Sunday, April 1, 2012

Wart Zapper


One of my "classic" electronic circuits has just been rejuvenated by Circuit Exchange International -- the Wart Zapper (which see). The diagram here shows the voltage tripler at work. My Wart Zapper represented the first effective do-it-yourself method of wart removal. It has since been adapted to treat herpes simplex, among other things, and the concept has gone into production several times over. Thanks to Andy Collinson for a very nice "new edition". OBSERVATION: I did this particular design for a major magazine. They rejected it over safety qualms I think -- and I donated it to the public. However, other magazines ran with the concept, among them Popular Mechanics.

2 comments:

Colin said...

I had built this a few years back, and was amazed how well it worked. I'd been using various treatments to cure several warts on my hand, but the treatments could never eliminate them all simultaneously, so new ones would keep growing back. This was going on about 5 years, and in one or two treatments with your tool been wart-free for almost 4 years! Thanks again for your amazing design, I wish you had been able to sell it, but I know what a hassle medical approvals are.

Thomas O. Scarborough said...

I wasn't sure how big my invention really was. By now I know it was big. (They offered me my own invention on American Airlines!) Anyway, I couldn't tell whether medical approvals would be worth the investment, and I didn't know whether the approvals would be forthcoming. I sold the copyrights for three embodiments, then manufacturers ran with my unpatented concepts -- without approvals -- or with approvals pending, and pending. Anyway, through the copyrights I got a thin slice of the pie -- and I took a little from local royalties. But I missed my zillion I'm afraid. I'm pleased it worked for you.