prior art. Also, the invention provides a detector for electric and magnetic fields that includes at least one supertoroidal conductor and means of response to the electric currents generated in said conductor by the variation of the electric and magnetic fields. The examples of the invention provide a sample analyzer that includes a chamber and a sample holder in the chamber. The chamber contains at least a first super-toroidal conductor that is at least I-length. This super-toroidal conductor is energized to generate an electric and magnetic field of oscillation in the region of any sample in the sample holder. The electromagnetic field varies with a frequency component equal to or greater than 2c / l to produce a field with intense spatial inhomogeneity. The response of the generated field is then determined in the presence of a sample in the sample holder so that an analysis can be made. The invention also provides a treatment apparatus for treating a desired component of a specimen. The apparatus includes a supertoroidal treatment conductor having a length I. The supertoroidal treatment conductor is energized at a frequency or set of frequencies or continuous band of frequencies greater than 2c / l to produce electric and magnetic fields with intense inhomogeneity. The specimen is exposed to this field and the frequency or set of frequencies or continuous band of frequencies is selected to provide the required treatment of the desired component of the specimen. To select the frequency or set of frequencies or continuous band of frequencies required for the treatment, a sample corresponding to the desired component of the specimen to be treated in the sample analyzer already described can be analyzed. The frequency or set of frequencies or continuous band of treatment frequencies is then selected in accordance with the response determined in the sample analyzer. In this way, the treatment of selected components in a unique or predominant manner of a specimen can be ensured by incorporating a sample of the desired component in the related sample analyzer.

For treatment purposes, the electromagnetic field can be modulated by a low frequency signal in a band of 0.001 to 1000 cycles per second. The examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the following drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 illustrates a super-toroidal conductor design that is used in the invention. Figure 2 is a perspective view of a housing that can modalize the present invention, either for sample analysis or specimen treatment. Figure 3 is a plan view of the interior of the housing of Figure 2. Figure 4 is an illustration of part of a second order super-toroidal winding. Figure 5 is an illustration of part of a third order super-toroidal winding. Fig. 6 is a circuit diagram illustrating how the windings can be connected in the housing of Fig. 3 to provide sample analysis. Figures 7a and 7b are graphical representations of radiofrequency spectra obtained for a sample of distilled water at different center frequencies. Figures 8a and 8b are graphical representations of the spectra at frequencies corresponding to those found in Figures 7a and 7b, but for seawater. Figure 9 is a circuit diagram illustrating the connections of the windings of a combined analysis and a treatment apparatus. Figure 10 is an elevational view of the interior of an alternative form of the present invention. Figure 11 illustrates the assembly of the supertoroidal winding used in the assembly of Figure 10. Figure 12 is a circuit diagram illustrating how the components of the embodiment of Figure 10 are connected in a processing application.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES The supertoroidal winding conductor shown in Figures 1a-c is an example of a field generator for carrying out the method proposed in the invention. A toroidal winding includes a conductor wound helically around a toroidal former. In a first order super-toroidal winding, the conductor of the toroidal winding is replaced with a helically wound long conductor that is wound around the toroidal former. In a second-order super-toroidal winding, the conductor of the first order super-toroidal winding is replaced with a long helically wound conductor. In a third-order supertoroidal winding, the conductor of the second-order super-toroidal winding is replaced with a long helically wound conductor, and so on for higher orders. In the examples of the present invention that will be described later, the supertoroidal second and third order windings are included. In practice it is possible to perform supertoroids of the twelfth or even fifteenth order. In general, one or more super-toroidal conductors are energized to produce an electromagnetic field having two different frequencies: a high frequency component in the 1 kHz to 1000 GHz band modulated by a low frequency component between 0.001 and 100 Hz. of operation may improve, if the low frequency modulation signal is separated at a predetermined phase angle. Experience shows that to produce a field that has a stimulation effect on a sample, the low frequency modulation signal must be separated at a phase angle of 0.33 x 2p, and to produce a field that has an inhibiting effect the low frequency signal at a phase angle of 0.25 x 2p. Figure 2 is an external view of a housing used in a sample analyzer that modalizes the present invention. The housing includes a box 10 having a removable cover 11 that constitutes one side of the box. A hatch 12 is provided in the cover for easy access to the interior of the housing. The housing is made of metal and has the purpose of providing an electromagnetic selection of the interior of the box. The steps 13 are provided so that the electrical signals pass through a front side 14 of the box and include coaxial electrical receptacles 15 to make a selective connection with the corresponding coaxial sockets 16 in the coaxial connection cables 17. Figure 3 shows the inside the box 10 without the cover 11. The box contains four supertoroidal conductor assemblies 20, 21, 22 and 23. The toroidal conductor assemblies 20 and 21 are placed on the respective dielectric mounting blocks 24 and 25, to be essentially parallel to the opposite vertical end faces 26 and 27 of the box 10. Basically to half between the toroidal assemblies 20 and 21 is a sample tray 28 on the bottom of the box 10. The sample tray 28 provides a flat base with an embossed edge 29 that is sized to accurately locate a sample holder removable in the tray 28 inside the box. As shown in the figure, the toroidal conductor assembly 22 is located around the base of the sample tray 28, so that any sample placed in a container on the tray 28 remains substantially on the axis of the super-toroidal conductor 22. The fourth supertoroidal conductor assembly 23 is positioned in a position parallel to the rear side 30 of the housing, and halfway between the opposite conductor assemblies 20 and 21. Each super-toroidal conductor assembly 20 and 21 includes a combination of a second-order supertoroidal conductor and a third-order supertoroidal driver. In effect, the supertoroídal conductor of third order is formed on a toroidal former constituted by a supertoroídal conductor of second order. Therefore, a toroidal former 31 for each assembly 20 and 21 includes a second second order super-toroidal conductor, as shown in Figure 4. As illustrated in Figure 4, the second order super-toroidal conductor may be formed from a very tight helical spring of insulated wire which is then wound into a spiral of larger diameter. The resulting double helical shape is then wound around a toroidal former (ring-shaped) to form the second order super-toroidal winding. With the construction of assemblies 20 and 21, the second-order supertoroidal winding is established by wrapping a heat-shrinkable material, and then used as the toroidal former for a third order super-toroidal winding, as illustrated in Fig. 5. The winding of Figure 5 can be formed from a very tight helical spring of insulated wire, same spring that is wound in a spiral of larger diameter. This coiled helical formation is then wrapped around a helical dielectric former, which in turn is wound around the toroidal former of the third order super-toroidal conductor. The supertoroidal conductor assembly 22 includes a simple third order supertoroidal conductor wound in a dielectric toroid former, and the supertoroidal conductor assembly 23 is a second order supertoroidal conductor also wound in a dielectric toroidal former. The various windings of the supertoroidal assemblies in the housing forming the box 10 are illustrated in diagram in Figure 6. In that figure, L1 represents the supertoroidal winding of the third order of the supertoroidal assembly 20, and L2 represents the second order supertoroidal winding which constitutes the toroidal former of the third order winding in the assembly 20. Similarly, L6 represents the third order winding of the assembly 21 in the toroidal former constituting the second order winding L5. L3 represents the third-order super-toroidal conductor winding 22 and L4 represents the second-order super-toroidal conductor winding 23. As can be seen, the external third-order winding L1 of the assembly 20 is connected in a parallel position to the internal second-order winding L5 of the assembly 21, and is fed through a passage 35 from the box 10 to the input of a broadband amplifier rf 36. The output of the wideband amplifier 36 is reintroduced through a second passage 37 in the box 10 to the third-order winding L3, which forms the assembly 22 connected in parallel position with the second-order winding L4 forming the assembly 23. The second-order internal winding L2 of the assembly 20 is connected in a parallel position with the winding of the second winding. third external order L6 of the assembly 21, and is fed through a further step 38 to an analyzer 39. With the above construction, the windings in the box 10 together with the high gain wideband radio frequency amplifier 36 form a closed circuit. If the gain of the rf amplifier is sufficient, the gain of the cycle at particular frequencies will exceed the unit that produces oscillation at these frequencies. Likewise, the oscillation in other frequencies can be generated by the non-linear position of the circuit. The frequencies at which the oscillation occurs can be monitored by the analyzer 39 which is preferably a spectrum analyzer. In a particular embodiment, the broadband radio frequency amplifier is HP8347A type from Hewlett-Packard, and the spectrum analyzer 39 is type 8599E also from Hewlett-Packard. It has been found that the construction described above produces rf oscillations in a broad spectrum that is felt from a relatively low frequency up to 3 GHz or more. The system produces a spectrum of oscillations detected by the analyzer 39. Depending on the tuning of the system, which can be achieved by adjusting the positions of the supertoroidal antennas, the lengths of the rf cables and the gain of the amplifier, the spectrum has peaks in discrete frequencies on this frequency scale or includes a combination of discrete frequencies and continuous frequency bands. It has been found that the distribution of these peaks and / or frequency bands depends on the nature of a sample material located in a container on the tray 28 in the center of the box 10. Almost always, the sample can be a sample of fluid and the quantity (volume) of the fluid sample and the dimensions of the container to be placed in the tray 28 are kept constant, so that the characteristics in the output spectrum that depend on the internal geometry of the housing 10 remain consistent for different samples. The following example illustrates the different spectra that can be obtained from the instrument described above for different sample materials. The various samples were liquid and were placed in identical polyethylene containers having an internal diameter of 30 mm, external diameter of 32 mm and height of 50 mm. For each sample, the containers were filled completely. Figures 7a and 7b respectively show the indices obtained from the spectrum analyzer 39 for distilled water, in the spectral regions from 0 to 60 MHz and 470 to 530 MHz. The spectra were averaged into five readings by using the integrated average function of the analyzer and then passed to hard copy at the end of each acquisition period. As can be seen, the duration of the frequency in each clue is 60 MHz, the resolution bandwidth of the analyzer is 1 KHz and the sweep time is 100 seconds. The frequency scales in all the spectra are linear. The vertical scales show the spectral energy density of the signal in arbitrary logarithmic units. Figures 8a and 8b show corresponding spectra at similar frequency scales for seawater. As can be seen from comparison of Figures 7a and 8a, the marine water sample has an additional line in B at approximately 12 MHz and a more pronounced D line at around 36 MHz. The 25 MHz C line for seawater it is narrower than the equivalent for distilled water. By comparison of Figures 7b and 8b, the sea water shows a new B line at approximately 491 MHz, while the D line that can be observed in the distilled water is suppressed for seawater. Therefore, the sample analyzer instrument described above can produce spectra that can distinguish one sample from another. By comparing the spectrum obtained for an unknown sample with a library of previously recorded spectra, the nature of an unknown sample can be determined. The comparison can be made by using known correlation techniques in the area. Most significantly, the spectrum obtained from the instrument can be used to control the electric and magnetic fields produced in a material treatment apparatus (to be described later), in such a way as to confine the effect of the electromagnetic field in a specific or predominant manner to a desired component in a material or body to be treated. It is believed that the procedure that occurs in the sample analysis instrument described above is similar, although in radiofrequencies, to the laser spectroscopy technique with interresonator. In laser spectroscopy with interresonator, an absorption sample is placed to be analyzed inside the resonator of a laser. The absorption in the sample has the effect of eliminating or suppressing some of the modes of the resonator, so that the content of spectra resulting from the light coming from the laser changes in a way that is specific to the nature of the absorption substance to proof. It should be understood that for this laser spectroscopy technique a laser having a large number of resonator modes or natural output frequencies in laser emission may be employed. Missing or suppressed lines in the emitted spectra can indicate the nature of the absorption substance located in the region of the laser resonator. In the instrument described above, the box 10 containing the supertoroidal conductors can be equivalent to the region of the resonator of a laser. As a result, in the absence of any absorption material located in the box, it can be expected that the closed cycle comprising the windings in the box and the rf amplifier 36 will cause the resonant oscillation in a greater number of frequencies in the frequency scale for which the amplifier has sufficient gain 36. The different resonance frequencies correspond to a multiplicity of resonant modes in the box, in combination with the phase delays represented by the wires going to and from the rf amplifier 36 together with the delays in the own amplifier. Therefore, it can also be expected that the material located in the box will cause a change in the pattern of the resonant oscillation frequencies due to the phase delay of the material. The lack of linear conditions in the cycle can also cause, through the redistribution of the energy circulating in the cycle, the appearance of new spectral components as a reaction to the suppression of other spectral components and / or changes in their frequencies. It is important that the super-toroidal windings of the conductors in the box 10 can operate in a very wide frequency band, since the length of the wire in any super-toroidal windings can be many times the wavelength of free space of the relevant frequency. For example, the length of the wire in a first order super-toroidal winding having a diameter (of the toroid former itself) of 10 cm can be 20 m or more. The length of the wire in supertoroidal windings of similar size of third order can be several hundred meters. In this way, the length of the wire in a supertoroidal winding in the instrument can be several times the wavelengths of free space for frequencies above about 5 Mhz.

The super-toroidal windings of the conductors in the box 10 can operate in a very wide frequency band, because, due to the complexity of the winding of the supertoroidal antennas they have very low inductances and capacitances at high frequencies. As already mentioned, in the absence of a sample, the illustrated instrument would produce an output spectrum from step 38 to the spectrum analyzer 39 which contains a large number of peaks on a wide frequency scale. It is believed that the presence of a sample in a container in the sample tray 28 in the instrument changes the output spectrum from the instrument. Also important is the interaction with a sample in the instrument that not only depends on the electric dipolar mechanism of absorption. Up to this point, conventional radiofrequency spectroscopy has depended on the effect of the radiofrequency energy incident on the dipoles formed by the molecules of the sample. While some molecules are significantly dipolar (including water), many other molecules have substantially no dipole moment, so they are not substantially affected by homogeneous electromagnetic changes. The super-toroidal windings used in the above instrument, when energized at frequencies greater than 2c / 1, where I is the length of the wire in a supertoroidal winding, generate electromagnetic fields that have an intense spatial inhomogeneity, at least in the region of the field near the winding bull. For example, while a quadrupole molecule is not substantially affected by a dipolar field, said molecule can be rotated (excited) by magnetic and electric fields with high homogeneity. It is important that some molecules may lack electric dipole moment or not only dipole moment, but also present electric and magnetic multipolar moments that interact with electric and magnetic fields with intense inhomogeneity created in the device. When operating at a relatively high frequency, the super-toroidal windings used in the above instrument can generate highly inhomogeneous fields that should be absorbed / refracted in samples that include molecules with multipolar electrical and magnetic moments. In this way, liquid samples that would produce only non-informative radiofrequency absorption spectra in purely dipolar electromagnetic fields, can produce many more informative absorption spectra in fields with intense spatial inhomogeneity generated in the instrument described above. A desired specimen can be treated by exposing it to the electromagnetic fields generated by the supertoroidal windings in a housing similar to that described above with respect to Figure 3.

With respect to Figure 9, for the treatment of a specimen, a second housing, which is illustrated herein in outline at number 40, is connected to housing 10 as illustrated. The second housing 40 may have the identical components as described above for housing the sample analyzer and as shown in Figure 3. In the treatment housing 40, the left supertoroidal assembly (corresponding to the assembly 20 in the housing 10). ) is formed by a supertoroídal winding of third external order L7 in a supertoroidal winding of second internal order L8. Similarly, the right supertoroidal assembly (corresponding to the assembly 21 in the housing 10) is formed of a third third order super-toroidal winding L12 in a supertoroidal second-order winding L11. The supertoroidal windings L9 and L10 correspond to the windings L3 and L4 of the housing 10. The housing 40 for the treatment of a specimen further includes conductive metal sheet plates 41 and 42 at the opposite ends of the toroidal assembly comprising the windings L7 and L8, and 43 and 44 on the opposite sides of the toroidal assembly comprising the windings L11 and L12. In fact, these plates are illustrated in Figure 3, but it should be understood that these plates are used only in the housing used for the treatment of a specimen and not that of the housing used for sample analysis as described first with reference to the Figure 3. Conductive plates 41, 42 and 43, 44 can be made from a flexible copper film and have an annular shape with an inner radius similar to the inner radius of the supertoroil assembly and an outer radius that is much smaller than the outer radius of the supertoroidal assembly. The pair of plates 41, 42 and 43, 44 functions to couple the energy capacitively to the windings of the assembly located between the respective pairs, so that the windings can be energized more evenly. With respect to Figure 9, the treatment housing is connected in circuit as illustrated. A broadband rf noise generator 45 produces wideband noise pulses at an output line 46. The modulation may include pulses at a repetition rate of 1 Hz or 4Hz with a duty cycle of 1: 3. These pulses are used to modulate the broadband rf noise signal on line 46. The internal second and third order external conductors L7 and L8 of the left supertoroidal assembly are connected in parallel position with each other and with the second conductors. third order internal and third order L11 and L12 of the right assembly, and all together is fed directly from the sample analysis housing 10. As can be seen, the signal from the sample analysis housing 10 that is supplied to the spectrum analyzer in figure 6, in the example of treatment of specimens illustrated in figure 9, it is introduced to the windings L7, L8 and L11, L12 of the treatment housing 14. The external plate 41 and 43 in each supertoroil assembly is connected to ground and the internal plate 42 and 44 is supplied with the broadband noise signal rf pulsed on line 46 from the generator 45.

The signals from the remaining two super-toroidal windings L9 and L10 in the treatment housing 40 can be input to a spectrum analyzer 48 for monitoring. In operation, a specimen is placed to be treated on the specimen tray (corresponding to the tray 28 of the housing 10) in the treatment housing 40. A liquid sample is formed of the component in the specimen to be specifically treated, and is The sample is placed on the tray 28 in the analyzer housing 10. The rf amplifier 36 is then energized to produce an rf spectrum on line 49 from the analyzer chamber 10, which in turn is supplied to energize the windings L7, L8 and L11, L12 in the treatment chamber 40. At the same time, the generator 45 is energized to apply modulated broadband noise to the windings by capacitive coupling. It has been observed that this method can provide effective treatment of the designated component of the specimen located in the treatment chamber 40. If the generator 45 is selected to produce broadband rf noise pulses at 1 Hz, the treatment appears to be beneficial to the patient. designated component of the specimen, so that if the component is a living organism, the growth of the organism in the specimen is promoted. However, the broadband rf noise applied by the generator 45 is modulated at 4Hz, then the treatment is detrimental to the designated component, with the effect that the component can be destroyed or deactivated in the specimen.

The treatment has been carried out with biological samples, so that only the biological components selected from the sample have shown an effect by the treatment without any apparent effect on the remaining components of the sample. The apparatus using supertoroidal windings was used in an experiment for the in vitro treatment of cells chronically infected with HIV-1. The samples were constituted for the analyzer housing including p24 antigen, p120 antigen (proteins contained in the HIV virus) and also genetically engineered proviral HIV DNA. Treatment specimens were also constituted. The samples treated were: 1) uninfected cells that included fresh peripheral platelets and human T cells. 2) cells chronically infected with HIV-1. For the treatment of the different specimens, selected samples were placed in a chamber of the analyzer and the equipment was energized as described previously. For the treatment of uninfected cells, these were counted before exposure and treatment in the apparatus, and then the treated cells were counted, as well as an untreated control set of cells each day for the next two weeks. The treated cells were exposed in the apparatus twice for 30 minutes with the rf noise generator emitting pulses at 1 Hz, and twice for 30 minutes with the generator emitting pulses at 4 Hz. This was repeated for the next two days. Subsequently, the cells were counted during the following two weeks and the cell count revealed that there was no difference in the growth rate of the exposed cultures of fresh platelets or in the T cell line when compared to cultures that had not been treated. . For cells chronically infected with HIV, these were exposed for 1 hour to emissions generated by a sample of p24 antigen only located in the chamber of the sample analyzer, and subsequently for a total of two hours with a gp120 antigen located in the chamber of the sample analyzer. Both treatments were performed with generator 45 emitting pulses at 4Hz. This treatment was repeated for the next four days and then the cells were counted. There was no difference in the growth rate of the exposed cells when compared with those that had not been treated. Five days after treatment, the suspensions of the treated and untreated chronically infected cells were rotated separately at 1500 r.p.m. for ten minutes. The supernatant was collected separately, followed by a serial dilution of ten-fold concentrations and titration for the number of viruses in uninfected T cells, which are highly susceptible to the HIV-1 strain employed. After titration, the cell culture was monitored to find the cytopathic effect (CPE) for the next ten days. It was then established that while the number of HIV-1 in the culture fluid of unexposed cells was 106 infectious particles per ml, in the fluid of the exposed cells there were only a number of 105 infectious particles per ml. In this way, the treatment for chronically infected cells resulted in a tenfold reduction in the HIV-1 number of the chronically infected cells. In another procedure, cells that were acutely infected with HIV-1 were also exposed twice for 30 minutes with each p24 antigen and gp120 antigen in the sample analyzer chamber, with the rf noise generator emitting pulses at 4Hz, followed by another exposure for 45 minutes once again at 4Hz. The exposure was repeated for a period of three days with non-exposed T cells infected with HIV-1, as well as with T cells that were exposed before the acute infection. Subsequently, the culture of cells exposed and infected with HIV-1, also to control cultures of cells not infected with HIV-1, were placed in pipettes to dismember the infected cells in order to maximize the release of HIV-1. in the fluid. This was followed by a centrifugation at 1500 r.p.m. for 10 minutes and the supernatant of each cell culture was then separated. This was followed by titration of the virus with a dilution in concentrations of 10 in 10. It was found that the two unexposed HIV-1 infected cultures contained 106 infectious particles of HIV-1 per ml, while in the exposed culture fluid there were only 104 infectious particles of HIV-1 per ml. Therefore, there was a 100-fold reduction in the number of the virus. One of the two cell cultures that were not treated in the above procedure was pretreated in the apparatus prior to infection. However, the culture treated before infection, and not treated after infection, had an infectious particle count similar to that of infected cultures that had not been treated before or after infection. In this way, pre-infection treatment does not reduce the speed of HIV-1 production.

ALTERNATIVE MODALITIES Other embodiments of the apparatus described above can be contemplated. Figures 10, 11 and 12 illustrate one embodiment of the apparatus that can be used for the treatment of specimens externally of a selected container. In Figure 10 a supertoroidal assembly 50 is located against a front wall 51 of a container. The container includes back and bottom walls 52 and 53 made of metal, and top and front walls 54 and 51 made of dielectric material. The supertoroidal assembly 50 is located against the front wall 51 by a dielectric retention plate 55. The assembly 50 is secured between the plate 55 and the wall 51 by a dielectric foam material 56 and 57. Likewise, a single helical wire antenna 58 is mounted in the housing on the front wall 52. A passage 59 allows the supply of radiofrequency energy to the helical antenna 58. Connections with the supertoroidal conductor assembly 50 are provided through side walls of the container that are not illustrated in FIG. Figure 10. The side walls (parallel to the plane of the paper) are also made of dielectric material. Figure 11 illustrates the shape of the super-toroidal conductor assembly 50 illustrated in Figure 10. The assembly 50 includes a second-order supertoroidal winding constituting the toroidal former for a third-order super-toroidal winding 61. The toroidal former 62 of the second winding 60, and the helical former 63 of the third order winding 61 have in themselves sufficient flexibility to allow the assembly 50 to be twisted into a figure of eight as shown in the drawing. This figure of eight is then placed in the container illustrated in Figure 10 against the front wall 51 as already described. The separate connections can be made to the external second order and external third order toroidal windings of the assembly 50. For the treatment of an external body, for example, two treatment assemblies can be used, such as those shown in FIG. 10, for example. placing one on opposite sides of the body to be treated with the body positioned between the respective front sides 51 of the treatment assemblies. Figure 12 illustrates the electrical connections for the elements in the treatment assemblies, L1 and L2 represent the toroidal windings of the second internal order and third external order of the toroidal assembly in a container, and L3 and L4 respectively represent the second order windings internal and external third order of the other container. The helical antenna 58 in each treatment vessel is shown in FIG. 12 with the numbers 65 and 66 for the two vessels respectively. The third external order winding L2 of one assembly and the second internal order winding L3 of the other assembly are connected together in a parallel position and are supplied with the rf spectrum signal that generates an analyzer assembly, as illustrated in Figure 6. In this way, the diagnostic module 67 illustrated in FIG. 12 can be constituted by a sample analyzer assembly as described with respect to FIG. 6 and as illustrated in the upper part of FIG. 9. The signal supplied by the diagnostic module 67 on line 68 in Figure 12 corresponds to the signal supplied through step 38 to the spectrum analyzer in Figure 6, and the signal supplied by lines 49 to the processing chamber 40 in the figure 9. The broadband rf noise generator 69, corresponding to the generator 45 described with reference to Figure 9, emits a broadband noise signal rf pulsed on lines 70 and 71 to each of the helical antennas 65 and 66. The noise signal rf in each of lines 70 and 71 can be pressed at 1Hz or 4Hz as described above. Preferably, the pulses in line 71 are in phases to occur during the spaces between pulses in line 70. The pulse signal itself is supplied from generator 69 in line 72 directly to windings L2 and L3 in position parallel.

It has been found that the above apparatus is effective in the treatment of relatively large bodies of material. As before, a sample of the component to be specifically treated in the body is prepared and placed in the sample analyzer housing; then the apparatus is activated with the body to be treated located between the supertoroidal assemblies 50 of the two treatment units illustrated in Figure 12. In the modalities already described, an rf spectrum is obtained from a sample analyzer, by means of the use of a rf resonator comprising a high gain wideband rf amplifier which feeds output and input windings in a region of the resonator. Instead, a broadband signal could be generated externally from the sample analyzer chamber and inserted into one or more super-toroidal windings in the chamber. Then a second winding or windings with sensors would be used to monitor the effect in the electromagnetic field produced by the first winding by a sample to be analyzed. For example, the broadband rf signal that is generated outside could comprise a series of rf frequencies with relatively short spaces, and the detection could monitor changes in the amplitude of these rf frequencies as a result of the presence in the generated electromagnetic field of a sample that is going to be analyzed. In another location, a single supertoroidal winding could be used, energized by an rf signal generated outside. The impedance of the super-toroidal winding could then be monitored and changes in that impedance could be detected as a result of the presence of a sample to be analyzed in the electromagnetic field generated by the winding. Although the supertoroidal winding may have a broadband rf signal that includes a simultaneous frequency scale, instead of the antenna it could be energized in a single rf frequency that is swept in a desired band. Alternatively, a predetermined selection of rf frequencies could be generated one after the other and supplied to the supertoroildal winding. Another method to energize the super-toroidal winding would be to apply a pulse to the winding and monitor the modifications to the frequency content of the resulting electromagnetic field by the presence of a sample to be analyzed in the field. It will be understood that a pulse of short duration (pulse) is, in effect, a broadband signal. In the examples described above, the super-toroidal windings are energized by the direct connection of rf signals through the ends of the windings. Instead, any other method could be used to energize the windings, including multi-terminal connections, capacitor links, inductor links, etc. Although an example of an application of the method of treatment of the invention for the in vitro treatment of HIV-1 has already been described, the invention can also be applied to in vivo treatment.

A large-scale camera containing super-toroidal windings has been constructed as already explained, and the cameras are sized to fit a human being. With the supply of energy to the supertoroidal windings in the chamber with radiofrequency signals having a spectral content determined by a sample analyzer, for example, of the type described above with respect to Figure 11, it has been shown that it is possible to treat a human patient and substantially reduce, if not eliminate the infection including specifically VI H-1.

Claims (26)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A field generator comprising at least one supertoroidal conductor and means for energizing the supertoroidal conductor to generate electric and magnetic fields of variation, characterized in that said conductor includes a length I and said means for energizing is operative to generate an electromagnetic field that it varies with at least one frequency component at a frequency that is equal to or greater than 2c / l, where c is the speed of light in the free space.

2. A generator according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises a supertoroidal conductor of odd order and a supertoroidal conductor of even order.

3. A field generator comprising at least one supertoroidal conductor and means for energizing the super-toroidal conductor to generate electric and magnetic fields of variation, further characterized in that said conductor includes a supertoroidal conductor of a predetermined first order and a supertoroidal conductor of a second predetermined order greater than the first predetermined order, said supertoroidal conductor of the first predetermined order provides a toroidal former and the predetermined second order supertoroidal conductor is wound in said toroidal former.

4. - A generator according to claim 1, further characterized in that the means for energizing is operative to energize said conductor to generate an electromagnetic field having a plurality of frequency components at frequencies greater than 2c / l.

5. A generator according to claim 4, further characterized in that the frequency components include frequencies greater than 10c / l.

6. A detector for electromagnetic fields includes at least one supertoroidal conductor and means of response to electric currents generated in said conductor by an electromagnetic variation field, further characterized in that said conductor includes a supertoroidal conductor of a predetermined first order and a supertoroidal conductor. of a second predetermined order greater than the first predetermined order, the predetermined first-order super-toroidal conductor provides a toroidal former and the predetermined second-order supertoroidal conductor is wound on said toroidal former.

7. A detector according to claim 6, further characterized in that said conductor includes a supertoroidal conductor of odd order and a supertoroidal conductor of even order.

8. a sample analyzer including a camera, a sample holder in the chamber, at least a first supertoroidal conductor in the chamber including a length I of the conductor that is continuously wound on the same side, means for energizing the first supertoroidal conductor for generating, in the region of any sample in the sample holder, an electromagnetic field that varies with at least one frequency component at a frequency that is equal to or greater than 2c / l, where c is the velocity of light in the free space, and means to determine a response of the generated field in the presence of a sample in the sample holder.

9. A sample analyzer according to claim 8, further characterized in that the means for determining includes at least one more supertoroidal conductor in the chamber and means of response to electric currents generated in said conductor by the field that generates the first conductor supertoroidal.

10. A sample analyzer according to claim 8, further characterized in that said means for energizing includes at least a second super-toroidal conductor in the chamber, and a high-gain wide-band radio frequency amplifier having an input connected to receive signals corresponding to electric currents generated in the second conductor by an electromagnetic field of variation in the chamber and having an output connected to energize the first conductor to form a closed radio frequency cyclesaid high gain amplifier has sufficient gain that the cycle gain exceeds the unit in frequencies within the bandwidth of the amplifier.

11. A sample analyzer according to claim 10, further characterized in that said means for determining a response includes at least a third supertoroidal conductor in the chamber and means of response to electric currents generated in the other conductor by the field that generates the first supertoroidal conductor.

12. A sample analyzer according to claim 11, further characterized in that the chamber contains at least two supertoroidal conductor assemblies, each assembly includes an internal supertoroidal conductor of a predetermined first order that provides a toroidal former, and a supertoroidal conductor external of a predetermined second order wound on said toroidal former providing the internal supertoroidal conductor, the internal conductor of a toroidal assembly and the external conductor of the other toroidal assembly together form the second toroidal conductors connected to the input of the high gain amplifier, and the external conductor of the toroidal assembly and the internal conductor of the other toroidal assembly together form the third toroidal conductors.

13. A sample analyzer according to claim 12, further characterized in that said chamber contains another supertoroidal conductor assembly, the internal and external conductors of that assembly together form the first toroidal conductors connected to the output of the high gain amplifier. .

14. A sample analyzer according to claim 13, further characterized in that the sample holder holds the sample substantially on the axis of said supertoroidal conductor assembly.

15. A sample analyzer according to claim 12, further characterized in that the two supertoroidal conductor assemblies are located coaxially on opposite sides of the sample holder.

16. The treatment apparatus for treating a desired component of a specimen, including at least one supertoroidal treatment conductor having a length I of the conductor that is continuously wound on the same side, means for energizing the supertoroidal conductor of treatment at a selected frequency at least that is equal to or greater than 2 c / l, where c is the speed of light in free space, to generate electric and magnetic fields with intense spatial inhomogeneity at said frequency, and means to expose the specimen to the inhomogeneous field generated.

17. The treatment apparatus according to claim 16, further characterized in that it includes a sample analyzer comprising a chamber, at least a first supertoroidal conductor in the chamber that includes a length I of the conductor that is continuously wound on the same side, means for energizing said first super-toroidal conductor to generate, in the region of any sample in the sample holder, an electromagnetic field that varies with at least one frequency component at a frequency that is equal to or greater than 2 c / l, where c is the speed of light in the free space, and means for determining a response of the field generated in the presence of a sample in the sample holder, wherein said means for energizing the super-toroidal treatment conductor is placed so that at least one selected frequency is chosen in accordance with said response which determines the means of determination of the analyzer in it is present in the sample holder of the analyzer of a sample corresponding to the desired component of the specimen to be treated.

18. The treatment apparatus according to claim 17, further characterized in that the means of determination in said analyzer includes at least another supertoroidal conductor in the chamber and means of response to electric currents generated in that other conductor by the field that generates the first supertoroidal conductor.

19. The treatment apparatus according to claim 18, further characterized in that it includes a treatment chamber of dimensions similar to the chamber of said analyzer, and, in said treatment chamber, a first and a second super-toroidal conductor assemblies, each assembly includes an internal supertoroidal conductor of a predetermined first order that provides a toroidal former, and an outer supertoroidal conductor of a predetermined second order wound on said toroidal former providing said inner conductor, the internal conductor of a toroidal assembly and the outer conductor of the other toroidal assembly form said super-toroidal conductors of treatment and are connected to energize them with electric currents derived from the currents generated in the other supertoroidal conductor in said analyzer.

20. The treatment apparatus according to claim 19, further characterized in that it includes a generator and / or a broadband radio frequency noise modulator that provides broadband noise pulses at a selected pulse rate and having a selected pulse amplitude, and means to energize said toroidal assemblies with the pulses coming from the modulator.

21. A method for treating a living organism comprising the steps of generating electric and magnetic oscillation fields with intense spatial inhomogeneity, and exposing the living organism to said electric and magnetic fields for treatment.

22. A method according to claim 21, further characterized in that the electric and magnetic fields have a selected frequency content that will be specific for the living organism to be treated.

23. A method according to claim 21, further characterized in that the field is generated by the energization of a supertoroidal winding with a frequency that is high in relation to 2 c / l, where c is the speed of light in the free space and I is the length of the wire in the supertoroidal winding.

24. A method according to claim 21, further characterized in that the fields are created by two periodic signals, a signal that is in the band from one kilocycle to 1000 gigacycles per second, and that is modulated by the second periodic signal that It is a low frequency signal in the band of 0.001 to 100 cycles per second.

25. A method according to claim 24, further characterized in that it produces a stimulation effect; the low frequency sinusoidal signal is separated at a phase angle of 0.33 x 2p.

26. A method according to claim 24, further characterized in that it produces an inhibiting effect; the low-frequency sinusoidal signal is separated at a phase angle of 0.25 x 2p.