NIKOLA TESLA AND MEDICINE: 160TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF THE GENIUS WHO GAVE LIGHT TO THE WORLD - PART II.

Abstract

Nikola Tesla (1856- 1943) was a genius inventor and scientist, whose contribution to medicine is remarkable. Part I of this article reviewed special contributions of the world renowned scientist to the establishment of radiology as a new discipline in medicine. This paper deals with the use of Tesla currents in medicine. Tesla Currents in Medicine. Tesla's greatest impact on medicine is his invention of a transformer (Tesla coil) for producing high frequency and high voltage currents (Tesla currents). Tesla currents are used in diathermy, as they, while passing through the body, transform electrical energy into a therapeutic heat. In 1891, Tesla passed currents through his own body and was the first to experience their beneficial effects. He kept correspondence on electrotherapy with J. Dugan and S. H. Monell. In 1896, he used high frequency currents and designed an ozone generator for producing ozone, with powerful antiseptic and antibacterial properties. Tesla is famous for his extensive experiments with mechanical vibrations and resonance, examining their effects on the organ ism and pioneering their use for medical purposes. Tesla also designed an oscillator to relieve fatigue of the leg muscles. It is less known that Tesla's inventions (Tesla coil and wireless remote control) are widely used in modern medical equipment. Apart from this, wireless technology is nowadays widely applied in numerous diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Nikola Tesla was the last Renais- sance figure of the modern era. Tesla bridged three centuries and two millennia by his inventions, and permanently indebted humankind by his epochal discoveries.