Measurement Techniques. Vol. 40, No.

7, 1997

BIOLOGICAL AND MEDICAL MEASUREMENTS

INSTRUMENTAL METHODS

FOR INVESTIGATING OBJECTS

PHYSICAL FIELDS OF BIOLOGICAL

A. A. Elizarov

UDC 537.8:577.31:578,086.82

We give an analysis of the state-of-the-art and trends in development of instrumental methods for detection and amplification of the physical fields of biological objects in different wavelength ranges.

Currently a great deal of attention is being paid to studying the physical fields of biological objects, biostructural phenomena which are not explainable from the standpoint of classical physics. The lack of a fixed approach to the concept of "field" and also the mechanisms of field interactions has led to the appearance of a huge number of theoretical and experimental papers without a proper scientific approach to solution of the problems. However, despite the fact that such papers lack a fundamental basis, they contain very interesting empirical material needed to develop the basic concepts and definitions. Modern investigations of physical fields of biological objects can be divided into two categories which are closely connected: first of all, we have papers devoted to problems of the energy-field (resonance) mechanism for interaction of biological structures with each other and with the environment, in most cases utilizing a purely theoretical approach; secondly, we have investigations connected with attempts to detect and amplify the bioelectromagnetic activity of objects, mainly taking an experimental approach. These latter experimental papers are the most interesting, since they contain a great deal of practical experience of specialists in different areas of science (physics, biology, and medicine), and can be used for diagnostics and treatment. This analytical review is devoted to instrumental methods for detecting and amplifying the physical fields of biological objects, and includes scientific and technical (biophysical and medical) investigation methods, and also methods of parapsychology and nonlraditional medicine. The first attempts to investigate the physical fields of biological objects date back to the time when it was observed that electrical discharges occur on cell membranes. These phenomena were initially noted in fish exhibiting an electrical action. Records have been preserved about how the Roman physician Scribonius Largus treated his patients suffering from severe headache by applying electric fish to their heads (rays were used, capable of creating an electrical pulse of voltage 20-30 V). At the end of the Eighteenth Century, Galvani noted that the thigh muscles of a frog can be excited by ah electric current. In the last century (in 1842), Carlo Matteucci noted that when a muscle contracts, an electrical voltage pulse arises on both sides of its membrane. Later many researchers (K611iker, Mtiller, Nobili, Du Bois-Reymond, and others) were concerned with this question. An electrical voltage could be measured even on membranes of plant cells. However, the hypothesis that there is a field intrinsic to all living things was articulated only in 1923 by A. G. Gurvich, who discovered the phenomenon of mitogenic radiation of cells. He himself proposed the term "biofield." From the 1920s to the 1950s, the problem of the biofield was studied by many scientists: V. M. Bekhterev, P. P. Lazarev, G. M. Frank, B. B. Kazhinskii, A. V. Leontovich, V. L. Durov, L. L. Vasil'ev, S. Ya. Turlygin, P. I. Gulyaev, and others. Presently there are two points of view concerning the nature of the energetics of living organisms. The first point of view is that the biofield is a combination of familiar physical fields characteristic of living systems (thermal, electrical, magnetic, etc.) [I, 2]. The second point of view recognizes the biofield as a special, unique field [3]. However, despite the existence of two opposing points of view, numerous investigations indisputably support the fact that any biological object is surrounded by a multilayer shell, emitting and absorbing energy, the absolute power of which varTranslated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 7, pp. 62-67, July, 1997. 700 0543-1972/97/4007-0700518.00 9 Plenum Publishing Corporation

ies depending on its health, emotional and spiritual development, and energy exchange between the biological object and the external medium occurs continuously and is the basis for all its life processes. Scientists have determined the presence of a complex pattern of electromagnetic radiation around a biological object in practically all regions of the spectrum, which leads to the need to consider the instrumental basis for investigations of the physical fields of biological objects according to the scale of electromagnetic oscillations and waves used. Low-Frequency and Acoustic Investigations. A list of methods widely used in modern medicine should especially include low-frequency methods for investigation of the physical fields of biological objects. Low-frequency apparatus is used first of all because of the rather high sensitivity of living cells to excitation by 50-100 Hz oscillations. Furthermore, modern electronics allows us to generate and amplify practically any signals in this range. The most widely used medical instruments for amplifying and registering bioelectrical activity are electrocardiographs and phonoeardiographs [4-6]. An electrocardiograph makes k possible to detect a change over time in the biopotential arising during excitation of muscle fibers, between two points on the surface of a body or between two points in the heart. The biopotemial curve for heart muscles obtained in this case (the electrocardiogram or ECG) is the resultant change in the voltages of many millions of elementary muscle fibers. The operation of the phonocardiograph (PCG) is based on measurement of a combination of mechanical vibrations: sounds, noise of frequency 10-800 Hz, arising during cardiac activity. Usually for more reliable diagnostics, multichannel devices are used which determine several physiological parameters; but the frequency range of most instruments with direct detection up to 100-150 Hz does not make it possible to take into account the high-frequency components of the informative signal. So when taking ECGs and PCGs, the passage of the envelope of the curve of the graphs obtained is recorded. Electroencephalography (EEG) is widely used to investigate biopotentials in the brain [4-7]. The electroencephalogram represents the resultant of the biopotentials of many billions of nerve cells, forming the neuron system of the brain. In order to evaluate the EEG results, multichannel apparatus (8, 12, 16, and 32-channel) are also used, the signal from which (7.5-13 Hz) (alpha rhythm), amplitude on the order of 50 mV) is analyzed using a computer. In performing EEG examinations, correct placement of the electrodes is very important, since the thick bones of the skull weaken the electrical effect. Usually Ag or AgCI electrodes are used in button form. Most EEG apparatus include a device for measuring the resistance between electrodes, which can be reduced down to 1-2 k'fl. Monitoring and diagnostics of peripheral nervous activity are accomplished using electromyographs [4-6]. Excitation of motor complexes is also accompanied by generation of biopotentials. The amplitude of this voltage may fluctuate within the range from 10 mV to a few millivolts with frequency 1-15 kHz. In taking the electromyograms (EMG), conically shaped platinum needle electrodes are used; the central electrode should be in contact with the muscle fiber under study and the braid of the electrode acts as a shield. Surface electrodes are also used which are attached directly to the skin surface. The voltage from the electrodes after amplification is outputted to an oscilloscope screen with the required number of registration channels. For low-frequency investigations of the physical fields of biological objects, apparatus for biophysical research are used in scientific research centers and institutes that make it possible to detect the spectral composition of radiation. Thus at the Shanghai Institute of Nuclear Research, a low-frequency sound wave was observed as a carrier within the composition of the radiation for the physical field of a biological object. A similar effect has been confirmed at the A. S. Popov Institute of Biological Information Science: oscillations in the 300-2000 nm range are typical for physical fields of biological objects [8]. In [9], results are presented for experimental investigations of the correlation between color and frequency in the radiation of physical fields of biological objects. The range of detected frequencies is 250-1200 Hz. However, the authors do not exclude the possibility of the existence of higher overtones. In addition to direct methods for detection and amplification of the low-frequency component in physical fields of biological objects, experimental work on long-distance action of humans on biological objects with instrumental detection of the resulting effects should be individually pointed out. The most interesting are work using plants as biosensors [I0]. Immature bean plants were used as the detector in the experimental setup. With the help of a U5-9 d.c. current amplifier (used as a matching device) and a KSP-40 recording instrument, the change in the potential difference between different parts of the plant was detected. To do this, silver electrodes blackened in a sodium chloride solution at the electrolysis voltage of 1.5 V were introduced into the stem of the plant (in the root and under the cotyledon). The plant (in a pot) was set into a Petri dish and then into a wooden stand, and was placed in a quilted liner inside a 250 250 500 mm metallic cage (the mesh size was 10 10 mm). As a result of this work, the magnitude of the bioeffect and its variation under the direct action of the operator was estimated, and also when different shields were installed for studying absorption or attenuation of the known components of the physical fields of biological objects. The experiments performed showed that the interaction under investigation is 701

informational in character: i.e., it is not the intensity of the signal which is important, but rather its qualitative character (its spectrum). In experiments with electricity-generating fish (Gnathonemus Petersit) [11-13], generating locational electric pulses of frequency 10-11 Hz, an increase in the interpulse intervals was observed associated with the action of the operator, while reduction of the intervals is the response of the fish to stimulation of the usual type. In [13], conclusions were drawn concerning the regular patterns in the effect of a human on generators of infralow-frequency electrical noise (flicker noise), which is apparent in the increase in the spectral density of its power with a decrease in frequency according to a close to 1/flaw, where / i s the generator frequency. The dependence was followed to 10 -~ Hz. They used different noise generators built using bipolar and MOS transistors, IMS* and polycrystalline semiconductors. The signal from the noise generator was supplied to a shielded amplifier with passband smaller than 0.1 Hz. Low-frequency methods for investigation of the physical fields of biological objects may also include the biolocation method (dowsing), which for a long time has been considered unscientific and based only on the human reflector response [1416]. The biolocation phenomenon consists of the ability of a human to determine the presence of any objects or their properties in space using a mechanical indicator frame (dowsing rod) or a pendulum bob on a string executing oscillations. The dowsing rod is made of iron or copper wire of diameter 2-5 mm. The shapes and dimensions of the rods were different, but the most widely used were F- and H-shaped. The length of the handle in the P-shaped rods was 12-15 cm, while tim sensitive long arm was 30-35 cm long; and in the H-shaped rod, the sensitive arms were 15-20 cm long with an arm between them and handles located at an angle of 100 ~ to the arm. There are F-shaped rods with telescopic sensitive arms whose length may vary from 10 to 50 cm. The pendulum bob is usually also made from metal, and it may have various shapes (cylindrical, spherical, spiral, etc.). The only condition is that the dimensions of the pendulum should be much less than the length of the thread. Radiofrequency and Microwave Investigations. Consideration of investigations of the bioelectromagnetic activity of objects in the radiofrequency range should begin with ultrasonic methods. Generation of ultrasonic vibrations is based on the piezoelectric effect in crystals, such as quartz or barium titanate. Ultrasonic vibrations of frequency from 800 kHz and all the way up to 1 GHz are widely used in modem medicine for various diagnostic purposes and physical therapy. Ultrasound diagnostic and therapy methods have been rather well studied and described in the literature [4-6, 17, 18]. In practical facilities, most often the UT-5 apparatus is used, operating at a frequency of 880 kHz with power divider from 0.6 to 2 W/era 2. In various procedures, use is made of both ultrasonically "transparent" biological objects (giving an effect similar to x-ray transparent objects) and detection of the signal for pulse duration t msec and repetition frequency on the order o f I000 Hz. This method has advantages over x-ray studies because of the low radiation intensity and the possibility of studying organs positioned sequentially, one after the other. In order to obtain a cross-sectional picture of the boundary region of layers or tissues of an organism, ultrasound scanning is used with display of the reflected signals by a storage tube. In evaluating the displacement parameters of moving organs, Doppler ultrasound diagnostics are used, based on the results of interference of the radiated and reflected vibrations. Despite the fact that a large number of papers have been devoted to ultrasound methods, I was unable to fred any studies on direct detection of the frequency components of physical fields of biological objects in the indicated range. However, we should dwell in more detail on publications devoted to studies of responses of biological structures to ultrasonic radiation of different intensities [4, 19]. The major conclusions drawn by the authors of the indicated papers are reduced to the need to consider several aspects of the effect of ultrasound on biological objects: - first, we have the micromassaging effect on ceils. If the diameter of living cells is assumed to be equ-i to 30 mm, then for a power of 2 W.cm 2 and a frequency of 800 kHz, the amplitude of the frequency shift is 0.03 ram, which is much less than even a thousandth of a cell. However, with an increase in the intensity and focusing of the radiation, the mechanical action of ultrasound may lead to tissue damage, which nevertheless does not exclude the possibility of using this effect in ultrasound neurosurgery; - secondly, we have the very nonuniform thermal action on the tissues of the organism over the penetration depth due to the variation in the absorption coefficient, the integrated value of which is about 33% per cm; - thirdly, on ultrasonic irradiation a chemical action also occurs, accelerating diffusion processes in the cells, which promotes depolymerization of high-molecular proteins, catalyzes biochemical oxidation processes etc. Along with ultrasound methods of investigation, traditional medicine widely uses equipment for ultrahigh-frequency physical therapy, operating at frequencies of 27.12, 40.68, and 460 MHz and generating power of 200-500 W [4-6, 20, 21]. *Unknown acronym - Translator. 702

The major effect resulting from ultrahigh-frequency action on biological objects is generation of heat due to the change in the direction and intensity of the electromagnetic field. Theoretical calculations show that the relative amount of heat generated is directly proportional to the conductivity and inversely proportional to the square of the dielectric constant of the biological object [4, 21]. So on ultrahigh-frequency action, the temperature can significantly rise even within tissues located deep down (hyperthermia). The characteristic thermal radiation of a biological object is registered in the radiofrequency range using rf thermographs. The f'urst work on radio-frequency thermometry under the direction of V. S. Troitsldi (Scientific-Research Institute of Radiophysics) were done in the decimeter range (30 cm) [22-24], and presently the method is used in medical diagnostics in practically all radio-frequency and microwave ranges. Generally the radiometer contains an antenna-applicator of the v~rator type with modulator based on pin diodes, an amplifier with a quadratic detector and a unit for recording and processing the signals. The instrument is calibrated using a reference with physiological solution [25]. Biophysical processes in tissues exposed to radiofrequency and microwave radiation are not limited to only heat generation processes. Variable vibrations of particles and molecules lead to complex changes in the microstructures and affect the velocity of vibrational motions of side chains of large protein molecules, thus changing their specificity. The thermal effect may be insignificant due to the good blood supply in the brain and effective withdrawal of the heat generated as a result. Nonthermal (informational) or oscillatory action leads to development of distinctive processes changing the excitability and conduction of nerve cells, the activity of metabolotropic functions of tissues, etc. [26, 27]. This means that in studying the physical fields of biological objects and the action of radiation on them, we can detect both energetic (thermal) and informational (nonthermal) effects: it all depends on the criterion according to which we evaluate the action. It is not the power of the radiation flux or the degree of heating of the tissues or media which serve as such criteria, but rather the nature of the dependence of the biological effect on the power flux density and the frequency of the waves [28-30]. This has also been determined in many experiments with biological membranes [28, 31]. While the power dependence is reflected by a stepped graph, the frequency dependence has a sharp resonance character: an informational effect. If the effect is directly proportional to the radiation intensity or connected with it by a logarithmic dependence or another similar law and we do not observe sharp resonance phenomena, then the effect will be energetic. Hypotheses concerning the possible generation of vibrations in the millimeter range by cells [28-30, 32, 33] are supported by a number of experimental investigations. One experiment was done on the yeast culture Saccharomyces carlsbergersis. Polyethylene oxide was selected with a molecular mass of 20,000 with its concentration in solution of 0.33 mg/ml, which is close to optimum from the standpoint of amplifying intercellular communication. With introduction of polyethylene oxide into the cellular suspension, on the synchronous cell division vs. time curve there appears an additional short step which does not disappear on subsequent divisions, suggesting that complete synchronization of vibrations occurs in some of the cells. It is very important that the length of the cycle between successive divisions of synchronized cells depends on the frequency of the amplifying effect of the synchronizing vibrations (the higher the frequency, the longer is the cycle). This makes it possible to roughly judge the frequency of the vibrations generated by the cell and the effect of an external frequency on the processes occurring in the cell. Evidence for generation of coherent vibrations by cells comes from an experiment with a culture of human embryonic muscle fibroblasts in an isotonic solution with concentration 2.106 cells/ml at a temperature of 25-27~ The settled fibroblast cells were uniformly distributed over the bottom of a Petri dish, which suggests weak interaction or no interaction between cells. A completely different pattern was observed when during the cell sedimentation period the Petri dish was placed on the opening of a rectangular funnel of cross-secti, ,1 10 x 20 mm 2 and x~ ,s irradiated in a 7.1 mm wave with flux density - 10 mW/cmx for 1 h. In this case, the cells in the region of concentration of the high-frequency electric field contract toward the center of the dish. Such an experiment made it possible to estimate the order of magnitude of the power of the coherent vibrations emitted by the ceils: 10 -~7 to 10 -ts W [28]. Recently especially considerable attention has been paid to questions concerning the action of low-intensity millimeter waves on biological objects, as we see from the conferences and symposia devoted to this problem [34-36]. Optical Investigations. Among the investigations of physical fields of biological objects, we should include work done in the infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) regions of the spectrum and also in the visible radiation range. In the last section, we already considered some questions connected with generation of thermal (incoherent) radiation by biological objects. The maximum wavelength of the thermal radiation emitted by the human body (on the order of 100 W) is about 104 nm. Quite sensitive receivers based on semiconductor junctions cooled with liquid nitrogen have been designed for this infrared section of the spectrum, and such devices have been used as the basis for thermal imaging apparatus [25, 27]. In thermal imaging devices, the thermal field of human skin is converted to a visible image on the screen of an electron tube. 703

From this image, we can determine the deviation of the thermal fields from the norm in degrees. However, while the described radiofrequency thermometric apparatus make it possible to determine heat sources at a sufficient depth, the IR apparatus reflects the thermal state of subcutaneous layers, vessels, and organs located not very deep (about I00 mm). Such observations provide sufficient information for diagnostics, monitoring, and treatment of various diseases. However, the major problem now posed for IR thermography is not measurement of the absolute value of the temperature but rather investigation of its space--time dynamics for the purpose of functional diagnostics of biological objects. For such investigations, a system has been designed based on a thermal imaging device and a special computer for processing the images with sensitivity 0.03 K and spatial resolution 100 mm [25, 36]. Of special interest is work on long-distance assessment of physical fields of biological objects with the help of shielded microcalorimeters used to register small thermal effects [13, 38]. The external thermal insulation of the microcalorimeter was a dewar in which the microcalorimeter proper was placed, consisting of a hermetically sealed copper shell and an MMT thermal resistor. An identical shell was placed next to it, but containing a heat-stable resistor instead of the thermal resistor. This made it possible to detect changes in temperature on the order of 10-5~ and electromagnetic activity and noise did not result in an appreciable response in the operation of the system. The thermal resistor and a heat-stable resistor were connected to identical low-noise amplifiers. Signals from the physical fields of the biological object were registered by a multichannel recorder. The operator whose effect was to be determined was located at a distance of 0.5 to 20 km from the microcalorimeter. The signals obtained during action of the operator changed significantly more sharply (and took on discrete values, multiples of 2.10-~*C) than signals obtained during conventional heating of the thermal resistor. Furthermore, during action of the operator, not only an increase but also a decrease in temperature was observed, while absorption of any nonionizing radiation by a biological object causes only an increase in temperature. For long-distance measurement of integral physical fields of biological objects, in [39] a sensor was proposed based on a layered A1--C--AI structure having a construction with nonlinear contacts, presuming the existence of tunnel junctions. We know that semiconductor and contact systems are heat-sensitive. In the junction region with a transition from thermally active to tunnel behavior, a number of anomalous electrical conductivity effects are observed. The current in the junction region is not the sum of the currents, while the potential region itself is characterized by jumpwise changes in the form of the voltage dependence of the height of the intercontact barrier. The design of the sensor is also based on the presence of this type of conductivity. Experiments on detection of physical fields of biological objects have been done with sensors located on a shield of five layers of A1 foil, heated up to 80~ In order to determine the results, an N-307 x-y recorder was used with sensitivity 50 mV/cm and recording speed 25 sec/cm. During action of the operator on the sensor, the change in its resistance was 200300 fl compared with the original. Furthermore, during action of different operators, the data on the change in the resistance pulses were quite different with respect to frequency and amplitude. From the results of the experiments, it was concluded that it is possible to register the physical and emotional state of a biological specimen and also changes in these states, such as during bioenergetic therapeutic action. The visible portion of the wavelength spectrum is used to generate visual sensations, and the characteristic features of the frequency composition of the light reflected from different objects determine the color shades of the surroundings. The color orders the biological object in space and the sequence of actions and events. It acquires these capabilities with the help of a t-me and extremely sensitive optical "instrument": the eye. In [40], it is noted that the human eye is capable of distinguishing the seven primary colors of the spectrum, which can be obtained by decomposition of white light with the aid of a refracting optically transparent body, and also tuminous sensations. That is, there are two more colors: white, characterizing the presence of light; and black, when light is absent. The construction of the eye makes it possible to create a pattern within the uniformly distr~uted arrangement of light-perceiving photoreceptors, which are also in a position to subdivide, encode, and transmit further the information obtained [16]. The excitation pulses are transmitted along the optic nerve, consisting of approximately 800,000 individual fibers, each of which is in a position to transmit from 20 to 50 stimulations/see. Only some of this large information flow is subjected to further processing. It depends on the information already accumulated by the biological object, and also on its individual constitution and attentiveness. In this case, the visual pattern (the perceived impression) may not coincide with the object because of, for example, noncorrespondence to the laws of geometric perspective. Such phenomena also arise when assessing the brightness of light, the velocity of motion, etc. Based on the concept of generalized crystallography proposed by Bernal and Carlisle, at a branch of the I~NIOM-URAL Scientific-Research Center a crystal optics method has been developed for detection of physical fields of biological objects [41]. In order to take the crystallograms, they used a multicomponent crystal-forming mixture based on silica oxide. The liquid obtained was applied as a droplet to slides which were placed in special projection zones of the biological object. The exposure 704

time was 5 min. Then the preparations were dried at room temperature in sunlight and were observed under a microscope in polarized light. The action of the physical fields of the biological object caused changes in the crystallograms, which were apparent in the predominance of the color interference patterns (variegated colors) and also in the special ordering and orientation of the structures of the crystallograms. Among the investigations of the physical fields of biological objects done in the visible and UV ranges, work in [42] stands out on the effect of physical fields of biological objects on monochromatic laser radiation with instrumental detection of the properties of the medium and the propagation of the radiation. The region under investigation was probed with radiation from steady-state lasers LG-126, LG-23 at wavelengths 0.63, 1.15, 10.6 mm. A five-way optical gas cuvet of length 100 mm and diameter 60 m m was used as the medium, in which the air was pumped out before the run by a forevacuum pump down to a pressure of 5-10 -2 torr and then in different runs was filled with air, nitrogen, or carbon dioxide. As a result of the experiments, the absence of any attenuation of the radiation was noted during action on the optical cuvet unfilled with gas while strong attenuation was noted when the cuvet was filled (especially at 10.6 mm), which also resulted in a pulsed type of process. The effect of the action was apparent in the visually observable "scattering" bursts and the strong flicker of the laser spot on the screen. This allowed the authors to hypothesize a change in the physical state of the medium and the presence of absorption and light scattering. We especially should note a number of investigations of the physical fields of biological objects done by electrophotography methods, using the characteristic features of both the optical and the radiofrequency ranges [14, 16]. The physical fields of biological objects were first detected photographically by the Czech Navratil, who used high voltage and current for amplification, which permitted photographing the field of only dead matter. The Kirlians (husband and wife) further developed the electrophotography method at the end of the 1960s. In this method, black & white or color film was placed emulsion side up on a metal plate through which high-frequency vibrations were passed with voltage on the order of 10 kW. The object of investigation was placed on the emulsion side of the film, illuminated with red light, and kept there for 1/25 of a second. After development, the detected physical field of the biological object remained on the film. The Kirlian method has been pursued especially intensively in the USA, but so far no satisfactory explanation has been found for the results obtained. Currently, an electrobioluminescence method developed based on the Kirlian effect is widely used to evaluate the bioenergetic state of objects, and also for studying the mechanisms by which the biological object perceives the activity of the field environment [43-45]. X-Ray and Radiation Investigations. The radiation discovered by W. C. Roentgen (x-rays) in 1895 has been used for a long time in modern medicine for diagnostics and therapy of various diseases. The most promising method for investigation of the bioeleetromagnetic activity of living organisms in this range is x-ray tomography, based on the practically linear dependence of the absorption of radiation on the composition and density of the object under study. When considering apparatus for ultrasound therapy, it was pointed out that such a method does not make it possible to completely eliminate superposition of projections of other sections on the section under study. Furthermore, the exposure time (increasing contras0 for living organisms is limited to permissible radiation doses. However, a somewhat different approach is used as the basis for the operation of modern x-ray tomographs, based on the use of powerful computer methods for processing the data obtained by tomographic scanning. In order to speed up taking the pictures, several sources or a moving source are used with a divergent (fan-shaped) beam, the intensity distribution in which is measured by a two-dimensional sensitive detector. Then synthesis of the density distribution of the tissues or organs of the biological object is done using special algorithms on a computer [46-48]. An important problem arising in the investigation of the physical fields of biological objects is the need to eliminate the effect of the field of the operator on the detection system, which can lead to obtaining reproducible but invalid results. Accordingly, investigation methods have been developed using radioactive decay as the reference process. It is known that none of the familiar physical fields or combinations of these fields generated by a biological object affect this process. A positive point is also the fact that the process of radioactive decay has been rather well studied and reliable methods have been developed for detecting it as well as mathematical apparatus for processing the measurement results. In [49], the following radioactive isotopes with different decay schemes were used: 9~Tc, 31p, 90Sr ' t37Cs" The process was registered using Geiger counters and scintillation detectors. The emission spectra were simultaneously recorded with the help of an IN-90 multichannel amplitude analyzer (France). Several parallel detection systems operating on different principles were mounted around the radiation source. These experiments provided data suggesting that the operators did affect the detection system. This made it possible to conclude that it was necessary to design parallel channels for detection of the physical fields of biological objects using different physical effects, which would make it possible to eliminate large systematic errors and invalid results.

705

With the help of the thermoluminescence dosimetry method, in [50] the authors studied the components of ionizing radiation in the physical fields of biological objects. The characteristics of thermoluminescent dosimeters provided a working range for the measurable doses from 10 -z to IOs rad, detection of electromagnetic radiation with energies up to 1 keV, charged particles with energies from a few electron-volts up to tens of megaelectron-volts. The experimental results revealed the presence of ionizing radiation in individual sections of the body of the biological object of power tens or hundreds of times greater than the power of the background radiation of the environment. It was noted that when the biological object concentrated the energy, the average radiation dose rate was hundreds of times or more than the level registered at the same place when the organism was in the passive state. It was concluded that the radiation level in the physical fields of biological objects is a multifactorial parameter. In conclusion, we should note that our analytical review of the state-of-the-art of instrumental methods for detection and amplification of the physical fields of biological objects, despite the diversity of the methods and devices considered in different wavelength ranges, allows us to draw conclusions concerning the advantages and disadvantages of the solutions chosen for the problems and also to suggest possible trends and prospects for development in this direction. The authors of most of the studies and papers considered use various physical processes which can be registered by equipment for studying the bioelectromagnetic activity of the objects. This is because of the availability of standard measuring and amplifying apparatus and also the possibility of using existing methods for metrological processing of the results. When using equipment, the force effect is registered, which is determined by the intensity of the signal and is rather small, so considerable difficulties arise in separating the useful signal from the background. The direct use of living organisms for detection of the physical fields of biological objects (because of their strong sensitivity to weak external effects) has always been the target of criticism. This is especially so because of the need to eliminate all additional channels for information transmission, and also the practically complete lack of methods for statistical treatment of the results of such measurements. Thus eurrendy the most promising methods in our opinion for investigating the physical fields of biological objects are instrumental methods, using biological structures for the primary conversion followed by secondary conversion of the informative signal obtained by equipment, with the possibility of synthesis of the steps of the process and statistical treatment of the results with the help of a computer. The use of such methods allows us to take into account the informational character of the interaction between biological objects, i.e., to determine the qualitative characteristics of the physical fields of biological objects rather than the absolute value of the effect. Further development of instrumental methods for studying the physical fields of biological objects involves solving the problems arising in searching for adequate methods for detection of signals with biosensors, making it possible to obtain reproducible results and to eliminate the effect of the operators on the detection system.

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