Why StreamZ Was Designed Differently

StreamZ technology was developed from a very different starting point to conventional magnetic products.

Traditional magnetic products generally begin with a simple proposition: place permanent magnets close to the body and select their strength, size and position.

StreamZ was conceived differently.

Its inventor, Eric Dodd, spent many years investigating the interaction between magnetic fields, water, dissolved minerals and biological systems. Eric's original research and development records provide an insight into the scientific questions that informed his work.

Those records do not constitute proof of a biological mechanism for StreamZ, nor do we present them as such.

Instead, they help explain why Eric deliberately developed a weak, multi-polar, circumferential magnetic technology rather than simply using stronger conventional magnets.

A common assumption with magnetic products is that stronger must be better.

Eric's research followed a different scientific idea.

His work explored the behaviour of charged particles and ions in magnetic fields, magnetic-field orientation, extremely-low-frequency phenomena, resonance models and the Earth's background magnetic field.

These were not concepts invented by Eric.

During the period in which he was conducting his research, scientists were investigating whether weak electromagnetic fields could interact with biological systems within particular combinations of field strength and frequency.

This remains an active and debated area of magnetobiology.

Scientific literature describes experimental observations in which biological responses to electromagnetic fields have occurred within particular frequency and amplitude “windows”. At the same time, the mechanisms proposed to explain some weak-field observations remain unresolved and the experimental evidence is not uniform.

That distinction is fundamental to understanding StreamZ.

Eric's objective was not simply to maximise magnetic flux density.

His work instead raises a much more interesting question:

Could the structure, orientation and organisation of a magnetic field be as important as its absolute strength?

StreamZ does not consist of conventional individual magnetic blocks positioned against the body.

Its proprietary technology uses a flexible magnetic composite that undergoes a specialised manufacturing process to create a deliberately engineered magnetic architecture.

When incorporated into a StreamZ product and positioned circumferentially around a limb or body structure, this produces a magnetic environment fundamentally different from simply placing a conventional magnet against one location.

We describe this design philosophy as 360° magnetic resonance technology.

The precise material formulation, magnetic architecture and manufacturing process remain proprietary to StreamZ Global.

This is perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of Eric's design.

The 360° configuration was not developed simply to put “more magnetism” around a limb.

Eric's research was concerned with the relationship between charged particles, magnetic-field orientation, movement and changing magnetic environments.

A conventional permanent magnet creates a field associated with a fixed magnetic structure.

StreamZ instead uses an engineered arrangement of multiple magnetic regions around the wearer.

Consequently, the magnetic field is not spatially uniform.

That distinction gives rise to an intriguing physical question.

Biological tissue is not static. Blood flows, extracellular fluids move, ions are transported, muscles contract and the body itself continually moves relative to its environment.

When matter moves relative to a spatially varying magnetic field, the magnetic field experienced at that moving location can vary with time.

In other words, a magnetic structure does not necessarily need an electronic pulse generator for movement through its spatial field pattern to produce a changing magnetic exposure from the perspective of the moving system.

This provides one possible physical basis for investigating why Eric considered field geometry and circumferential arrangement important.

It does not, by itself, establish a therapeutic mechanism.

That distinction is important.

It is a testable scientific hypothesis.

One area that particularly interested Eric was magnetic resonance involving charged particles and ions.

His research considered relationships between magnetic flux density, charge, mass and frequency, including concepts associated with ion cyclotron resonance.

In simplified terms, ion-cyclotron-resonance models propose that charged particles exposed to particular magnetic conditions may exhibit responses associated with combinations of magnetic-field strength, charge, mass and frequency.

Related hypotheses have been investigated within bioelectromagnetics for several decades.

Scientific literature has reported resonance-like responses of biological systems to weak low-frequency electromagnetic fields under some experimental conditions.

Several possible mechanisms for weak-field biological interactions have been proposed within the wider scientific literature, including ion-related resonance models, interactions involving magnetic moments within biological molecules and radical-pair mechanisms.

There is, however, no universally accepted mechanism that explains all reported biological responses to weak magnetic fields, and specific ion-cyclotron-resonance explanations remain scientifically debated.

StreamZ therefore does not claim that ion cyclotron resonance has been proven to explain the operation of its technology.

Instead, Eric's research demonstrates why resonance, field strength and magnetic geometry formed important parts of the scientific thinking behind its development.

There is an important difference between a scientific hypothesis and an established mechanism.

We believe that difference should be made clear.

This is another important difference between StreamZ and many conventional magnetic products.

We do not believe that magnetic technologies should be compared simply by asking which product quotes the largest possible Gauss figure.

In bioelectromagnetic research, magnetic-field strength can be only one experimental variable.

Depending upon the system being investigated, researchers may also consider frequency, waveform, orientation, exposure duration, spatial distribution and the presence of other magnetic fields.

Some experimental literature has reported biological responses occurring within particular combinations—or “windows”—of electromagnetic exposure rather than following a straightforward relationship in which increasing field strength simply increases an effect.

This provides scientific context for an important characteristic of StreamZ:

the technology was deliberately developed around field architecture rather than simply maximising magnetic strength.

There is another environmental factor that Eric considered in his research: the Earth's natural magnetic field.

Every StreamZ product operates within this existing background magnetic environment.

StreamZ does not replace or overwhelm that environment with a powerful conventional magnet.

Instead, its relatively weak local magnetic architecture exists alongside the geomagnetic field.

The significance of combined static and varying magnetic environments has been investigated within bio electromagnetic research, including within some resonance hypotheses.

Whether interaction with the Earth's magnetic field contributes to any biological effect associated with StreamZ remains unknown.

We therefore make no claim that it does.

But it represents another scientifically testable aspect of the theoretical framework that influenced Eric's work.

One of the important physical differences between StreamZ and many conventional magnetic products is heat.

Traditional magnetic products typically use relatively strong individual magnets positioned at specific points close to the body. Increased localised temperature is commonly associated with conventional magnetic therapy products, often explained in the industry as resulting from changes in local circulation rather than the permanent magnet itself directly producing thermal energy.

StreamZ was deliberately developed differently.

Its technology uses a weak, multi-polar magnetic architecture distributed circumferentially around the wearer, rather than concentrating a strong magnetic field at individual points. StreamZ does not rely upon localised heating as part of its design or proposed mode of interaction.

This distinction has also been investigated using thermal imaging, where StreamZ technology was compared with conventional magnetic products to examine their respective temperature behaviour.

StreamZ also contains no battery, powered electromagnetic coil or electronic pulse generator. It should therefore not be confused with Pulsed Electromagnetic Field therapy (PEMF), nor should StreamZ be described as electronically generating a controlled frequency.

Its magnetic architecture is spatial rather than electronically pulsed.

This leads to a different and scientifically interesting hypothesis.

If something moves through a spatially varying magnetic field, the field experienced from the perspective of that moving object changes with time.

The resulting time-dependent pattern would depend upon factors including the magnetic geometry and the relative velocity of movement.

One possible interpretation of Eric's design is therefore that its spatial magnetic architecture was intended to create a dynamic interaction when combined with movement.

Again, this is a hypothesis arising from the physics of the system and Eric's research interests. It is not presented as an established biological mechanism.

Importantly, it is something that can now be experimentally investigated.

There are several very different scientific questions involved in understanding StreamZ, and they should not be confused.

We know how StreamZ is physically constructed.

It uses proprietary magnetic materials and manufacturing processes to create a particular spatial magnetic architecture.

The resulting magnetic field can be measured.

Modern three-axis magnetic instrumentation allows magnetic-field magnitude, direction and spatial variation to be mapped objectively.

We can experimentally investigate what happens when something moves relative to that field.

A controlled experiment can determine how the magnetic field experienced at a moving point changes with velocity and position.

The biological mechanism remains a hypothesis.

Although weak magnetic and electromagnetic fields are legitimate subjects of scientific investigation, the precise mechanism by which StreamZ may interact with a living biological system has not been established.

We believe saying so makes the technology more scientifically interesting rather than less.

Science advances by turning hypotheses into measurable questions.

Eric Dodd's original research provides an important foundation for StreamZ's continuing scientific investigation.

Rather than claiming that Eric established a definitive biological mechanism decades ago, our objective is to use modern measurement and controlled experimentation to investigate the questions that informed his original development work.

One particularly important area of future research is the detailed three-dimensional mapping of an original StreamZ element manufactured by Eric himself.

This would allow the physical magnetic architecture of his original technology to be characterised using modern instrumentation without revealing the proprietary manufacturing process behind it.

Such research could investigate:

• the spatial variation of the magnetic field;
• its directional components;
• its behaviour around the complete circumference of the technology;
• how rapidly the field changes with distance;
• how movement relative to the spatial field translates into a time-varying magnetic exposure; and
• how the magnetic characteristics of Eric's original technology compare with current StreamZ production.

Only once those physical characteristics have been established should more detailed hypotheses concerning resonance or biological interaction be investigated experimentally.

This represents an important principle of the StreamZ research programme:

measure first, hypothesise second and test experimentally.

Protecting The Invention

There is also an important distinction between scientific transparency and disclosing proprietary technology.

Eric spent many years developing StreamZ.

The material formulation, manufacturing processes and methods used to create its particular magnetic architecture constitute proprietary StreamZ know-how.

Those details are deliberately not published.

Scientific transparency does not require publishing the information necessary for another manufacturer to reproduce an invention.

We can explain the scientific questions that influenced the development of StreamZ, measure the physical characteristics of the resulting technology and investigate its effects through controlled experimentation while continuing to protect the manufacturing knowledge that makes StreamZ unique.

For that reason, descriptions of the technology intentionally explain the principles being investigated rather than the proprietary engineering used to create them.

Understanding the possible mechanism behind StreamZ is one part of the scientific question.

There is another equally important question:

What do we actually observe when StreamZ technology is used?

Over the years, StreamZ has carried out a number of studies and observational trials to investigate the technology in real-world applications.

These include equine studies involving mobility, inflammation, windgalls and ringbone, together with thermal imaging work investigating one of the important physical characteristics of StreamZ: its use without a measurable increase in localised heat.

These studies vary in their design and evidential strength. Some are observational owner-reported studies rather than controlled clinical trials, and we believe that distinction should be made clear.

They do not establish the biological mechanism behind StreamZ.

What they do provide is a growing body of observations that can help determine what questions should be investigated next.

Our Studies & Trials page overs research and observational work carried out with StreamZ technology.

Explore StreamZ Studies & Trials →

Thermal imaging: StreamZ and traditional magnets

Thermal imaging has also been used to investigate the temperature behaviour associated with StreamZ and conventional magnetic products.

Read the StreamZ Thermal Imaging Study →

Observational equine studies

Our existing equine research includes observational studies involving horses with a range of conditions and owner-reported outcomes.

Among these are:

Windgalls — 25-horse observational study

A 30-day owner-reported study investigating observations in horses previously diagnosed with windgalls.

Read the Windgalls Study →

Ringbone — 25-horse observational study

A 30-day owner-reported study involving horses previously diagnosed with ringbone.

Read the Ringbone Study →

These studies should not be confused with proof of a biological mechanism. Instead, they form part of the evidence base that helps us identify patterns, develop better experiments and determine where more rigorous investigation is justified.

Observation generates questions. Measurement tests them.

StreamZ began with an unconventional question.

Rather than asking:

“How strong can we make a magnet?”

Eric's work appears to have asked something much more subtle:

“Could the geometry, orientation and organisation of a weak magnetic environment influence the behaviour of a living system?”

Scientific research has still not provided a simple answer to that question.

There is evidence that biological systems can respond to electromagnetic fields under particular experimental conditions. There are established clinical applications of certain powered electromagnetic technologies. There are also unresolved questions, conflicting experimental findings and considerable scientific debate concerning the mechanisms responsible for some reported weak-field effects.

StreamZ sits within that area of scientific investigation.

We therefore describe the proposed interaction between StreamZ's 360° magnetic architecture and biological systems as a scientific hypothesis, not as a proven molecular mechanism.

The physical technology exists.

Its magnetic characteristics can be measured.

Its hypotheses can be tested.

And modern instrumentation now provides an opportunity to investigate something that has been at the heart of StreamZ since its invention:

Why Did Eric Believe 360° Mattered?

That is a question we believe is worth answering.