Electro Interstitial Scans: Another Test to Avoid

Electro Interstitial Scans
Another Test to Avoid

Stephen Barrett, M.D.

LD Technology, of Coral Gables, Florida, advertises that its 3-minute Electro Interstitial Scan (EIS) System can provide data that healthcare practitioners can use for:

Calculating the acid-base status of the patient’s body
Biochemical, hormonal, and neurohormones estimates
Measuring the functional status of 37 internal organs, on a basis of 69 parameters
Graphic representations of conductivity of the interstitial liquid specific of dysfunctions
Coding and modeling of organ dysfunctions
Reflection of cellular mitochondrial activity and of organic enzymatic activity
Reflecting interstitial pH, interstitial O2, interstitial CO2, and ATP
Providing interstitial Ionogram
Computing Body Mass Index values
Computing Body Composition values
Providing organ system and health risk analysis [1]

LD Technology claims that the EIS System can help practitioners treat patients with many types of health problems and can verify treatment effectiveness. The company also claims that "before reaching the U.S. marketplace, the EIS was calibrated using over 20,000 clinical study tests from individuals and subsequent tests from patients with a wide-variety of pathologies." [1]

Company literature states that the device evaluates the "bioelectromagnetic impedance" of interstitial fluid (fluid between the cells) throughout the body. The EIS System is said to (a) introduce a 1.28-volt direct current through six electrodes connected through a "black box" to the practitioner's computer (b) measure the voltage drop between 22 pairs of points on the skin, and (c) interpret the results with software installed in the practitioner's computer that produces various models, graphs, and text data for the practitioner to interpret [1]. The patient sits in front of the device with bare feet on the lower electrode plates, hands resting on the desktop electrodes, and the upper electrodes applied to the forehead.

Each of the 22 electrode pairs is said to represent various organs and organ systems. The middle picture to the right illustrates the claim that current flow between the left forehead and the left hand provides information about the left sides of the ear, eye, nasal canal, sinus, tonsillar ring, upper jaw, lower jaw, and temporomandibular joint.

A company video states that the readings provide diagrammable data that represent 22 areas classified as: "cardiovascular, metabolic disorders," "acute hepatitis," "chronic respiratory disorder," "type II diabetes," "acute respiratory disorder," "neuromuscular and cardiac vascular disorder," "neuromuscular and vascular disorder," "asthenia digestive disorder" (two areas), "drugs intoxication," "metabolic disorder," "hepatic insufficiency," "hyperventilation, type I diabetes, and renal failure," "obstructive bronchitis," "acute respiratory disorder" (2 areas), "digestive risk," "cardiovascular risk, atherosclerosis," "and digestive and bone disorders." [2] In the lower picture to the right, the body image supposedly depicts the status of various organs and the "risk analysis" bar graph supposedly prioritizes the problems that need attention.

Another video refers to the organ images as "the money-maker page . . . the real crowd-pleaser" because it enables the practitioner and patient . . . to see quickly what's out of balance." [3]

Proponents further claim that in healthy subjects, the EIS system is used for a general health check, to estimate body fat percentage and to give diet and and dietary supplement suggestions. In subjects with symptoms but without treatment, the system can be programmed to to help regulate and target supplementary examinations. And in subjects under medication, EIS system is used for the therapeutic follow up to help control dosage and monitor effectiveness and side effects [4].

Before the measurements are taken, people who undergo the test complete an intake form with more than 500 boxes to check off about symptoms, illnesses, diet, and other lifestyle factors [5,6]. The items that are checked are then recorded into the practitioner's computer. The scan reports typically include long lists of speculations about possible problems with organs, organ systems, and body functions, as well as "supplementary exams" that it recommends. At the end, the computer can print diagrams and reports to give to the patient. The scan reports I have seen state that "the software proposes some possibilities of diseases or dysfunction with a specificity and a sensitivity." However, they add that "these possibilities are not diagnostic but help for [sic] regulate more specific and supplementary examinations." [7] The reports I have seen include:

Tables headed "Estimation of interstitial ionogramme," "Estimation of interstitial gasses assessment," "Estimation of interstitial oxidative stress," "Estimation of interstitial cerebral neurotransmitters," and "Estimation of interstitial hormones assessment, and "statistical estimation of biochemistry."
A lists of "associated risks," which include such statements as "possibility of hepatic, pancreatic, or gallbladder troubles. Specificity 73% Sensitivity 72%"; "possibility of digestive inflammation. Specificity 79% Sensitivity 69%"; and "risk of deformation of the vertebral column."
A list headed "underlying situation," which include such statements as "disorders of water assessment," and "possibility of anemia with normal iron concentration."
Lists of recommended supplementary exams, recommended and nonrecommended foods, and recommended dietary supplements.

Slide 75 of the instructions for the device [6] state that the dietary recommendations "are temporary (4-6 weeks) and will be revised at the next examination."

Proponents claim that electro interstitial scanning has been validated by many studies. However, most of the studies cited on their Web sites did not involve their device and those that did were poorly designed, skimpily reported, and/or lacking in meaningful data.

L.D. Technology states that the EIS was invented in France by French physician Albert Maarek, M.D. (a French neurologist) and became available to practitioners in France in 2001, in Russia in 2002, throughout Europe in early 2003, in China and parts of Asia in 2004, in Mexico and South America in 2005, in North American in 2007, and in South Africa and Australia in early 2008. The device is said to cost "less than $21,000," and practitioners are said to charge from $55 to $125 for the scan, with interpretations ranging from a flat fee of $10 to consultations at $150 per hour [1].

The EIS device is registered with the FDA, which merely means that the agency has been notified that it exists. It is not listed in the agency's 510(k) database, which means that it has not been cleared for marketing and is not legal to market in interstate commerce in the United States. Although the FDA has cleared some biofeedback devices that measure skin resistance, a device intended to diagnose a wide range of health problems would require premarket approval (not just clearance) that includes its software [8]. The lack of legal and scientific standing may explain why the application form of one practitioner (a naturopath) states:

I, the undersigned, hereby authorize ______ to assess my health concerns and perform an ElectroScanGram (ESG) study. . . .

I understand the EIS is a programmable electro medical system (PEMS) that generates an ESG used to: study body composition; compute various physiologic parameters in certain organs; explore probabilities of the functional risks of the various body systems; scrutinize effectiveness of treatments used to cure or attenuate an organic dysfunction or a disease. . . .

I understand only licensed medical doctors diagnose or treat a patient, using medical devices designed specifically for diagnosis and/or with pharmaceutical products approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); and the practice is not a medical doctor or allopathic practitioner; and the ESG is not a diagnosis. This practice and the PEMS are not designed to and do not diagnose, prevent, treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent anything (including, but not limited to, diseases, ailments, disorders, and medical conditions). It also does not replace a medical examination but is, rather, considered a complementary tool for an exam. Furthermore, I understand a result of the EIS showing no abnormal values does not mean that I am healthy; it only indicates that there are no physiological tissue parameter or interstitial biochemical value disorders.

I hereby attest and affirm that I am now and at all future times meeting with the practice solely as a client, on my first and all, if any, subsequent visits (in person, through e-mail communications, or by telephone consultation), and solely on my own behalf; and not as an agent of any agency, people, or other parties. I also attest that any person or persons present with me at any time while meeting with the practice, either in person, through e-mail communications, or via telephone consultation, are strictly present at my request to accompany me and not as an agent of any agency, people, or other parties. Finally, I understand the practice will not advise me regarding the use of any pharmaceutical agents as relates directly to me [6].

A device claimed to provide information about hundreds of diseases and conditions could not be approved without a mountain of evidence substantiating usefulness and reliability. X-ray equipment is approved, for example, because the relationships between x-ray findings and physical findings have been studied in countless millions of cases. Electro Interstitial Scans have no proven practical value and could cause large amounts of time and money to be wasted by people who believe the speculations .

References

The EIS: a new medical device aims to improve healthcare experience through safe, noninvasive electro interstitial scans. Press release, L D Technology Sales, Inc., March 15, 2008.
E.I.S. Electro Interstitial Scan: Non invasive screening technique designed to measure organ function and monitor therapeutic control. Video. LD Technology, downloaded Aug 29, 2008.
Main body image. Video demo. Electro Interstitial Company (Canada) Web site, downloaded Sept 2, 2008.
Use of EIS. Cenzitek Web site, accessed 8/31/08.
Speroni A. EIS intake form. C.A.M. Options Inc. Web site, downloaded Aug 29, 2008.
Manufacturer and developer information, slide 45. LD Technology Power Point presentation, accessed Sept 1, 2008.
Electro interstitial scan status reports, acquired Aug 2008.
Rollings J. Letter to Stephen Barrett, M.D., Nov 28, 1986.

This article was posted on September 3, 2008.