System and method for interfacing cellular matter with a machine

• US 20050137652A1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System), Zyvex Labs, Llc
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System), Zyvex Corporation
• Inventors: Cauller, Lawrence James, Nilsen, Erik
• Application Number:
  US10/741,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20050137652A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/415 the glands, e.g. tonsils, adenoids or thymus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/418 lymph vessels, ducts or nodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00

Abstract

A system for interfacing cellular matter with a machine comprising a transponder implantable in cellular matter and configured to detect a first signal. The system also includes a receiver external to the cellular matter and configured to receive a second signal in response to the transponder detection of the first signal. A transmitter is also included in the system to transmit a third signal to a machine in response to the receiver receipt of the second signal.

Claims

1. A system for interfacing cellular matter with a machine, comprising:

a transponder implantable in cellular matter and configured to detect a first signal in the matter;

a receiver external to the cellular matter and configured to receive a second signal transmitted in response to the transponder detection of the first signal; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a third signal to a machine in response to the receiver receipt of the second signal.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the transponder is remotely powered.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the transponder is remotely powered using radio frequency (RF) propagation.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a processor in electrical communication with the receiver and the transmitter.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein at least two of the first, second and third signals are substantially similar.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the transponder is a plurality of transponders.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiver is a plurality of receivers.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiver is configured to detect a unique source corresponding to the detected first signal.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising the machine.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the machine is a computer.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the machine is a motor controller.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the machine is an actuator.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the machine is a music synthesizer.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the machine is a speech synthesizer.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the machine is a navigational control system.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the machine is a graphical display unit.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the cellular matter is living human tissue.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the tissue is brain tissue.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the cellular matter is human blood.

20. The system of claim 1 further comprising a helmet housing at least one of the receiver and the transmitter.

21. The system of claim 1 further comprising a hand-held device housing at least one of the receiver and the transmitter.

22. The system of claim 1 further comprising support structure housing at least one of the receiver and the transmitter and having a open scanning region through which the cellular matter is transportable.

23. The system of claim 3 further comprising a coil external to the cellular matter and employed to remotely power the transponder.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the coil is used to remotely power the transponder and the receiver receives the second signal simultaneously.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein the transponder has a volume less than or equal to 1 cubic millimeter.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein the transponder has a maximum lateral dimension that is not greater than about 1000 microns.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein the transponder has a maximum lateral dimension that is not greater than about 200 microns.

28. The system of claim 1 further comprising an enclosure housing at least one of the receiver and the transmitter.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the receiver includes a reader coil and the transponder includes a transponder coil and the enclosure is positioned relative to the cellular matter such that the reader coil has a predetermined orientation relative to the transponder coil.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the predetermined orientation of the reader coil comprises an offset spacing from the transponder coil of about three centimeters or less.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein the transponder coil and the reader coil are magnetically coupled.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the second signal is transmitted to the receiver via the magnetic coupling of the transponder coil and the reader coil.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the transponder is remotely powered by radio frequency propagation via the magnetic coupling of the reader coil and the transponder coil.

34. The system of claim 32 further comprising a power coil housed in the enclosure and magnetically coupled with the transponder coil, wherein the transponder is remotely powered by radio frequency propagation via the magnetic coupling of the power coil and the transponder coil.

35. The system of claim 1 wherein the first signal is a biological signal.

36. A system for interfacing cellular tissue with a machine, comprising:

means implantable in cellular matter for detecting a first signal in the cellular matter;

means for receiving a second signal transmitted in response to the detection of the first signal; and

means for transmitting a third signal to a machine in response to the receipt of the second signal.

37. A transponder, comprising:

a remote-activated power source;

a sensor powered by the power source and configured to detect a first signal propagating in cellular matter; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a second signal in response to detection of the first signal by the sensor;

wherein the transponder is implantable in the cellular matter.

38. The transponder of claim 37 wherein the transponder has a maximum lateral dimension of about 200 μ

m.

39. The transponder of claim 37 further comprising an enclosure housing the power source, the sensor and the transmitter and having an outer surface coated with a bioprotectant.

40. The transponder of claim 37 wherein the power source is activated by radio-frequency propagation.

41. The transponder of claim 37 further comprising an antenna in electrical communication with the sensor and couplable to a signal detector external to the transponder.

42. The transponder of claim 37 wherein the first signal is a biological signal.

43. A method for controlling a machine in response to signals propagating in cellular matter, comprising:

detecting a first signal in cellular matter;

transmitting a second signal in response to the detection of the first signal; and

transmitting a third signal to a machine in response to the receipt of the second signal.

44. The method of claim 43 further comprising operating the machine to perform a function having a result associated with the detected first signal.

45. The method of claim 43 further comprising implanting a transponder in the cellular matter, the transponder configured to perform the detecting the first signal and the transmitting the second signal.

46. The method of claim 43 further comprising sensing the result of the function of the machine operation.

47. The method of claim 46 further comprising detecting a fourth signal in the cellular matter in response to the sensing the result of the function performed by the machine.

48. The method of claim 43 wherein the cellular matter is human brain tissue.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein the machine is a motor controller in electrical communication with a motor.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein the motor is connected to a wheelchair wherein the result of the function of the motor controller is movement of the wheelchair.

51. The method of claim 43 wherein the cellular matter is a part of an animal.

52. The method of claim 43 further comprising locating a transponder from which the second signal originates.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein locating the transponder includes identifying one of a plurality of transponders.

54. An interface between cellular matter and a machine, comprising:

a housing;

a receiver coupled to the housing and configured to receive a first signal from a transponder implanted in cellular matter, wherein the receiver is external to the cellular matter; and

a transmitter coupled to the housing and configured to transmit a second signal to a machine in response to the receiver receipt of the first signal.

55. The interface of claim 54 wherein the housing is a helmet.

56. The interface of claim 54 wherein the housing is a hand-held device.

57. The interface of claim 54 wherein the transmitter wirelessly transmits the second signal to the machine.