Rybett Electric Lodestone Specifications
Models MP 100 and 200

Our bodies are complicated electrochemical machines. As time passes, accidents, fastfood, bad habits and old age make us suseptable to chronic, painful conditions. Regular exercise, a good diet and lots of sleep can help. But most of us will eventually turn to prescription medication as a solution. Pills seem to be the answer for so many of our modern problems. They are powerful, convenient and supported by millions of dollars in pharmaceutical advertising. Unfortunately, pills can be expensive and they often produce unwanted side effects. After all, whatever you put into your mouth will digest and spread to affect many parts of your body. Magnets offer an alternative for chronic pain with some important advantages. Magnets may be applied locally to act upon only the painful area. And they don't add chemicals to your body. Of course, magnets have some disadvantages, too. They are generally less powerful and less convenient than pills. And due to a history of fraud, magnets are not held in high esteem by the medical establishment or the Food and Drug Administration, although opinions seem to be slowly changing.

There are two classes of magnets: permanent magnets and electromagnets. Permanent magnets produce magnetic fields that do not change with time. The magnets on your refrigerator are permanent magnets, though probably less powerful than those used for medical problems. Many people swear permanent magnets are effective in treating painful joints and muscles. But medical studies of permanent magnets paint a very fuzzy picture of failure mixed with success. Electromagnets are coils of wire that generate magnetic fields when powered by electricity. If the electricity is pulsed, the magnetic fields change very rapidly. These rapid changes induce tiny electric currents in living tissue that give pulsed electromagnets advantages over permanent magnets. Many studies have shown that electromagnets produce biological effects. Electric Lodestone electromagnets operate at about 1% of the motor threshold of nerve and muscle tissue. That means, if you want your muscles to twitch, you need magnets that are a hundred times more powerful. It also means that these devices operate more gently and safely. The features of the Electric Lodestone MP 100 and MP 200 models are listed in the table below.

Simple Instructions: The Electric Lodestone consists of a coil of wire with lights and electronics mounted on the backside. It is powered by a low voltage adapter. To use, plug-in the power adapter, look into the coil center and a green LED will light. Press the blue push-button and a red LED will start flashing. Each flash indicates a magnetic pulse. Hold the magnet by the padded back where the adapter wire pokes through. Place the front of the magnet coil over the most painful part of your body and wait for the pain to diminish. This usually takes 5 to 10 minutes and somewhat longer for joint problems. Then move to your next painful spot as needed. The magnetic field is most powerful inside the coil through the large hole in the cloth covering. To achieve maximum effect, place the coil so that it surrounds your body part. If this is not practical, just lay the coil opening against your body. As the unit operates, it will naturally heat the coil wires and act much like a heating pad. If it becomes too warm for your taste, place a cloth between the coil and your skin or just let it cool down. To turn it off, hold the blue button down for 2 seconds or wait for the automatic timeout.

Electric Lodestone with Cloth Cover	Panel with Lights, Switches and Coil

Special Features: The Electric Lodestone has switches that control special features. These switches are located inside the coil opening near the green light. You may have to pull the cloth covering to one side to see them. The switches are numbered 1 thru 4 and may be moved by the tip of a ball-point pen. They control the pulse rhythm and the length of the automatic timeout. When all four switches are in the off position, the unit generates a steady stream of pulses then automatically turns off after 15 minutes. Switches 1 thru 3 change the steady pulsing into a rhythmic wave called modulation. This can be seen by watching the red pulse light go into a dim and bright dance. This dance may be quick or smooth as controlled by square wave or sine wave modulation. To get a feel for what's happening, you just have to try different switch settings and watch the red pulse light. Switch 4 changes the automatic timeout from 15 minutes to 1 hour. These settings are printed inside the coil and summarized in the table below.

Why would you want to use a modulated signal? The overall electrical activity in the brain is loosely called the brainwave state. Brainwaves are rhythmic in nature and the frequency is related to what you are doing. If you are awake and alert, the frequency is in the range of 8 to 24 hertz ( where hertz means cycles per second ). If you are relaxed, the brainwave frequency drops to about 4 hertz and may go as low as 1 hertz during sleep. Modulation might be appropriate for relaxation prior to bedtime. Whereas, steady pulses may be more appropriate to keep you alert. Try various settings and see what works best for you. As a practical matter, the sine wave modulation mode generates less heating and may be preferred if the coil becomes too warm for your comfort.

North or South Pole: Some of the folks that sell permanent magnets claim there is a big difference between north and south poles. I don't agree but I'm not always right. As shipped, the coil is setup to generate a south pole field projected out of the cloth opening. This is the orientation preferred by those that have a preference. If you wish to change to a north pole field, locate the plug near the red light. With the unit unpowered, pull out the coil plug, turn it around and replug. When the dot on the plug is facing the center of the coil, it is setup as a south pole. When the dot is facing away from the coil center, it is setup as a north pole. (Note that some people refer to south poles as bio-north poles. Yes, I am confused, too.)

How Do They Work? These coils generate magnetic pulses on the order of 100-200 gauss at a range of an inch. This is comparable to the field strength of a rare earth permanent magnet at the same distance. Such strengths produce very weak forces on moving ions which cause subtle electrochemical changes. Electromagnets and permanent magnets share this characteristic. However, the field of a permanent magnet is steady, whereas the Electric Lodestone field changes very rapidly in just a millisecond (a thousandth of a second). Rapid changes induce the flow of electric current in living tissue more strongly than steady fields. Electric Lodestone electromagnets stimulate in the vicinity of 10 uA/cm², depending on the conductivity of the tissue. At such current densities, many body functions are mildly affected, including: nerve and muscle stimulation thresholds, cellular respiration and membrane permeability to name a few. Anecdotally, pulsed electromagnets are reported to help with chronic pain and joint discomfort. In theory, many of these conditions may be viewed as biological feedback loops that perpetuate painful symptoms. Induced magnetic currents may have a disorganizing effect which disturbs the chronic patterns and reduces the feedback. For more detailed information, visit our website at www.readingtarget.com/magpulse/ on the internet.

How Safe Are Electromagnets? There are three issues of possible concern: medical, electrical and common sense. Addressing medical concerns, the International Program on Chemical Safety (INCHEM) classifies pulsed electromagnetic devices by the strength of the electrical currents they induce in living tissue. Electric Lodestones operate in the range of "Established Effects and Mild to Significant Stimulation". In this range, caution is advised but there are no acute hazards. Put into context, anything that has the potential to affect your body carries the dual promise of benefit and risk. Aspirin can help relieve pain and prevent heart attacks. But aspirin can also cause stomach bleeding and trigger Reyes Syndrome. So, caution is advised for aspirin and caution is advised for electromagnets. If you use an electromagnet and notice any unwanted side effects, stop using it. Electromagnets have an inherent safety advantage over all forms of chemical treatment, even aspirin. Electromagnets are only applied to the small area that hurts. They are not swallowed and digested to spread throughout the entire body.

Electrically, these devices are powered by UL listed wall adapters using transformer isolation. This means they meet the safety standards of Underwriters Laboratory. Transformer isolation means there is no direct connection between the magnet and house power, minimizing the danger of electric shock. The output of the adapter powers the magnet at low voltage, 12 volts for the 100 gauss model and 24 volts for the 200 gauss model. A car battery produces 12 volts and your doorbell is powered by 24 volts. Such levels are considered safe for home use and will not shock you if you touch a bare wire. Of course, if you stick a 12 volt battery into your mouth, you will feel a tingling sensation. So don't stick the magnet into your mouth. Did I need to say that? The coil is wound using wire insulated by a plastic covering. When you touch this coil, you are touching plastic which will block the flow of electricity even if the voltage were ten times higher. In short, Electric Lodestone electromagnets are isolated, insulated and operate on low voltage.

Finally, as a matter of common sense, never throw or swing the magnet. It is quite heavy and could pack a punch. (I suppose I could make an exception if you were David fighting Goliath.) As with all electrical appliances, never operate while standing in water or in a moist environment. Do not use if you have an implanted electrical device such as a pacemaker. Do not use if you are pregnant. And finally, the coil will warm as it is used; this is normal. If the magnet is placed under clothes or sandwiched against a couch, the heat will build and it may become hot. This will not damage the magnet but it may be uncomfortable for you. If so, turn off the magnet and let it cool down. Or, use a towel to protect your skin from the heat. Magnetic fields penetrate almost any non-metal and a towel will not reduce the effectiveness.

Magnetic Field Graphs: An Electric Lodestone electromagnet generates a magnetic field that is strongest in the center of the coil. As you move out of the coil, the magnetic field becomes weaker. Magnetic fields are measured in gauss and the field of the earth measures about 1/2 gauss. At 2 cm (just under 1 inch) from the coil center, the MP 100 strength is 100 gauss while the MP 200 is 200 gauss. The strength vs distance curves ares shown below for both models.

When set to operate in the steady mode, MP 100 units output 12 pulses per second, while MP 200 units output 8 pulses per second. In the modulation modes, the rate is 16-24 pulses per second as the amplitude varies. The graph below shows the shape of the pulses and the resulting currents induced in body tissue. The graphs are plotted as percentages of peak values against time in milliseconds, usually written "ms". Note that by Faraday's Law, the induced current is proportional to the slope of the magnetic pulse waveform. It is greatest at the beginning of the pulse where the slope is the greatest. The average rising slope is the peak current divided by 1 ms. This is 100 gauss/ms for the MP 100 and 200 gauss/ms for the MP 200 when measured 2 cm from the coil center. The rising slope induces a positive tissue current that flows in the shape of a circle. The falling slope induces a negative tissue current. When the pulse is finished, the currents cancel so there is no net movement of charge. During the pulse, body chemistry may be affected, resulting in pain relief and other subtle changes.

Warnings and Disclaimers: Rybett electromagnets are electronic devices designed to produce pulsed magnetic fields. Anecdotally, they seem to offer benefit for some health conditions. However, there are no published medical trials to verify this claim. In other words, they may or may not help any particular medical condition. Before purchasing an electromagnet, you should discuss all medical options with your doctor. The National Institutes of Health suggest that all magnetic devices be purchased with a 30 day return guarantee. We agree. If the magnet doesn't meet your expectations, return it in good condition within 30 days for a refund of the purchase price.

Rybett Controls warranties its products against defects in material or workmanship for one year. We guarantee that the products meet their published electronic specifications. However, we cannot make medical claims as to the benefit of magnets. And the user assumes all risk for use of these magnets, including health risks. The liability of Rybett Controls is strictly limited to repair or replacement of defective electronics. For warranty repairs, you cover the cost of shipping to Rybett and we cover shipping back to you. Purchase of a product implies agreement to these terms.

Electromagnets should not be used around other electronic devices as they may interact. This is especially important for implanted devices such as pacemakers, defibrillators, insulin pumps, liver infusion pumps or TENS units. Of course, if you notice unwanted side effects while using an electromagnet, you should discontinue use immediately. Since the effects on a developing fetus are unknown, you should not use an electromagnet during pregnancy. Some practitioners discourage the use of magnets to treat myasthenia gravis and bleeding disorders although hard scientific evidence to justify caution is lacking. Since these electromagnets pulse, do not use if you have a seizure disorder. Finally, do not use any electronic device around water as a shock hazard may exist.

Maintenance and Service: The Electric Lodestone design is solid state and it should have a long life if treated with reasonable care. Never operate when wet or in a wet environment for your safety. Unplug from the wall socket when performing maintenance on the electromagnet. If the power adapter needs replacing, you may remove the cloth cover by pealing it back over the coil. Then pull the cloth along the adapter wire. This will expose the back which is covered by a foam pad. Untwist the strain relief tie and unplug the adapter wire from its socket. Then pull the adapter wire through the small hole in the cloth cover. You may now replace the power adapter. You may also wash or replace the cloth cover when needed. If the cover plate inside the coil becomes dirty, use a mild cleaner like Windex sprayed onto a damp cloth.

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