Our latest PEMF mat system, the iMRS Prime, was launched four years ago in April 2020. At Life Mat, we have comparison devices from a number of other prominent brands and we’ve claimed throughout that this is the most advanced PEMF machine on the market. So it’s great to see further changes this month (explained below) that just reinforce that claim.
Summing up our experience over the past four years, let’s start by being candid: it wasn’t all plain sailing. The Prime was released at one of the most challenging times in our history — the start of the pandemic, global lockdowns, factory closedowns, massive disruptions of shipping and severe shortages of electronic parts. It’s a great testament to the efficiency and determination of our manufacturer, Swiss Bionic Solutions, that they managed to not only launch an entirely new system, but one which leapfrogged its own earlier products and in fact the entire PEMF industry.
The Prime itself, while brilliant in functions and vision, also had its fair share of software bugs at first, at least for some users. This was a shoot-for-the-stars machine, and like most advanced electronic products (ask any Microsoft user), they took time to iron out. It was using, for the first time, an operating system that could be updated and downloaded remotely (via USB stick) — the very opposite of planned obsolescence and a short product lifespan (just try finding a remote product update function in any other PEMF device; some prominent brands have barely updated anything in the past 15 years).
The Prime also has a complex relationship between its firmware and its PEMF applicators, for the first time using two-way communication to verify their status and report any errors. That complexity resulted in many firmware updates and it was a great test of how responsive and user-centered the customer support staff were at Swiss Bionic. These days, the firmware is very stable and what were problems initially have turned into advantages later. This latest firmware release makes it even more user-proof and user-friendly.
New features
So why is the April firmware release a significant milestone for an already outstanding product? Its main features are:
- The introduction of two totally new Fast Start programs, “Longevity” and “Cell Training”. There had already been various tweaks to existing programs but here was the first evidence that the system could be added to progressively — neither of these programs existed when the iMRS Prime was launched.
- The inclusion of one of the Prime’s stand-out functions (a combined PEMF and Far InfraRed field for users with the system’s Hybrid level) into the iGuide database of optimal settings for several hundred health conditions.
- We’re also now seeing the power of the system’s twin signal processors. Past iMRS systems have offered variable frequency packets and switching magnetic poles. However, we now have the Longevity program which for the first time combines three different waveforms within the same program: a triple sawtooth signal for its complex cellular resonance effects, a square wave signal for its direct cellular repair and pain relief effects, and two-minute bursts of sine-wave frequencies from its Solfeggio package (for general health and well being).
- The sheer complexity of these new programs hints at the potential for true hybrid PEMF where multiple parameters can be brought together in a very variable way to further avoid any familiarization — your cells will never get bored during one of these sessions!
- The new programs are also much longer than normal: 50 minutes for Longevity and 42 minutes for Cell Training. This means much more thorough, complex programs with the potential for more lasting improvements. That’s a real bonus for home users prepared to spend the time on long daily or weekly sessions. At least as important is its value to clinics, spas and individual therapists — more effective use of session times with patients who would typically come for treatment only once or twice a week.
- A series of user-friendliness improvements typical of the small to large tweaks that we’ve repeatedly seen as new firmware updates were released. These are not revolutionary changes but great examples of the incremental improvements made possible by a remotely-upgradable product. We’ve come to expect this as routine with other electronic devices but they’ve been totally lacking before now in the PEMF devices industry. Typical of these usability tweaks, the latest release includes:
- The ability to adjust the light intensity on the Exagon Brain (brain entrainment) accessory system inside all the Fast Start programs.
- The ability to choose individual user-uploaded music tracks when using the Exagon Brain in all the Fast Start programs, and to loop music tracks continuously in all operating modes.
- Better display colours and indicators to improve user readability and parameter selections.
The PEMF boom
The timing of its 2020 launch was bound to be difficult but the pandemic and recent health trends have also created the perfect environment for this type of PEMF machine:
- The pandemic made vast numbers of people aware that their lives were at risk if they continued to take their health for granted, and many of our new clients have had wide-ranging health challenges.
- One result was an accelerating focus on longevity, bio-hacking and quality of life, finding ways to live a happy, active, healthy life for as long as possible. We helped all ages from parents of teenagers to one 92-year-old.
- In an increasingly threatening and anxious world, where stress has become one of the greatest killers, the iMRS Prime is a product for its time — a hybrid PEMF mat system that takes a multi-pronged approach to improving the Autonomic Nervous System, thereby mitigating stress in every respect.
- And with its sheer adaptability, when the Prime is used inside combination protocols (we’ve been exploring various routes) we’ve seen even greater improvements.
- This drew the attention of increasing numbers of the world’s most sophisticated healers, clinics and spas (these people do their research first and they have too much at stake to act as paid shills and social media influencers)!
So potential demand has been huge, creating a gold rush of PEMF start-ups and instant “experts”. These past few years saw an unprecedented rate of new PEMF machines enter the market, the energy medicine equivalent of the Wild West. Potential buyers now face an ocean of new brands, slick websites, social media and medical gurus, claims and counter-claims. And the stakes for choosing wisely have never been higher — some of the new machines can eventually make symptoms much worse, especially after the first few months of regular use. Some blanket the body with electro-smog, while others use intensities so high that maybe they should carry a radiation warning!
Fortunately, one thing has always cut through the hype: word of mouth from one user to another. As a result, the iMRS Prime seems to have expanded its market share even beyond the market dominance of its predecessor, the iMRS system.
Major progress
In fact, compared with the old iMRS, the Prime represented a huge step forwards:
- Offering a mat that combines standard PEMF with an advanced form of Far InfraRed (nothing like the pseudo PEMF and FIR mats that flooded out of China in recent years).
- Incorporating powerful signal processors capable of creating any waveform and frequency range.
- Using even stronger and more durable construction and materials.
- Making its mat even more comfortable to lie on — deeper, warmer but somehow still as tough.
- Supplying many more treatment options, displayed on a large, clear, angled, glass screen.
- Encasing the screen and its separate connector box in a tough metal casing with a heavy-duty power adapter.
- Replacing the probe applicator with the more effective (due to its Helmholtz field) spot applicator.
- Offering complex packages of parameters (first seven programs, now nine) focused on different user states and goals, yet configured with two-touch starts for maximum user simplicity. Our impression is that very few iMRS Prime users would dream of going back to the limitations of the old iMRS.
- While also offering even more granularity to adjust every key parameter within its Manual and Hybrid modes. These look complex at first glance but even the most technophobic of users has figured them out after a few minutes.
- Giving users the opportunity to use two local applicators at the same time — treat that lower back pain and twisted ankle at the same time. This has really popular among many users.
- Taking brain entrainment to an entirely new level with all parameters tailored to the specific states offered by each Fast Start program. Also replacing the canned music tracks from the iMRS with the user’s choice of downloadable tracks. Some people seem totally addicted to their Exagon Brain sessions.
- Turning the Sense biofeedback system into a true bio-hacking feature with a far more informative and trackable set of Heart Rate Variability, pulse rate and blood oxygen saturation measurements, plus interfacing with an advanced analytical app (Kubios). When users realize that this offers long-term improvements in their capacity to handle stress, some have become very committed.
- Supplying visible feedback on the operating status of every applicator.
- Giving users a PEMF mat system that, through its construction quality, processor power and remote upgradeability, looks very unlikely to become obsolete or worn out for many years to come.
- Gaining an unprecedented level of safety and quality certification, one achieved by only a tiny minority of PEMF manufacturers.
Navigating the PEMF industry these days can feel like wading through mud. Fortunately, the iMRS Prime oozes quality, like a diamond in the rough. And it’s still evolving!