System and Method for Collecting, Storing, Processing, Transmitting and Presenting Very Low Amplitude Signals

Abstract

Methods and apparatus inject noise into a substance, detect the combination of the noise and the signal emitted by the substance, adjust the noise until the combination signal takes on the characteristic of the signal generated by the substance through stochastic resonance, and apply such characteristic signals to responsive chemical, biochemical, or biological systems. The generated signal may be stored, manipulated, and/or transmitted to a remote receiver.

1 . An apparatus for providing molecular signals from a sample, the apparatus comprising: 
 (a) a signal source generated at least in part from the sample;    (b) means for detecting electromagnetic emission signals positioned near to the sample;    (c) a Super Conducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) electrically connected to the electromagnetic emission detection coil, wherein the SQUID is positioned within a means for cryogenically cooling;    (d) means for surrounding with noise the signal source and the means for detecting signals, wherein the means for surrounding with noise generates noise sufficient to induce stochastic resonance in the sample so as to amplify the sample characteristic signals;    (e) means for electromagnetically shielding the signal source, electromagnetic emission detection coil, SQUID, and noise means from external electromagnetic radiation;    (f) means for controlling the SQUID;    (g) means for observing and storing the signals detected by the means for detecting signals; and    (h) means for modifying the stored signal based on user-defined criteria; and    (i) means for wirelessly providing the modified signal to a chemical or biological system for inducing an effect in the chemical or biological system.    
   
   
       2 . A method for producing an effect of a chemical or biochemical agent on a system responsive to such agent, comprising: 
 (a) generating multiple low-frequency time-domain signals by: 
 (i) placing a sample containing the agent in a container having both magnetic and electromagnetic shielding, wherein the sample acts as a signal source for molecular signals, and wherein the magnetic shielding is external to a cryogenic container;  
 (ii) injecting noise into the sample in the absence of another signal from another signal source at a noise amplitude sufficient to generate stochastic resonance, wherein the noise has a substantially uniform amplitude over a plurality of frequencies;  
 (iii) recording an electromagnetic time-domain signal composed of sample source radiation superimposed on the injected noise in the cryogenic container and in the absence of the another generated signal; and  
 (iv) repeating steps (ii)-(iii) at each of multiple noise levels within a selected noise-level range if the sample source radiation is not sufficiently distinguishable from the injected noise until the superimposed signal takes on characteristics of the signal generated by the signal source through stochastic resonance;  
   (b) identifying frequencies representing dominant characteristics of the time-domain signal by analyzing the signal generated in (a);    (c) synthesizing a response-producing signal by: 
 selecting at least one frequency from the identified frequencies of the sample; or  
 combining frequencies selected from the identified frequencies of two or more agent samples; and  
   (d) exposing the agent-responsive system to the synthesized response-producing signal by placing the agent-responsive system within a magnetic field of an electromagnetic transducer, and applying the synthesized signal by the transducer at a signal amplitude and for a period sufficient to produce in the agent-responsive system an agent-specific effect.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the synthesized response-producing signal is a combination of: 
 the identified frequencies of one or more agent samples that represent chemical or biological effects of the sample; or    frequencies selected from identified frequencies of one or more agent samples that represent some aspects of chemical or biological effects of each agent sample.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the analyzing (b) is carried by one of: 
 (i) generating a histogram that shows, for each event bin f over a selected frequency range within a range DC to 8 kHz, a number of event counts in each bin, where f is a sampling rate for sampling the time domain signal, assigning to the histogram, a score related to number of bins that are above a given threshold; and selecting a time-domain signal based on the score;    (ii) autocorrelating the time domain signal, generating an FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) of the autocorrelated signal over a selected frequency range within the range DC to 8 kHz, assigning to the FFT signal a score related to a number of peaks above a mean average noise value, and selecting a time-domain signal based on the score; and    (iii) calculating a series of Fourier spectra of the time-domain signal over each of multiple defined time periods, in a selected frequency range between DC and 8 kHz, averaging the Fourier spectra; assigning to the averaged FFT signal a score related to the number of peaks above a mean average noise value, and selecting a time-domain signal based on the score.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the electromagnet transducer includes an implantable coil that is implanted in a biological system prior to the exposing, a hand-held mobile device, or both, and wherein signals arrive at the transducer via wire or wirelessly, and wherein wireless signals are transmitted directly or via satellite.  
   
   
       6 - 10 . (canceled)  
   
   
       11 . An optimized low-frequency response-producing signal representing aspects of chemically or biologically active agents, produced by steps comprising: 
 (a) generating multiple low-frequency time-domain signals of an agent by: 
 (i) injecting noise into a sample of the agent at a selected noise amplitude to generate stochastic resonance;  
 (ii) recording an electromagnetic time-domain signal composed of sample source radiation superimposed on the injected noise; and  
 (iii) repeating steps (ii)-(iii) at each of multiple noise levels within a selected range if the sample source radiation is not sufficiently distinguishable from the injected noise;  
   (b) identifying frequencies representing an optimized agent-specific signal by analyzing a preferred time-domain signal; and    (c) synthesizing a response-producing signal by: 
 providing at least one frequency from the identified frequencies of an agent sample; or  
 combining frequencies selected from the identified frequencies of two or more agent samples, wherein the selected frequencies represent selected aspects of signals associated with desired chemical or biological effects.  
   
   
   
       12 . The signal of  claim 11 , wherein the signal is directed to a biological target.  
   
   
       13 . The signal of  claim 11 , wherein the signal is wirelessly transmitted to a receiver, and wherein the receiver includes an implantable transducer or a handheld computing or telecommunications device.  
   
   
       14 . (cancelled)  
   
   
       15 . A method for generating electromagnetic signals that produce selected chemical or biological effects derived from aspects of employed chemical or biological agents, the method comprising: 
 inserting a sample into a magnetically shielded detection apparatus to provide molecular signals;    injecting noise into the magnetically shielded detection apparatus;    detecting a combination of the injected noise and the signal emitted by the sample;    separating the agent-specific signal from noise;    computing frequency content of the agent-specific signal;    enhancing the frequency content of the agent-specific signal by scaling or eliminating frequency components;    identifying frequency content representing desired agent attributes; and    synthesizing an electromagnetic effect-producing signal using selected enhanced frequencies detected from different agents, wherein the selected frequencies represent desired portions or totality of the chemical or biological effects of the agents.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein at least enhancing the frequency content of the agent-specific signal is performed by a user utilizing a user interface.  
   
   
       17 . An apparatus for generating a signal having at least a subset of effects of one or more chemical or biochemical agents, the apparatus comprising: 
 (i) a holder adapted to receive a sample of an agent;    (ii) an adjustable source of noise for applying noise to the sample in the holder;    (iii) a detector for recording a time-domain signal composed of the sample radiation together with the noise;    (iv) a memory device for storing detected signals;    (v) a computer adapted to: 
 (a) retrieve the stored signals from the memory device;  
 (b) produce a spectral representation of the signals, allowing identification of agent-specific time-domain signals; and  
 (c) modify via a user interface or a software program, portions of the retrieved signals to emphasize or deemphasize at least one desired portion of the retrieved signals; and  
   (vi) a synthesizer to produce signals by utilizing a combination of selected modified portions of at least one agent signal.    
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein elements (v), (vi), or both are remotely located with respect to the other elements of the apparatus and are wirelessly in communication with the other elements.  
   
   
       19 . A generated signal for affecting biological or chemical systems, wherein a Fourier transform of the signal comprises multiple peaks each of which corresponds to a frequency of a compound-specific stochastic event produced by a compound known to induce a detectable response in a biological target, and observed by recording a time-domain signal of a sample of the compound while injecting noise into the sample at a selected noise amplitude that allows identification of the peak frequency when the time-domain signal is transformed to the frequency domain, wherein: 
 the signal frequency peaks are identified peak frequencies of one or more compounds and represent chemical or biological effects of the compounds; or    the signal frequency peaks are manipulated frequencies selected from identified peak frequencies of one or more compounds and represent enhanced effects of some aspects of the chemical or biological compounds.    
   
   
       20 . The generated signal of  claim 19 , wherein the signal is generated by: 
 (i) identifying the peak frequencies for two or more compounds, each effective to produce a given detectable response in a given biological target;    (ii) identifying those peak frequencies that are common to the compounds; and    (iii) superimposing the common peak frequencies identified in (ii) to produce the electromagnetic wave.    
   
   
       21 . The generated signal of  claim 19 , wherein the signal is generated by: 
 (i) identifying the peak frequencies in a first set of compounds effective to produce a given or desired detectable response in a given biological target, and in a second set of compounds that are ineffective to produce such desired response in the target;    (ii) identifying those peak frequencies that are common to all of the compounds in the first set, but not common to all of the compounds of the second set; and    (iii) combining at least some of the common peak frequencies identified in (ii) to produce the electromagnetic wave.    
   
   
       22 . The generated signal of  claim 19 , wherein the signal is generated by: 
 (i) identifying the peak frequencies in a first set of compounds effective to produce a given or desired detectable response in a given biological target;    (ii) identifying the peak frequencies in a second set of compounds effective to produce another desired detectable response in the same biological target;    (iii) identifying those peak frequencies that are common to all of the compounds in the first set, and those that are common to all of the compounds of the second set; and    (iv) superimposing at least some of frequencies in the two sets of common peak frequencies identified in (iii) to produce the electromagnetic wave.    
   
   
       23 . The generated signal of  claim 19 , wherein generating the signal comprises the steps of: 
 (i) identifying the peak frequencies for a given compound, and    (ii) combining the frequencies, at a selected amplitude that is at least 2× over baseline noise frequencies.    
   
   
       24 . The generated signal of  claim 23 , wherein the steps of generating the signal further comprise: 
 step (i) includes identifying the peak frequencies for two or more compounds, each effective to produce a given detectable response in a given biological target, and identifying those peak frequencies that are common to the compounds, and step (ii) includes superimposing the common peak frequencies so identified to produce the electromagnetic wave.    
   
   
       25 . The generated signal of  claim 23 , wherein the steps of generating the signal further comprise: 
 step (i) includes identifying the peak frequencies in a first set of compounds effective to produce a given or desired detectable response in a given biological target, and in a second set of compounds that are effective to produce such desired response in the target, and identifying those peak frequencies that are common to all of the compounds in the first set, but not common to all of the compounds of the second set, and step (ii) includes combining at least some of the common peak frequencies so identified to produce the electromagnetic wave.    
   
   
       26 . The generated signal of  claim 23 , wherein the steps of generating the signal further comprise: 
 step (i) includes identifying the peak frequencies in a first set of compounds effective to produce a given or desired detectable response in a given biological target, identifying the peak frequencies in a second set of compounds effective to produce another desired detectable response in the same biological target, and identifying those peak frequencies that are common to all of the compounds in the first set, and those that are common to all of the compounds of the second set, and    step (ii) includes superimposing at least some of frequencies in the two sets of common peak frequencies so identified to produce the electromagnetic wave.    
   
   
       27 . The generated signals of  claim 19 , wherein the signal is transmitted to a remote transducer and is applied to a chemical or a biological system to induce a response, and wherein the transducer is implanted within the system, located in the vicinity of the system, or is a hand-held mobile device.  
   
   
       28 . A method of producing an electromagnetic signal signature, radiated from an excited substance, the method comprising: 
 injecting controlled electromagnetic noise into a container devoid of the substance;    computing a first frequency spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation within the container;    placing the substance of interest in the container;    injecting the controlled electromagnetic noise into the container while containing the substance;    computing a second frequency spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation within the container;    obtaining the frequency spectrum of the substance by comparing the first computed frequency spectrum with the second computed frequency spectrum; and    enhancing the content of the frequency spectrum of the substance.    
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein information about the enhanced frequency content of the signal is transmitted to a remote transducer where the transducer is implanted within the biological entity, located in the vicinity of the biological entity, or is a hand-held mobile device.  
   
   
       30 - 33 . (canceled)