Peripheral Blood Flow Measurements During Application of Pulsed High Frequency Currents
William James Erdman II · 1960
1960 research showed pulsed radiofrequency currents measurably altered human blood circulation, demonstrating early evidence of RF biological effects.
Plain English Summary
This 1960 study by William James Erdman II investigated how pulsed high-frequency radiofrequency currents affect blood circulation in human subjects, using plethysmograph measurements to track peripheral blood flow changes. The research examined the biological effects of short-wave diathermy treatments, which use RF energy to generate heat in body tissues. This early work documented measurable physiological responses to RF exposure, contributing to our understanding of how electromagnetic fields interact with human circulatory systems.
Why This Matters
This 1960 research represents some of the earliest documented evidence that radiofrequency fields produce measurable biological effects in humans, specifically changes to blood circulation patterns. What makes this study particularly significant is that it demonstrated clear physiological responses to RF exposure using objective measurement techniques, not just subjective reports. The fact that pulsed high-frequency currents could alter peripheral blood flow suggests these electromagnetic fields were interacting with fundamental biological processes at the cellular and vascular level.
While this study examined therapeutic RF applications rather than everyday exposures, the findings raise important questions about how modern wireless devices might affect our circulatory systems. Today's cell phones, WiFi routers, and other wireless technologies operate at similar frequencies but with different modulation patterns. The reality is that if therapeutic RF could measurably change blood flow in 1960, we need to seriously consider what chronic, low-level exposure from our wireless devices might be doing to our vascular health over time.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. Duration: 20 to 40 minutes per case
Study Details
To study the effect on peripheral blood flow measurements in the feet of 20 normal young adults when short-wave pulses are applied over the epigastrium.
Twenty subjects varying in age from 25 to 38 years in a fasting state were permitted to lie supine u...
Noticeable volumetric changes, indicative of increased blood flow, occurred during application in al...
Increasing peripheral blood flow without demonstrable pyrexia has desirable results. Many patients with vasospastic or vaso-occlusive disease in the lower extremities have been treated with abdominal shortwave diathermy or microwave in order to achieve reflex vasodilatation. Occasionally there were good results, but frequently the treatment was stopped because of general body heating. It could offer an explanation of the mechanics whereby body defenses are mobilized. In normal subjects we have shown that it is possible to produce an increased pulse tracing in the extremities during the application of pulsed high-frequency currents without any significant pyrexia.
Show BibTeX
@article{peripheral_blood_flow_measurements_during_application_of_pulsed_high_frequency_c_g7405,
author = {William James Erdman II},
title = {Peripheral Blood Flow Measurements During Application of Pulsed High Frequency Currents},
year = {1960},
}