Search Results (7)

Background: Transcutaneous Randomized Pulsed Radiofrequency (TCPRF-STP) is a non-invasive therapeutic approach increasingly explored for managing spine-related pain, particularly in cases involving disc herniations and degenerative spine conditions. Objectives: To evaluate the use of transcutaneous PRF-STP in the treatment of spine pathologies and its evolution in short-term follow-up. Methods: This case series examines the outcomes of three patients treated with TCPRF-STP for varying spine pathologies, including lumbar and cervical disc herniations, lumbar stenosis, and radiculopathy. All patients had previously undergone conventional conservative therapies without a satisfactory improvement and were unwilling or unable to undergo invasive procedures. The treatment involved the application of electromagnetic fields through adhesive skin patches at targeted sites. Patients underwent three sessions of TCPRF-STP, with follow-up assessments evaluating pain and MRI. Results: Transcutaneous PRF-STP showed notable reductions in pain (VAS 0 in most cases), improvements in movement, and the restoration of normal daily activities. Follow-up MRI scans demonstrated positive structural changes in the treated discs. Although long-term recurrence occurred in one case, the patient remained active without functional limitations. Conclusions: Transcutaneous PRF-STP offers a promising, minimally invasive alternative for patients seeking to avoid surgery, though further studies with larger cohorts and longer follow-up periods are necessary to establish more robust evidence of its efficacy. This technique could become an important adjunct in managing chronic spinal pain conditions, offering patients an option with minimal risk and hospital demands. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sepsis-associated acute kidney injury caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is related to hypoxia, amplification of the inflammatory response, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis. This study aims to explore the protective effects of a radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) and a pulsed magnetic field (PMF) on acute kidney injury in rats. Materials and methods: Forty female Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into five groups (each containing eight rats): control, LPS, RF-EMF, PMF, and RF-EMF + PMF groups. Six hours after LPS application, blood and tissues were removed for histopathological, immunohistochemical, biochemical, and genetic analysis. Results: Histopathological findings, caspase-3, inducible nitric oxide synthase and tumor necrosis factor-alpha immunoexpressions, total oxidant status and oxidative stress index levels, and interleukin-6, hypoxia-inducible factor alpha, Bcl-2-associated X protein, and caspase 9 gene expression in kidney tissue and blood urine nitrogen and creatinine levels in blood were increased, whereas endothelial nitric oxide synthase and B-cell lymphoma 2 gene expression were decreased in the LPS groups. Both RF-EMF and PMF reversed all these findings and recovered renal tissues. Conclusions: Noninvasive, nontoxic, low-cost PMF and RF-EMF, both single and combined, have been demonstrated to have renoprotective anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiapoptotic effects. Full article

Venous leg ulcers are one of the most common nonhealing conditions and represent an important clinical problem. The application of pulsed radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (PRF-EMFs), already applied for pain, inflammation, and new tissue formation, can represent a promising approach for venous leg ulcer amelioration. This study aims to evaluate the effect of PRF-EMF exposure on the inflammatory, antioxidant, cell proliferation, and wound healing characteristics of human primary dermal fibroblasts collected from venous leg ulcer patients. The cells’ proliferative and migratory abilities were evaluated by means of a BrdU assay and scratch assay, respectively. The inflammatory response was investigated through TNFα, TGFβ, COX2, IL6, and IL1β gene expression analysis and PGE2 and IL1β production, while the antioxidant activity was tested by measuring GSH, GSSG, tGSH, and GR levels. This study emphasizes the ability of PRF-EMFs to modulate the TGFβ, COX2, IL6, IL1β, and TNFα gene expression in exposed ulcers. Moreover, it confirms the improvement of the proliferative index and wound healing ability presented by PRF-EMFs. In conclusion, exposure to PRF-EMFs can represent a strategy to help tissue repair, regulating mediators involved in the wound healing process. Full article

Radiofrequency energy is a common treatment modality for chronic pain. While there are different forms of radiofrequency-based therapeutics, the common concept is the generation of an electromagnetic field in the applied area, that can result in neuromodulation (pulsed radiofrequency—PRF) or ablation. Our specific focus relates to PRF due to the possibility of modulation that is in accordance with the mechanisms of action of orthobiologics. The proposed mechanism of action of PRF pertaining to pain relief relies on a decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines, an increase in cytosolic calcium concentration, a general effect on the immune system, and a reduction in the formation of free radical molecules. The primary known properties of orthobiologics constitute the release of growth factors, a stimulus for endogenous repair, analgesia, and improvement of the function of the injured area. In this review, we described the mechanism of action of both treatments and pertinent scientific references to the use of the combination of PRF and orthobiologics. Our hypothesis is a synergic effect with the combination of both techniques which could benefit patients and improve the life quality. Full article

This paper is focused on investigation of three developed prototypes of sensors based on the photoplethysmography (PPG) principle for continual measurement of the PPG signal in the magnetic field environment with the inherent radiofrequency and electromagnetic disturbance. The tested prototypes differ in the used optical part of the PPG sensor and their working mode, control unit, power supply, and applied Bluetooth (BT) communication methods. The main aim of the current work was motivated by finding suitable and universal parameter settings for PPG signal real-time recording in different working mode conditions. Comparative measurements in laboratory conditions by certified commercial pulse oximeter and blood pressure monitor (BPM) devices show good stability and proper accuracy of finally determined heart rate values. The supplementary investigation certifies the necessity of the placement of the pressure cuff of the BPM device on the opposite arm than the tested PPG sensor. Measurement experiments inside the scanning area of the running weak field magnetic resonance scanner verify proper function and practical usability of sensed PPG signals for further processing and analysis in all three prototype cases. Additional testing shows that the BT transmission in the scanning area has no visible influence on the quality of the finally obtained scanner images. Full article

The increasing exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF), especially from wireless communication devices, raises questions about their possible adverse health effects. So far, several in vitro studies evaluating RF-EMF genotoxic and cytotoxic non-thermal effects have reported contradictory results that could be mainly due to inadequate experimental design and lack of well-characterized exposure systems and conditions. Moreover, a topic poorly investigated is related to signal modulation induced by electromagnetic fields. The aim of this study was to perform an analysis of the potential non-thermal biological effects induced by 2.45 GHz exposures through a characterized exposure system and a multimethodological approach. Human fibroblasts were exposed to continuous (CW) and pulsed (PW) signals for 2 h in a wire patch cell-based exposure system at the specific absorption rate (SAR) of 0.7 W/kg. The evaluation of the potential biological effects was carried out through a multimethodological approach, including classical biological markers (genotoxic, cell cycle, and ultrastructural) and the evaluation of gene expression profile through the powerful high-throughput next generation sequencing (NGS) RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) approach. Our results suggest that 2.45 GHz radiofrequency fields did not induce significant biological effects at a cellular or molecular level for the evaluated exposure parameters and conditions. Full article

Spatial localization of emitting sources is especially interesting in different fields of application. The focus of an earthquake, the determination of cracks in solid structures or the position of bones inside a body are some examples of the use of multilateration techniques applied to acoustic and vibratory signals. Radar, GPS and wireless sensors networks location are based on radiofrequency emissions and the techniques are the same as in the case of acoustic emissions. This paper is focused on the determination of the position of sources of partial discharges inside electrical insulation for maintenance based on the condition of the electrical machine. The use of this phenomenon is a mere example of the capabilities of the proposed method because its emission can be electromagnetic in the UHF range or acoustic when the insulation is immersed in oil. Generally, when a pulse is radiated from a source, the wave will arrive to two receivers at different times. One of the advantages of measuring these time differences of arrival or TDOA is that it is not required a common clock as in other localization techniques based on the time of arrival (TOA) of the pulse to the receiver. With only two sensors, all the possible points in the plane that would give the same TDOA describe a hyperbola. Using an independent third receiver and calculating the intersection of the three hyperbolas will give the position of the source. Therefore, planar localization of emitters using multilateration techniques can be solved at least with three receivers. This paper presents a method to locate sources in a plane with only two receivers, one of them in a fixed position and the other is placed describing a circumference around the first one. The TDOA are measured at different angles completing a total turn and obtaining a function, angle versus TDOA, that has all the geometric information needed to locate the source. The paper will show how to derive this function analytically with two unknown parameters: the distance and bearing angle from the fixed receiver to the source. Then, it will be demonstrated that it is possible to fit the curve with experimental measurements of the TDOA to obtain the parameters of the position of the source. Full article