Investigating the Safety of Electroacupuncture with a Picoscope™

2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
John W Thompson ◽  
Mike Cummings
Keyword(s):  
Electric Fields ◽  
Cardiac Rhythm ◽  
Cardiac Pacemaker ◽  
Recording System ◽  
Acupuncture Points ◽  
Electrical Currents ◽  
Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Below The Knee ◽  
Oscillographic Method ◽  
Implanted Pacemaker

Our wish to know more about the paths taken by electrical currents in electroacupuncture (EA) with special reference to the heart, particularly in patients with an implanted pacemaker, prompted us to undertake this study. Using ourselves as subjects, we have developed a safe oscillographic method to detect, visualise and record the EA currents that avoids the use of equipment requiring mains electricity. After two trials with unsatisfactory equipment, we found that the newly developed model 3425 PicoScope™ (Pico Technology Ltd), with a four channel differential amplifier input connected to a laptop PC operating in battery mode, satisfied our criteria. With this recording system, we carried out two sets of experiments in which EA was provided by a Cefar acus4™ stimulator. The results confirm that the placement of a pair of acupuncture needles for EA can be used to predict the paths taken by the stimulating currents, and thus their areas of likely influence. When the needles are placed in closely adjacent acupuncture points in a limb, there is little or no detectable spread of the currents along the limb or into the chest. By contrast, when the needles are placed far apart, the electrical currents spread widely. Thus, when each of a pair of needles is placed in a point on opposite arms, the electrical currents recorded in the area of the pectoral muscles is of an order that might trigger an abnormal cardiac rhythm in a susceptible heart or activate a cardiac pacemaker incorporating an intracardiac defibrillator (ICD). Our results confirm the guidelines for EA safe practice recommended by the British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS) to avoid adverse events, ie EA should not be applied such that the current is likely to traverse the heart. We can now be confident that electric fields generated by pairs of needles below the knee or elbow do not create detectable currents in the chest. It is likely that similar results would be obtained with the use of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) but this remains to be established by additional experiments.

Electroanalgesia during a carboxytherapy procedure for cellulite: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 283-290
Author(s):  
Adria Yared Sadala ◽  
Érika Patrícia Rampazo da Silva ◽  
Richard Eloin Liebano
Keyword(s):  
Pain Intensity ◽  
Study Protocol ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Numeric Rating Scale ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Electrical Currents ◽  
Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Interferential Current ◽  
Clinical Trials Registry

The aim of the present study is to describe a study protocol to compare different types of analgesic electrical currents on pain intensity and sensory comfort during the application of carboxytherapy for the treatment of cellulite. Seventy five women with the presence of moderate and/or severe gluteal cellulite will be randomly allocated into three groups: carboxytherapy plus transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, carboxytherapy plus interferential current or carboxytherapy plus Aussie current. Pain intensity, which is the primary outcome, will be measured by a numeric rating scale (0–10). The secondary outcome is sensory comfort, which will be measured using the visual analogue scale (0–10). Trial registration: Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry: ReBEC (RBR-6z82zb) www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-6z82zb/

Sub-Nanosecond Detection of Heavy Ions Using Single-Crystal, Natural Type IIA Diamond

1993 ◽  
Vol 302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sung Han ◽  
Stanley G. Prussin ◽  
Lawrence S. Pan ◽  
Stephen M. Lane ◽  
Don R. Kania ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Crystal ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Rise Time ◽  
Random Sampling ◽  
Heavy Ions ◽  
Recording System ◽  
Charge Collection ◽  
Defect Sites ◽  
High Bandwidth ◽  
Natural Type

ABSTRACTThe sub-nanosecond electrical transients induced by 5-MeV He+ and 10-MeV Si3+ ions have been measured in single-crystal, natural type Ila diamonds. The detectors were fabricated into conductivity modulated devices and were incorporated into 50-Ω high bandwidth transmission line structures. The electrical signals were recorded with a system based on a 70 GHz random sampling oscilloscope with the total recording rise time of 18.6 ±:0.6 ps.Signal rise times are less than 70 ps and fall times are less than 200 ps for electric fields in the range 3.8x104 - 1×105 V/cm. The plasma time appears to play a key role in defining the initial stages of the charge transport because signal rise times are much greater than the recording system rise time, especially with the Si-ion excitation. Furthermore, incomplete charge collection is quite severe even at the highest applied electric fields due to the dominance of carrier trapping/recombination at the defect sites.

scholarly journals Single exponential decay waveform; a synergistic combination of electroporation and electrolysis (E2) for tissue ablation

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Klein ◽  
Enric Guenther ◽  
Paul Mikus ◽  
Michael K Stehling ◽  
Boris Rubinsky
Keyword(s):  
Electric Fields ◽  
Exponential Decay ◽  
Irreversible Electroporation ◽  
Tissue Ablation ◽  
Electrical Currents ◽  
New Device ◽  
Reversible Electroporation ◽  
Electrolytic Ablation ◽  
Synergistic Combination ◽  
Single Exponential

Background: Electrolytic ablation and electroporation based ablation are minimally invasive, non-thermal surgical technologies that employ electrical currents and electric fields to ablate undesirable cells in a volume of tissue. In this study we explore the attributes of a new tissue ablation technology that simultaneously delivers a synergistic combination of electroporation and electrolysis (E2). Method: A new device that delivers a controlled dose of electroporation field and electrolysis currents in the form of a single exponential decay waveform (EDW), was applied to the pig liver and the effect of various parameters on the extent of tissue ablation was examined with histology. Results: Histological analysis shows that E2 delivered as EDW can produce tissue ablation in volumes of clinical significance, using electrical and temporal parameters which, if used in electroporation or electrolysis separately, cannot ablate the tissue Discussion: The E2 combination has advantages over the three basic technologies of non-thermal ablation: electrolytic ablation, electrochemical ablation (reversible electroporation with injection of drugs) and irreversible electroporation. E2 ablates clinically relevant volumes of tissue in a shorter period of time than electrolysis and electroporation, without the need to inject drugs as in reversible electroporation or use paralyzing anesthesia as in irreversible electroporation.

scholarly journals The impact of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on COVID-19 patients, especially those admitted to the intensive care unit

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 1612
Author(s):  
Rasoul Alipour ◽  
Fariba Mikaeili
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Respiratory Muscles ◽  
Early Mobilization ◽  
Common Complication ◽  
Electrical Currents ◽  
Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Intact Surface ◽  
The Impact

Physiotherapy and early mobilization are necessary to treat COVID-19 patients. Physiotherapy is effective in strengthening of respiratory muscles, reduction of inflammation, and enhanced immune function in COVID-19 patients. Physiotherapy can relieve various symptoms of COVID-19. TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) is a kind of physiotherapy that uses electric current to activate nerves for therapeutic reasons. It passes electrical currents across the intact surface of the skin to activate underlying nerves. There are many studies that shown that TENS can alleviate dyspnea and lung function and improve FEV1 in patients with COPD and asthma, which is a more common complication in COVID-19 patients. TENS is effective in the treatment of muscle weakness and able to preserve protein synthesis in muscle in admitted patients, especially those admitted to ICU. Because of those reasons mentioned in the article, we recommend to investigate TENS effects on COVID-19 patients.

scholarly journals The role of particle beams and electrical currents in the plasma universe

1988 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 471-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony L. Peratt
Keyword(s):  
Electric Fields ◽  
Particle Simulation ◽  
Double Layers ◽  
Particle Beams ◽  
Electrical Currents ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Birkeland Currents

Cosmic plasma physics and our concept of the universe is in a state of rapid revision. This change started with in-situ measurements of plasmas in Earth's ionosphere, cometary atmospheres, and planetary magnetospheres; the transition of knowledge from laboratory experiments to astrophysical phenomena; discoveries of helical and filamentary plasma structures in the Galaxy and double radio sources; and the particle simulation of plasmas not accessible to in-situ measurement. Because of these, Birkeland (field-aligned) currents, double layers, and magnetic-field aligned electric fields are now known to be far more important to the evolution of space plasma, including the acceleration of charged particles to high energies, than previously thought. This paper reviews the observational evidence for a plasma universe threaded by Birkeland currents and particle beams.

scholarly journals The Effect of Simultaneous Application of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) on Specific Lumbar and Acupuncture Points on Labour Pain Relief: A Randomised Clinical Trial

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Farjad Bastani ◽  
Seyedeh Hajar Sharami ◽  
Soudabeh Kazemi Aski ◽  
Forozan Milani ◽  
Bahareh Khakifirooz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Placebo Group ◽  
Pain Relief ◽  
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Labour Pain ◽  
Randomised Clinical Trial ◽  
Acupuncture Points ◽  
P Value ◽  
Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Pain Scores

Introduction: Labour pain is among the most challenging experiences a woman could face during life. Non Pharmacological modalities like Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) are rather new methods, introduced for relieving this pain. Aim: To investigate the effect of concurrent use of TENS application on the labour pain relief. Materials and Methods: This is a double-blind randomised clinical trial study where, a total of 104 eligible pregnant women qualified for normal vaginal delivery. They were randomly divided into four groups treated with Lumbar-TENS or Acupuncture points-TENS as A: both inactive (placebo group), B: Active Acupuncture points TENS, C: Active Lumbar TENS and D: both active. TENS was applied on four points of toraco-lumbo sacral, while Acupuncture points-TENS was applied on Hegu and Sanyinjiao points. The pain scores were evaluated by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) criteria, four times during the study for each individual. A questionnaire was used to evaluate the final impression of the subjects about the TENS method. The groups were compared using chi-square or Kruskal Wallis test. The trend of pain score over the study time points were assessed using Generalised Estimating Equation (GEE). Results: The mean age of the women were 27.86±5.92 years. There were no significant differences between the groups based on the pain scores over the study periods (p-value=0.588). There was a statistically significant difference between groups for satisfaction about the procedure and the placebo group had the lowest rate of tendency to reuse TENS at the future Labour (74%) compared to the other three groups (93-100%) (p-value=0.046). Conclusion: Lumbar or Acupuncture points-TENS had no significant relieving effects on Labour pain among the participants.

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