How is Biowave Superior to TENS and Interferential Devices?

Biowave Corporation manufactures two neuromodulation pain therapy systems, BiowavePRO® and Homewave®, which utilize a unique signal mixing technology to deliver electrical signals through the skin into deep tissue for inhibiting pain transmission and improving function. The signal technology is covered by four issued U.S. patents and over 20 international patents.

Background

Low frequency signals (1-180Hz in frequency) are required to inhibit transmission of pain signals along nerve fibers in the body. However, electrical signals in this frequency range cannot pass through the skin because of the skin's impedance and capacitance. High frequency signals (greater than 1000Hz in frequency) easily pass through the skin. However, these signals used individually do not elicit an electrical or mechanical response from either muscle tissue or nerve fibers to inhibit pain transmission.

TENS

TENS devices deliver pulsed low frequency signals typically between 1 and 180 Hz directly to the skin between two surface electrodes placed on either side of the painful area. The result is a surface effect and the patient feels a noxious twitching, electrical sensation between the electrodes. The sensation produced by TENS may act as a distraction from the pain while the device is on, however, there is little residual benefit or functional improvement once the therapy session is over.

Interferential Therapy (IFT)

IFT uses four surface electrodes (two pairs of electrodes) that are placed in an “X” pattern surrounding a painful area that deliver two separate pulsed, high frequency signals. One pulsed signal, typically around 4000 Hz, is delivered between one pair of electrodes. A second pulsed signal, usually varying between 4010 Hz and 4180 Hz, is delivered between the second pair of electrodes. The two pulsed signals cross paths on the surface of the skin. At the point of intersection, an interference pattern develops resulting in a new signal equal to the difference between the signals. This is called the beat frequency. Since one of the high frequency signals constantly varies over several seconds of time, the beat frequency produced at the intersection point also varies over time, and in this example, varies between 10 Hz and 180 Hz. Since the two signals intersect on the surface, the resulting beat frequency produces mostly a surface effect similar to TENS.

Targeting the signal to the painful area is very difficult with IFT systems because of the surface nature of the signals and the need to precisely place the electrode array around the painful area. Additionally, while the pulsed signals delivered by IFT contain a small signal component that can overcome the skin’s electrical barrier, the pulses contain a range of frequencies of weak amplitude, which cause uncontrollable muscle contraction and deliver, like TENS, the noxious twitching electrical sensation that is not well tolerated by patients.