WO1997000042A1 - Medical apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Medical apparatus comprises an electrical power source; an electrically conducting container (70); two or more electrodes (90, 100) connectable to a patient (40) under test so that the power source, the container (70) and the electrodes define an electrical circuit through the patient (40); and means for detecting the impedance of the circuit path through the patient.

Description

MEDICAL APPARATUS

This invention relates to medical apparatus.

Techniques of so-called bioenergetic regulatory medicine were first proposed in the 1950s. Basically, this field of medicine is a combination of acupuncture, herbal and homeopathic medicine, and the measurement of electrical resistance of a patient's body (in particular, the skin).

One previously proposed technique in this field has been to measure the body's electrical resistance by placing a pointed probe onto an acupuncture point of the patient. A circuit is completed by making a further electrical connection to another part of the patient, and the patient's electrical resistance is measured using a wheatstone bridge circuit or other known resistance measuring device. These techniques are described extensively in publication references 1, 2 and 3 below.

Therefore, the methods described above measure the static, or steady-state resistance of the patient's body.

This invention provides medical apparatus comprising: an electrical power source; an electrically conducting container; two or more electrodes connectable to a patient under test so that the power source, the container and the electrodes define an electrical circuit through the patient; and means for detecting the impedance of the circuit path through the patient.

The invention provides a new technique in which the complex impedance, and not just the static resistance of the patient's body is measured. This can provide much more revealing information about the patient than a mere resistance measurement.

In embodiments of the invention, materials can be tested for their medical relevance to the patient by placing the materials (usually one at a time) in or on the electrically conducting container (e.g. a metal dish). Preferably, the material is housed within an insulating container such as a glass vial or bottle. The patient's electrical impedance is then measured with and without the material under test in place; any change in impedance between these two tests can indicate a relevance of that material (e.g. a medicament or a material related to a part of the body which is diseased).

Conveniently, the electrical power source is a substantially constant voltage source; and the impedance detecting means comprises means for detecting the time variation of current flow through the circuit after completion of the circuit.

Preferably the apparatus comprises means for displaying a graph indicative of current flow through the circuit against time. In order to compare the response for different materials under test, it is preferred that successively obtained graphs can be superimposed by the display means.

An advantageously convenient way of measuring the current flow is to include in the circuit an electrical resistor connected in series with the patient, the means for detecting current flow comprising means for detecting a potential difference across the resistor. Preferably the apparatus comprises one or more electrically insulating containers containing a material under test disposable within the electrically conducting container.

Preferably at least one of the electrodes is of a substantially pointed shape. However, all of the previously proposed methods of point measurement suffer from a lack of objectivity as the measured resistance depends on the pressure applied to the probe over the acupuncture point. This in turn depends on the skill of the practitioner using the probe. These problems have been described in publication reference 4 below. In order to address this problem, it is preferred that a conductive pad is employed for positioning between the pointed electrode an the patient, the conductive pad comprising a layer of electrically conductive compressible material, covered on one face by a metal layer.

This invention also provides a conductive pad comprising a layer of electrically conductive compressible conductive material covered on one face by a metal layer. This invention also provides a method of testing materials for medical relevance to a patient, the method comprising the steps of: forming a series electrical circuit via the patient, an electrical power source, and an electrically conducting container; placing an electrically insulating container containing the material under test in or on the electrically conducting container; and detecting the time variation of current flow when the circuit is completed. Preferably the electrical circuit is formed by placing one or more electrodes on acupuncture points of the patient.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which like parts are referred to by like references, and in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating medical apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic circuit diagram of the medical apparatus;

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a computer for processing data from the medical apparatus;

Figure 4 is a schematic cross sectional view of an electrode;

Figure 5 is a schematic graph illustrating three recordings of electrical current against time with no remedy in a metal dish of the circuit;

Figure 6 is a schematic graph illustrating a recording of current against time for a control experiment (the lowest curve) compared with recordings with cantharis placed in a metal dish of the circuit;

Figure 7 is a schematic graph illustrating a recording of current against time for a control experiment (the lowest curve) compared with recordings with mercurius solubilis placed in a metal dish of the circuit;

Figure 8 is a schematic graph illustrating a recording of current against time for a control experiment (the lowest curve) compared with recordings with platinum metalicum placed in a metal dish of the circuit; Figure 9 is a schematic graph illustrating a recording of current against time for a control experiment (the lowest curve) compared with recordings with asa foetida placed in a metal dish of the circuit; and

Figure 10 is a schematic graph illustrating a recording of current against time for a control experiment (the lowest curve) compared with recordings with kalium chloratum placed in a metal dish of the circuit.

Referring now to Figure 1, a skin impedance measurement device 10, connected to a computer 20 and a printer 30 for analysing and printing the data detected by the device 10, is connected to a series circuit formed through a patient's body. This series circuit is formed by a silver gel electrode 50 played over an acupuncture point on the patient's finger 40, and contacted by a pointed test probe 60.

The return path of the circuit is formed by a metal dish 70 in which a remedy (medication) or other material can be placed within a glass bottle 80, and a hand held electrode 90 held in the patient's other hand 100.

Figure 2 is a schematic circuit diagram of the probe arrangement. Once again, Figure 2 shows the return path electrode 90, the metal dish 70 and the pointed test probe 60. Other items contained within the skin impedance measurement device 10 are also indicated. These are a 4 volt dc voltage source 110, a resistor 120, an analogue to digital convertor 130 and a data transfer link 140.

Also, within the probe 60, there is a switch 150 in the form of a push button which can be pressed by the practitioner when the probe 60 is in position on the patient's gel electrode. The switch 150 completes the circuit to allow current to flow through the patient, and is also used to generate a "start measurement" signal to be transmitted to the computer 20.

The resistor 120 is used for current measurement through the circuit formed by the patient's body. In particular, the potential difference across the resistor 120 is detected by the analogue to digital convertor 130 and converted into a numerical value proportional to the potential difference. A high impedance input stage is used with the analogue to digital converter 130 to avoid the converter 130 affecting the current measurement.

In this embodiment, the analogue to digital converter 130 samples the potential difference across the resistor 120 at a sampling rate of 10 million samples per second (10MHz). This sampling rate is regulated by a clock signal generator (not shown).

At each sample, the analogue to digital converter 130 generates a respective numerical value indicative of the potential difference across the resistor 120 at the time of that sample. These successive numerical values are formatted for data transmission to the computer 20 by the data transfer link 140. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the computer 20. The printer 30 is not shown in Figure 3.

The computer 20 receives the start measurement signal from the switch 150 in the probe 60 and, in response to that signal, starts to receive the numerical values indicative of the potential difference across the resistor 120 at successive sample times. The computer 20 then displays a graph of potential difference across the resistor 120 (on the vertical axis) against time (on the horizontal axis). This is of course equivalent to a graph of current through the patient against time. A schematic example of such a graph is shown on the display of the computer 20.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a silver gel electrode 50 of the type shown in Figure 1. This electrode has been developed to improve the objectivity of measurement, by reducing the effect which the application pressure of the probe 60 has on the detected current values.

The electrode 50 comprises a layer of silver foil 200 covering a layer of a conductive gel 210 which is pressed onto the skin. In the present embodiment, the layer of silver foil is 5mm square, and the conductive gel is 2mm thick (and 5mm square). As described above, in use, the electrode 50 is placed over an acupuncture point of the patient. Suitable acupuncture points are particularly those at the beginning or ends of meridians, such as the so-called large intestine 1; stomach 45; bladder 67; small intestine 1 and so on. These points are defined in the reference "Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion", Cheng Xinnong, Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, 1990.

A measurement is made by plotting the variation in current flow through the circuit formed by the patient (i.e. the potential difference across the resistor 120) against time. In the present embodiment, this measurement is plotted for a period of about 800 microseconds from the start of measurement (i.e. 8000 samples of the analogue to digital convertor 130 when running at a sampling rate of 10 MHz).

First, a control measurement is made, by plotting the graph described above with nothing in place on the metal dish 70. This measurement can be repeated to confirm its accuracy, with subsequent plots being drawn over the previous plot. In experimental trials, this has resulted in curves which are practically indistinguishable from one another.

A test measurement can then be made be placing a medicament of other material inside an insulating (e.g. glass) container 80 on the metal dish 70. A further graph is then plotted by placing the probe 60 onto the electrode 50 and pressing the start measurement switch 150, and the resulting graph is plotted on the computer 20 display without erasing the control graph. This enables differences between the two graphs to be observed.

Any observed differences between the control and experimental graphs indicate the "relevance" of the material placed within the glass bottle 80 on the metal dish 70 to the particular patient under test. For example, in order to carry out a diagnosis of a medical problem suffered by the patient, tests could be performed by placing glass jars 80 containing extracts of bodily organs within the metal dish 70 and plotting the resulting current-time graphs. When a measurement is taken which differs from the control graph (i.e. with no glass jar present), the practitioner applying the test can deduce that a medical problem could be found in the respective organ of the patient's body.

In one experiment, a female patient suffering from excessive menstrual bleeding and pain was tested using a prototype of the embodiment. In successive tests, various samples from the main bodily organs were placed (one by one) into the metal dish 70 (inside glass jars 80).

The only materials which resulted in a change in the current-time graph with a respect to the control graph were extracts of uterus, ovary and parametrium. This identified the patient's problem as being located in these organs. Subsequent tests

(using the apparatus of Figure 1) of a range of conventional medications showed changes to the graph only when two specific antibiotics were in place on the metal dish 70. This indicated that the nature of the problem was infective and it also indicated which antibiotics would produce a clinical result (which they did do in practice).

After the medical problem has been identified in this manner (or even if the medical problem has not been identified), a suitable medicament can be selected using a similar technique.

Again, before each trial, a control graph is plotted by measuring the current- time relationship with nothing placed in the metal dish 70. Then, for each possible medicament, a sample of the medicament is placed in an insulating glass jar in the metal dish 70 and the resulting current-time graph plotted over the control graph.

For each medicament, if the current-time graph does not differ from the control graph, that medicament is not useful for the current patient. However, if there is a difference, the practitioner can deduce that the medicament under test would be useful for the patient.

For the example patient described above, who suffered from pelvic infection, a range of pain killers, vitamins, minerals, hormonal preparations and several antibiotics were tested using the apparatus.

Of these, only two medicaments (cloxacillin and erythromid) were found to be useful, and one of these (cloxacillin) was prescribed for the patient (in fact resulting in relief from the medical problem identified).

Accordingly, the apparatus can be used to diagnose a medical problem and to select a suitable medicament, without any electrical contact between the samples placed in the glass jars 80 (on the metal dish 70) and the circuit formed by the metal dish 70 and the patient's body. Some further example graphs will now be described, with reference to Figures

5 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.

Figure 5 illustrates three superimposed control graphs, i.e. with nothing placed on the metal dish 70. The three graphs are in fact identical, showing that the measurement is repeatable with no remedy in the metal dish of the circuit. In Figure 5 and the remaining graphs, Figures 6 to 10, the vertical axis is calibrated in volts as a measurement of the potential difference across the resistor 120. However, the skilled man will appreciate that this is entirely equivalent to a measurement of current through the resistor 120.

Figures 6 to 10 all illustrate comparisons of control graphs (in each case, the single lowest curve as illustrated) and test measurement graphs for various materials placed in a glass jar in the metal dish 70. These results were obtained with different respective patients, and illustrate the results obtained when the material placed in the glass jar 80 and the metal dish 70 is in fact relevant to that patient. For other materials used with each patient, the results obtained were identical to the control graph for that patient. In other words, only the "positive" results are plotted in

Figures 6 to 10; for each patient, there would be a number of "negative" results where the current-time graph obtained is identical to the control graph, showing that the currently tested material is not relevant to the patient.

Also, in all of Figures 5 to 10, the dip in the downward-pointing spike in the curve at about 400 microseconds is an artefact of the measuring apparatus and in particular the analogue to digital converter.

As described above, therefore, each of Figures 6 to 10 shows a comparison between a single control graph (the lowest graph in each case) and graphs obtained when the following materials are placed in the metal dish 70:

Figure 6 cantharis at the D30 potency

Figure 7 mercurius solubilis at the D30 potency

Figure 8 platinum metalicum at the D30 potency

Figure 9 asa foetida at the D30 potency

Figure 10 kalium chloratum at the D30 potency

In each of Figures 6 to 10, two test recordings are made with the respective material placed in the metal dish 70. However, in some cases, the resulting two graphs are exactly superimposed and therefore cannot be distinguished on the respective Figure.

The following are further examples of the type of materials which could be placed in the glass jar in the metal dish 70: any homeopathic, herbal, nutritional or conventional medication; also any substance to which the patient might be allergic.

While the above description fully illustrates how an embodiment of the invention can be constructed and used, and also describes the empirical results which have been obtained during trials of a prototype of the embodiment, there remains some uncertainty over the precise physical effects by which the embodiment operates. This question is the subject of much further research, but the applicant puts forward the following possible explanation and discussion:

The applicant believes that this equipment works by the principle of quantum coherence. The applicant believes that quantum coherence is a very important phenomenon within biological systems, and the organisation of the biological system is fundamentally dependent on every part knowing what every other part is doing at any one time. Scientific evidence indicates that this 'knowing' arises at a quantum level.

Quantum coherence means an instantaneous 'knowing' of every part of a related system. This was first suggested by Einstein, Rosen and Podosky, who wrote a paper in Physics Review in 1935 saying that if quantum theory were correct, then the change in one particle in a two particle system, if observed, would affect its twin simultaneously, even if the two had been widely separated in the meantime. This was supported by flawless mathematical proof. This phenomena was proved experimentally by Alain Aspect at the Institute D'Optique at Orsay near Paris in 1983. The applicant believes that this phenomenon is inherent to the functioning of biological systems, and the equipment of the present embodiment is the first means of demonstrating this objectively. Simply by placing a biologically relevant substance within a glass bottle (ie, with no conventional electromagnetic connection to the circuit) the quantum field surrounding that substance will have an effect upon the biological system being measured. There will be an instant recognition, and if anything is abnormal in the biological system being tested, if a representation of that abnormality was in the bottle, then this would produce a recordable change in the electrical behaviour over a period of time of the point being measured.

The differences between the present system and all other existing systems is that behaviour is being observed over a period of time, with particularly interest in the electrical behaviour of the point before electrical polarisation has occurred, which is what happens when a voltage is applied to the body. Therefore, particular observations are made for what is happening during the first 20 micro-seconds. All currently existing systems measure after the 20 micro-seconds has elapsed. Experiments have shown that these current systems are missing a vast range of data, which is fundamental to this phenomenon. Also, all the currently existing systems are flawed in terms of operator artefact due to differences in pressure of the applied electrode over the point, even in cases where the measurement probe has a spring loaded device at the end to prevent pressure being applied beyond a certain weight.

In practice all of the systems are very prone to artefact. In the present system the idea of measuring over a gel electrode placed over the acupuncture point means that only an electrical connection needs to be made, either through lightly applying the measurement probe or simply by pressing a switch. These represent unique features of the present system over and above any other competing system. PUBLICATION REFERENCES

[1] Kenyon, J.N. Modern Techniques of Acupuncture, Volume 1.

Thorsons Publishers, 1983.

[2] Kenyon, J.N. Modern Techniques of Acupuncture, Volume 2.

Thorsons Publishers, 1983.

[3] Kenyon, J.N. Modern Techniques of Acupuncture, Volume 3. Thorsons Publishers, 1983.

[4] Van Wijk, R. Homoeopathic Medicines in Closed Phials, tested by changes in the conductivity of the skin: a critical evaluation. 1992. The Department of Molecular Cell Biology at the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Claims

1. Medical apparatus comprising: an electrical power source; an electrically conducting container; two or more electrodes connectable to a patient under test so that the power source, the container and the electrodes define an electrical circuit through the patient; and means for detecting the impedance of the circuit path through the patient.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which: the electrical power source is a substantially constant voltage source; and the impedance detecting means comprises means for detecting the time variation of current flow through the circuit after completion of the circuit.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, comprising means for displaying a graph indicative of current flow through the circuit against time.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3, in which: the circuit also includes an electrical resistor connected in series with the patient; and the means for detecting current flow comprises means for detecting a potential difference across the resistor.

5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising an electrically insulating container containing a material under test disposable within the electrically conducting container.

6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, in which one of the electrodes is of a substantially pointed shape.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, comprising a conductive pad for positioning between the pointed electrode an the patient, the conductive pad comprising a layer of electrically conductive compressible material, covered on one face by a metal layer.

8. A conductive pad comprising a layer of electrically conductive compressible conductive material covered on one face by a metal layer.

9. A method of testing materials for medical relevance to a patient, the method comprising the steps of: forming a series electrical circuit via the patient, an electrical power source, and an electrically conducting container; placing an electrically insulating container containing the material under test in or on the electrically conducting container; and detecting the time variation of current flow when the circuit is completed.

10. A method according to claim 9, in which the electrical circuit is formed by placing one or more electrodes on acupuncture points of the patient.