Electro Physiological Feedback Xrroid

Electro Physiological Feedback Xrroid (EPFX), also known as Quantum Xrroid Consciousness Interface (QXCI), is an "energy medicine" device which claims to read the body’s reactivity to various frequencies and then send back other frequencies to make changes in the body.[1] It is manufactured and marketed by self-styled "Professor Bill Nelson" also known as Desiré Dubounet.[1] Nelson's résumé includes qualifications from the diploma mills Lafayette University and Occidental Institute of Chinese Studies.[2] Nelson is currently operating in Hungary, a fugitive from the US following indictment on fraud charges connected to EPFX.[3]

Descriptions of the device in mainstream media note its high price tag ($20,000 US) and the improbable nature of the claims made for it.[4] It has reportedly been used to "treat" a variety of serious diseases including cancer. In one documented case undiagnosed and untreated leukemia resulted in the death of a patient.[5] In February 2008, CNS claimed that thousands of practitioners were claiming the ability to detect and even treat serious diseases.[6]

The website Quackwatch posted an analysis of the device by Stephen Barrett which concludes:

The Quantum Xrroid device is claimed to balance "bio-energetic" forces that the scientific community does not recognize as real. It mainly reflects skin resistance (how easily low-voltage electric currents from the device pass through the skin), which is not related to the body's health.[7]

Imports to the US and Canada are now banned.[8][9]

References

  1. ^ a b Miracle makers or money takers?, CBC News Marketplace, Feb 27, 2009
  2. ^ Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning p. 326, see also Operation Dipscam
  3. ^ Michael J. Berens and Christine Willmsen (November 19, 2007). "How one man's invention is part of a growing worldwide scam that snares the desperately ill". Seattle Times. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004020583_miracle18m2.html. Retrieved 2008-04-06. 
  4. ^ Bill Nelson Wins The Internet, Ben Goldacre, Bad Science, August 9, 2008
  5. ^ Miracle Machines: The 21st-Century Snake Oil Seattle Times, December 26, 2008
  6. ^ CBS "2D" 15 February 2008
  7. ^ Stephen Barrett, MD. "Some Notes on the Quantum Xrroid (QXCI) and William C. Nelson". Quackwatch. http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Tests/xrroid.html. Retrieved 2007-02-12. 
  8. ^ FDA Takes Action Against Fake Medical Device, NewsInferno.com, 10 August 2009
  9. ^ [1] Marketplace, 18:15, accessed 15 January 2010