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Tobiscope design (with instructions from the CIA)

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bonyz:
Has anyone built a Tobiscope? What is the modern equivalent if there is any? The following has the CIA Freedom of Information Act instructions how to build a Tobiscope,  quoted at the start: "Although it was not possible to obtain a circuit design for the Tobiscope described in Ref 1, it is possible to piece together conversational information and propose critical circuit design features from which a person, skilled in electronics, could make an instrument." (see images below)

Background:

"A tobiscope (тобископ) is an electronic device able to detect acupuncture points, invented in the 1950s by the Soviet doctor M. K. Gaikin. Its name derives from the Russian words for "points" (точки), "biological" (биологический) and "scope" (скоп)[1]"

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8651218/#:~:text=Studies%20from%20several%20research%20groups,body%20surface%20along%20the%20meridians.

"Over the last few decades there are various studies from biophysical approaches dealing with specificity for the acupuncture points (acupoints) and/or median lines in the body. Early studies from several independent laboratories demonstrated that acupoints possess the characteristics of low electrical resistance. An abundance of studies (1950–1980) from different international groups have demonstrated that acupoints possess characteristics of low electrical resistance and high electric conductance utilizing both humans and animals."

Kim Christensen:
Except for the probe material, it just sounds like you could use a regular multimeter.
First half of the document describes measuring skin resistance between two points.
Second half seems to be using different metal probes to measure small voltages generated by skin PH reacting with the metals.

The conclusions sound like dodgy pseudo science. Typical for the era.

moffy:
One problem with it is that skin resistance varies sometimes dramatically from person to person, some people are just naturally resistive. :)

BradC:

--- Quote from: moffy on August 22, 2023, 12:34:26 am ---One problem with it is that skin resistance varies sometimes dramatically from person to person, some people are just naturally resistive. :)

--- End quote ---

OI! That's my wife you're talking about! ;)

bonyz:
See attached sketch of how the Tobiscope looked like and more descriptions. There is no modern equivalent of this after 70 years?

It's not a pseudoscience of the 1950s but still valid up to the present day.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18240287/#:~:text=According%20to%20conventional%20wisdom%20within%20the%20acupuncture%20community%2C,by%20lower%20electrical%20impedance%20compared%20to%20adjacent%20controls.

"Electrical properties of acupuncture points and meridians: a systematic review

Abstract
According to conventional wisdom within the acupuncture community, acupuncture points and meridians are special conduits for electrical signals. This view gained popularity after anecdotal reports and clinical studies asserted that these anatomical structures are characterized by lower electrical impedance compared to adjacent controls. To ascertain whether evidence exists to support or refute this claim, we conducted a systematic review of studies directly evaluating the electrical characteristics of acupuncture structures and appropriate controls. We searched seven electronic databases until August 2007, hand-searched references, and consulted technical experts. We limited the review to primary data human studies published in English. A quality scoring system was created and employed for this review. A total of 16 articles representing 18 studies met inclusion criteria: 9 examining acupuncture points and 9 examining meridians. Five out of 9 point studies showed positive association between acupuncture points and lower electrical resistance and impedance, while 7 out of 9 meridian studies showed positive association between acupuncture meridians and lower electrical impedance and higher capacitance. The studies were generally poor in quality and limited by small sample size and multiple confounders. Based on this review, the evidence does not conclusively support the claim that acupuncture points or meridians are electrically distinguishable. However, the preliminary findings are suggestive and offer future directions for research based on in-depth interpretation of the data."

You can test it yourself now!

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