PEMF Terminology Dictionary
Plain-language definitions of the terms used in Gauss Labs PEMF device and accessory reports. Browse by category or search, and open any term for its full definition.
5 Gauss
The field strength taken as the practical edge of useful reach, about ten times the earth's background.
Field Strengthuniversalreporting
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50% Falloff Distance
The distance from center where the field drops to 50% of peak, the edge of the therapeutic core.
Coverage & Falloffuniversal
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Accessory
The applicator that delivers the field to the body, holding one or more coils inside.
Coil & Geometryuniversalhardware
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Accessory Diameter
The overall outer width of the accessory pad or enclosure, used as the boundary for coverage analysis.
Coil & Geometryuniversalmeasurement
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Accessory Shape
The physical form of the applicator, such as a disc, loop, or mat, which sets how the field spreads.
Coil & Geometryuniversalreporting
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Accessory Thickness
The housing thickness that sets where the measurement surface sits and anchors the height axis.
Coil & Geometryuniversalmeasurementhardware
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Air Core vs. Ferrite Core
The material inside a coil: air stays predictable at high current, ferrite boosts field but can saturate.
Engineeringengineeringhardware
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Amplitude
The strength of the field each pulse produces, in Gauss, distinct from how often pulses occur.
Field Strengthuniversalphysics
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Analog PEMF Machine
A device that fires pulses from a spark chamber and capacitor, with natural pulse-to-pulse variation.
Engineeringhardwareengineering
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ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)
The cell's main energy molecule, made by mitochondria; some research links PEMF to greater ATP production.
Biologybiologyphysics
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Avg Dissipation (mW)
The average heat the coil produces over a full pulse cycle, which shapes safe session length.
Engineeringmeasurementengineering
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AWG (American Wire Gauge)
A wire sizing scale where a lower number means thicker wire and less resistance.
Coil & Geometryuniversal
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Axial Measurement
Field measured straight along the coil's central axis, the reference standard for device characterization.
Measurement Geometrymeasurement
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Axial Probe
A gauss probe that senses the field along its tip, best for discs, pancakes, and donut coils.
Equipmentuniversalmeasurementhardware
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Bioelectricity
The natural electrical signals cells maintain; PEMF induces currents that may interact with them.
Biologybiologyphysics
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Bioelectromagnetics
The science of how electromagnetic fields interact with living systems, the foundation for PEMF.
Physicsbiologyphysics
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Bipolar Pulse
A pulse that reverses field direction mid-cycle (biphasic), inducing current twice; a one-direction pulse is monophasic.
Waveformwaveformengineering
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Butterfly Loop Coil
Two loop coils angled toward each other so the field focuses where they converge.
Coil & Geometryuniversalhardware
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Capacitor-Discharge Topology
A driver that charges a capacitor then dumps it through the coil for a fast, high-peak pulse.
Engineeringengineeringhardware
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Cellular Membrane Potential
The voltage a cell holds across its membrane; PEMF may influence it by moving ions.
Biologybiologyphysics
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Cellular Metabolism
The chemical work cells do to turn nutrients into energy, a pathway PEMF may support.
Clinical & Protocolbiologyuniversal
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Cellular Regeneration
How cells repair and reproduce; PEMF is proposed to support it through its effects on cellular energy.
Clinical & Protocolbiologyprotocol
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Center Field Strength
The field measured at the exact center of the accessory, compared to peak to find coil type.
Field Strengthuniversal
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Circulation Enhancement
Improved blood flow, a commonly reported PEMF effect linked to nitric oxide release.
Clinical & Protocolbiologyprotocol
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Coil Count
How many individual coils sit inside a multi-coil accessory like a mat or pad.
Coil & Geometryuniversalreporting
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Coil Diameter
The outside width of a single coil winding, drawn as the reference circle on the heatmap.
Coil & Geometryuniversalreporting
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Coil Inductance (L)
The coil's resistance to changing current, which sets how fast the field can rise.
Engineeringengineeringphysicshardware
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Coil Layout
The arrangement of coils in a mat, read from where each coil's field peaks.
Coil & Geometryuniversal
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Coil Resistance (R)
The resistance of the coil wire, which sets how much heat it makes and voltage it needs.
Engineeringengineeringhardware
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Coil Shape
The winding pattern of a coil (pancake spiral or ring loop), also read from the field as pancake, donut, or loop.
Coil & Geometryengineeringreporting
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Coil Type
A classification from the measured field: pancake (center-strong), donut (ring-strong), or loop.
Coil & Geometryuniversal
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Composite Waveform
An overlay chart of every setting's pulse shape on one time axis for quick comparison.
Waveformuniversalwaveformreporting
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Concentration Score
How tightly the field focuses near the coil face, as a percentage. A surface metric, not depth.
Flux & Energyuniversal
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Contraindications
Conditions where PEMF may not be appropriate or needs medical clearance, like pregnancy or implants.
Clinical & Protocolprotocol
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Coverage Area
How much of a mat surface delivers meaningful field, reported in cm2 and as a percent of the mat.
Coverage & Falloffuniversal
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Coverage Uniformity
How consistent the peak field is across a mat's coils, lower spread meaning better-matched coils.
Coverage & Falloffuniversal
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Cross-Section
A side view of the field as if the accessory were sliced down the middle, color-coded by strength.
Visualizationuniversal
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Current (A)
The charge flowing through the coil; it helps set field strength but isn't a reliable performance measure alone.
Unitsmeasurementengineeringuniversal
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dB/dt
How fast the field changes at any instant, the primary driver of the induced electric field in tissue.
Physicsphysicsmeasurement
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dI/dt
How fast the coil current changes; a faster change makes a faster field change and sharper pulse.
Physicsphysicsengineering
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Digital PEMF Machine
A device that controls pulses with a microprocessor for precise, repeatable output.
Engineeringhardwareengineering
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Dipole-Loop Fit
A model of how the field weakens with depth, letting the report quote penetration at standard levels.
Coverage & Falloffuniversalreporting
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Distance (cm)
The lateral distance from the accessory center along the scan line, in centimeters.
Measurement Geometryuniversal
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Donut Coil
A flat ring-shaped coil with an open center, trading a lower face peak for wider, more even coverage.
Coil & Geometryuniversal
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Drive Voltage (V)
The voltage applied across the coil at pulse start, the main control over how fast current builds.
Engineeringengineeringhardware
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Duty Cycle (%)
The fraction of each cycle the field is on; higher means more energy but more heat.
Waveformmeasurementprotocoluniversalwaveform
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E-field (Induced Electric Field)
The electric field a changing magnetic pulse creates in the body, the main mechanism behind PEMF.
Physicsphysicsbiology
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Effective Field Area
The surface region where the field is at or above 10% of peak, strong enough to be useful.
Coverage & Falloffuniversal
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Effective Field Diameter
The width of the usable field zone, out to where it drops to 10% of peak.
Coverage & Falloffuniversalmeasurement
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Effective Field Radius
The distance from center where the field drops to 10% of peak, half the effective diameter.
Coverage & Falloffuniversal
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Electrode
A conductive element that carries current; in spark-chamber machines the gap sets pulse strength.
Engineeringhardwareengineering
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Electromagnetic Spectrum
The full range of electromagnetic radiation; PEMF sits at the very low, non-ionizing end.
Physicsphysicsuniversal
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Extra Points Beyond Edge
Measurement points placed past the accessory edge to capture how the field falls off into open space.
Measurement Geometryuniversalmeasurement
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Fall Time
How quickly the field collapses after a pulse, shaping the second induction event in tissue.
Waveformmeasurementwaveform
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Faraday's Law
The principle that a changing magnetic field creates an electric field in the body, the basis for PEMF.
Physicsphysicsbiology
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FEI Gauss Limit
The equestrian competition rule capping non-restricted PEMF devices at 0.1 Tesla (1,000 Gauss).
Regulatoryregulatoryequineuniversal
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Field Isosurface
A 3D boundary tracing every point in space where the field reaches a chosen strength.
Visualizationuniversalreporting
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Field Symmetry
How evenly the field spreads across all four measurement axes. It requires all four axes to compute.
Coverage & Falloffuniversal
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Field Volume
The 3D region where the field exceeds a threshold, shown as a dome around the coil's axis.
Visualizationuniversalreporting
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Fill Factor
How much of a coil's winding space is filled with copper; a higher factor means more field for its size.
Coil & Geometryengineeringhardware
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Flux Line
A curved arrow on the cross-section showing the field's shape, a stylized aid, not a precise measurement.
Visualizationuniversalreporting
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Flyback / Resonant Topology
Driver circuits that shape the pulse: flyback for fast field collapse, resonant for smooth waveforms.
Engineeringengineeringhardware
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Frequency (Hz)
How many pulses arrive per second, a key protocol variable independent of field strength.
Waveformmeasurementprotocoluniversalwaveform
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Frequency Bands
The named pulse-rate ranges (Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, Gamma), borrowed from EEG naming; they label where a rate falls, not an effect.
Waveformuniversalprotocolbiology
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Gauss (G)
The unit of magnetic field strength; 1 Tesla equals 10,000 Gauss.
Unitsmeasurementuniversal
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Gauss Meter
The calibrated instrument that measures field strength at each scan point during testing.
Equipmentuniversalmeasurement
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Gauss Meter Probe
The sensing tip of a gauss meter, held at a set standoff to read the field at each point.
Equipmentuniversalmeasurement
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Gradient Rate (G/mm)
How fast the field drops across the surface, the steepest change between adjacent points in Gauss per millimeter.
Coverage & Falloffuniversalmeasurementphysics
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H-Bridge / Half-Bridge Driver
Switching circuits that drive the coil; an H-bridge can reverse polarity for bipolar pulses.
Engineeringengineeringhardware
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Heat per Pulse (mJ)
The energy turned to heat in the coil during one pulse, in millijoules.
Engineeringmeasurementengineeringphysics
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Heatmap
A color-coded map of field strength across the surface, warm colors marking the strongest field.
Visualizationuniversal
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Helmholtz Coil
A parallel pair of matched loops that creates a highly uniform field in the space between them.
Coil & Geometryuniversalhardwarephysics
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High-Intensity PEMF
Strong-field PEMF in the thousands of Gauss, chosen for greater reach rather than a bigger surface effect.
Clinical & Protocoluniversal
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High-Intensity Zone
The innermost field region above 75% of peak, the most concentrated part of the output.
Field Strengthuniversal
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Inductive Kickback
A voltage spike when coil current is cut off; it sharpens the pulse edge but can damage electronics.
Engineeringengineeringhardware
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Interpolation
Estimating field values between measured points to produce a smooth, continuous heatmap.
Visualizationuniversal
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Ion Channels
Gates in the cell membrane that control which ions pass; PEMF can influence how they open and close.
Biologybiologyphysics
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Ion Exchange
The movement of charged particles in and out of cells, which PEMF can influence through membrane voltage.
Biologybiologyphysics
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Kilogauss (kG)
A unit equal to 1,000 Gauss, used for strong fields.
Unitsuniversal
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L/R Time Constant
How quickly current and field build in the coil, which sets how sharp the pulse edge is.
Engineeringengineeringphysics
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LCR Meter
The bench instrument that measures a coil's inductance, capacitance, and resistance.
Equipmentuniversal
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Loop Coil
An open coil placed around a limb, with the field passing through from all sides.
Coil & Geometryuniversal
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Loop Inner Diameter
The width of a loop coil's open center, the inside edge of the tubing ring.
Coil & Geometryuniversalmeasurement
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Loop Outer Diameter
The overall outer width of a loop coil, the outside edge of the tubing ring.
Coil & Geometryuniversalmeasurement
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Low-Intensity PEMF
Lower-strength PEMF (microtesla to about 1,000 G), well studied and suited to surface and everyday wellness use.
Clinical & Protocoluniversal
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Magnetic Permeability (µ)
How easily a material lets a magnetic field build inside it; ferrite cores concentrate the field.
Physicsphysicsengineering
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Magnetic Saturation
The point where a core can't magnetize further, so more current stops producing more field.
Physicsphysicsengineeringhardware
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Measurement Origin
The accessory center, labeled 0mm, from which all measurements extend outward.
Measurement Geometryuniversal
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Microsecond (µs)
One millionth of a second, the unit for PEMF pulse timing like rise and fall time.
Unitsuniversalmeasurement
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Millitesla (mT)
One thousandth of a Tesla; 1 mT equals 10 Gauss, shown alongside Gauss in reports.
Unitsuniversalmeasurement
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Mitochondria
The cell's energy factories that make ATP; PEMF may support their function.
Biologybiologyphysics
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Multimeter
A handheld tool for basic voltage, current, and resistance checks before detailed testing.
Equipmentmeasurementengineering
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Neighbor Coupling
How much a coil's field bleeds into its neighbor on a mat, expressed as a percentage.
Coverage & Falloffuniversalreporting
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Nitric Oxide (NO)
A signaling molecule that relaxes blood vessels; PEMF may raise its production to improve circulation.
Biologybiologyphysics
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On-Axis Dip
The weaker field above a loop coil's center, showing as a dimple on the 3D dome. Normal for loop geometry.
Coil & Geometryuniversal
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Oscilloscope
A tool that captures the coil's voltage waveform, from which pulse timing and shape are derived.
Equipmentmeasurementuniversal
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Pancake Coil
A flat spiral coil that projects a strong, focused field peaking at its center.
Coil & Geometryuniversal
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Parasitic Capacitance
Unwanted energy storage between windings that makes the field ring after fast pulse edges.
Engineeringengineeringhardware
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Parasympathetic Activation
Stimulating the rest-and-digest nervous pathway; low-frequency PEMF may support relaxation this way.
Clinical & Protocolbiologyprotocol
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Peak Current (A)
The strongest current during a pulse, which directly sets how strong the field becomes.
Engineeringmeasurementengineeringphysics
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Peak dB/dt
The single sharpest instant of field change in a pulse, taken from raw samples and used for safety limits.
Physicsphysicsmeasurementregulatory
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Peak Field Strength
The highest field an accessory produces, measured in Gauss at its surface.
Field Strengthuniversal
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PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field)
Time-varying magnetic pulses that induce microcurrents in tissue to support wellness and recovery.
Physicsuniversalphysics
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Penetration Depth
How far the field reaches into the body before fading, measured to the 5 Gauss edge in open air.
Coverage & Falloffuniversal
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Point Spacing
The distance between adjacent measurement points along a scan line, in centimeters.
Measurement Geometryuniversalmeasurement
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Power Supply
A bench source of steady, controlled power so measurements stay comparable across a device.
Equipmentmeasurementengineering
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Pulse Balance
The ratio of rise time to fall time; 1.0 means the field ramps up and down at equal speed.
Waveformmeasurementwaveform
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Pulse Completeness
Whether each pulse lasts long enough for the field to fully reach its intended peak.
Waveformmeasurementengineeringuniversal
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Pulse Width (µs)
How long one pulse holds significant field strength, measured in microseconds.
Waveformmeasurementwaveform
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Pulser Type
The electronics a device uses to drive the coil, shaping how the pulse rises and whether it reverses.
Engineeringengineeringhardware
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QC (Quality Control)
Verifying finished units meet performance specs before shipment, catching defects early.
Engineeringuniversal
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Radial
Measurements taken outward from the center in all directions, like spokes on a wheel.
Measurement Geometryuniversal
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Recovery Protocol
A structured plan of frequency, intensity, and duration for supporting recovery.
Clinical & Protocolprotocol
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Resonance
When a system absorbs energy most efficiently at just the right driving frequency, like pushing a swing.
Physicsphysicsuniversal
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Ring Frequency
The fast natural ringing of a coil circuit after each pulse, separate from the pulse repetition rate.
Waveformuniversalengineeringwaveform
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Ring/Center Ratio
The ratio of peak field to center field, used to tell a donut coil from a pancake.
Coil & Geometryuniversal
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Rise Time
How quickly the field reaches its peak, one of the most important pulse traits for effectiveness.
Waveformmeasurementwaveform
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RMS (Root Mean Square)
A time-average built for continuous signals, not a valid way to report a pulsed device's field strength.
Field Strengthuniversalmeasurement
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Sawtooth Wave
A strongly asymmetric waveform with one fast edge, common in capacitor-discharge circuits.
Waveformwaveformengineering
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Scan Line
One row of field readings swept across the surface at a fixed standoff from the coil.
Measurement Geometryuniversal
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Scan Point
A single measurement location along a scan line, recording field strength at that spot.
Measurement Geometryuniversal
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Schumann Resonance
Earth's natural electromagnetic resonance near 7.83 Hz, referenced by many devices as a baseline.
Physicsphysicsuniversal
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Session Duration
How long a single PEMF session runs, which sets the total energy dose delivered.
Clinical & Protocolprotocol
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Signal Generator
A bench tool that produces a precise, adjustable waveform as a known reference signal.
Equipmentmeasurementengineering
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Sine Wave
A smooth curving waveform with gradual field changes, gentle on tissue and lower in slew rate.
Waveformuniversalwaveform
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Slew Rate (G/µs)
The measured 10% to 90% slope of a pulse edge, read the way an oscilloscope gauges edge speed.
Engineeringmeasurementphysics
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Snubber Circuit
A protective part that tames voltage spikes when the field switches on or off.
Engineeringengineeringhardware
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Spark Chamber
A component in analog machines that fires the coil by arcing current across an electrode gap.
Engineeringhardwareengineering
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Square Wave
A waveform with near-instant transitions, producing the sharpest field changes and highest slew rate.
Waveformuniversalwaveform
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Stacked Tolerance
How several component tolerances add up, shifting real output away from the design target.
Engineeringuniversal
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Standoff Distance
The gap between probe tip and accessory surface, kept consistent so readings stay comparable.
Measurement Geometryuniversalmeasurement
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Tesla (T)
A unit of magnetic field strength equal to 10,000 Gauss, common in scientific literature.
Unitsuniversal
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Tesla per second (T/s)
The regulatory unit for how fast a field changes; 1 G/µs equals 100 T/s.
Unitsuniversalregulatory
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Therapeutic Core
The field zone above 50% of peak, strong enough to deliver meaningful energy to tissue.
Flux & Energyuniversal
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Therapeutic Window
The range of output where biological effects appear; more power isn't always better.
Clinical & Protocolprotocoluniversal
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Thermal Load
How much heat the coil makes during operation, an electrical estimate that shapes safe session length.
Engineeringmeasurementengineeringuniversal
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Thermal Throttling
A device cutting its own output when it overheats, so late-session field can read lower than early.
Engineeringengineeringhardware
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Tolerance
The allowable deviation from a part's nominal value, which shifts output strength and timing.
Engineeringuniversal
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Total Effective Flux
All the magnetic flux across the coil area out to its boundary, the widest flux zone.
Flux & Energyuniversal
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Total Stimulation Intensity
A per-second dose metric counting both pulse edges times frequency.
Clinical & Protocolmeasurementprotocol
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Transverse Probe
A gauss probe that senses the field across its shaft, best for loops and butterfly coils.
Equipmentuniversalmeasurementhardware
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Triangle Wave
A waveform with straight rising and falling edges, giving a steady rate of field change.
Waveformuniversalwaveform
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Turn Count
The number of wire loops in a coil; more turns raise field but slow rise time.
Coil & Geometryengineeringhardware
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Voltage (V)
The potential that drives coil current; it affects slew rate but isn't a reliable measure of output.
Unitsmeasurementengineeringuniversal
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Waveform Color
The consistent color code for waveform types: blue sine, gold square, green triangle, purple sawtooth.
Visualizationwaveformreporting
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Waveform Type
The pulse shape a device produces, which influences how energy reaches tissue.
Waveformwaveformmeasurement
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Weber / Milliweber (Wb / mWb)
Units for the total magnetic energy passing through an area; mWb is used in reports.
Unitsuniversal
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Wellness Device vs. Medical Device
A regulatory split setting what claims a device may make; wellness devices can't claim to cure disease.
Regulatoryregulatory
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X-Axis / Y-Axis
The two horizontal directions, crossing at center, used to map the field across the surface.
Measurement Geometryuniversal
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Z-Axis
The depth dimension into the body; readings sit on horizontal planes along it, with z=0 at the coil surface.
Measurement Geometryuniversalmeasurement
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