Method, device and system for modulating an activity of brown adipose tissue in a vertebrate subject

• US 20120289758A1
• Filed: 09/01/2011
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Boyden, Edward S., Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Jung, Edward K.Y., Leuthardt, Eric C., Malaska, Stephen L., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,656,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0002 Head or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0011 Neck only
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0056 for cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0075 using a Peltier element, e.g. near the spot to be heated or cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/009 with a varying magnetic field acting upon the human body, e.g. an implant therein
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0093 programmed
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0226 adhesive, self-sticking
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0233 connected to or incorporated in clothing or garments A61F2007/023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/029 Fat cell removal or destruction by non-ablative heat treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/101 for cooling organs in the body before or during surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/126 for invasive application, e.g. for introducing into blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/007 characterised by electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/02 Compresses or poultices for effecting heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/106 self-cooling, e.g. using a chemical reaction
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/12 Devices for heating or cooling internal body cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36053 adapted for vagal stimulation A61N1/36114 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/002 in combination with another treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/004 specially adapted for a specific therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0008 : Destruction of fat cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/025 : Warming the body, e.g. hyperthermia treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/04 : Radiators for near-field treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 : Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed herein for treatment of a disease, disorder, or condition in a vertebrate subject. A device is provided that includes one or more cooling elements configured to be applied to one or more tissues of a vertebrate subject to modulate at least one activity of brown adipose tissue of the vertebrate subject, and a programmable controller configured to provide instructions to the one or more cooling elements in response to information regarding one or more physiological conditions of the vertebrate subject.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

one or more cooling elements configured to be applied to one or more tissues of a vertebrate subject to modulate at least one activity of brown adipose tissue of the vertebrate subject, and

a programmable controller configured to provide instructions to the one or more cooling elements in response to information regarding one or more physiological conditions of the vertebrate subject.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors operably connected to the programmable controller, wherein the programmable controller is configured to provide instructions to the one or more cooling elements in response to information from the one or more sensors regarding one or more physiological conditions of the vertebrate subject.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the programmable controller is configured to receive information regarding the one or more physiological conditions from the one or more sensors.

4. The device of claim 1 further comprising a digital processing unit operably connected to the programmable controller, the digital processing unit configured to receive information from at least one of a sensor, a timekeeping device, a user interface, and an outside operating source and process the information into at least one resulting instruction and providing the at least one resulting instruction to the programmable controller.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the one or more physiological conditions includes information regarding one or more analytes in the vertebrate subject.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the information regarding the one or more physiological conditions includes a plasma level of one or more analytes in the vertebrate subject.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the information regarding the one or more physiological conditions includes a level of one or more of a metabolic analyte, a sugar, a lipoprotein, or a fatty acid in the vertebrate subject.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the one or more physiological conditions includes information regarding the at least one activity of the brown adipose tissue.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising an outside operating source operably connected to the programmable controller, wherein the programmable controller in communication with the outside operating source is configured to provide instructions to the one or more cooling elements in response to information from the outside operating source regarding the one or more physiological conditions of the vertebrate subject.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the programmable controller is configured to accept or send information from or to one or more of a timekeeping device or a user interface.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the timekeeping device is internal to the programmable controller.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the programmable controller is configured to accept user input.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the user input includes time input, time of day, period of time, start time, stop time, or length of time.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the physiological condition includes information relating to one or more of calories ingested by the vertebrate subject or food ingested by the vertebrate subject.

16. The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one of circuitry and data storage.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the device includes programming.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the device includes programming designed to induce weight loss.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the device includes programming designed to treat a disorder.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein modulating the at least one activity of the brown adipose tissue includes increasing metabolic activity of brown adipose tissue or increasing proliferation of brown adipose tissue in the vertebrate subject.

21. The device of claim 1, wherein modulating the at least one activity of the brown adipose tissue includes inducing non-shivering thermogenesis in the brown adipose tissue.

22. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more tissues include thermoresponsive tissue of the vertebrate subject.

23. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more tissues include nervous tissue of the vertebrate subject.

24. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more tissues include cutaneous tissue of the vertebrate subject.

25. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more tissues include brown adipose tissue.

26. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more tissues include tissue in a core of the body of the vertebrate subject.

27. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more tissues include one or more blood vessels or lymph vessels.

28. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more cooling elements include one or more electrical cooling elements.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the one or more cooling elements include one or more Peltier cooling elements.

30. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more cooling elements include one or more chemical cooling elements.

31. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more cooling elements are configured to attain a tissue temperature from approximately 4°

C. to approximately 36°

C.

32. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more cooling elements are configured to attain a tissue temperature from approximately 12°

C. to approximately 20°

C.

33. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more cooling elements are configured to attain a tissue temperature from approximately 24°

C. to approximately 32°

C.

34. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more cooling elements are configured to attain a tissue temperature approximately 16°

C. or lower.

35. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to be incorporated with clothing, bedding, furniture, or upholstery.

36. The device of claim 1, further comprising a power source configured to power the device.

38. The device of claim 1, further comprising a neurostimulator configured to be applied to the one or more tissues.

39. The device of claim 1, further comprising a neurostimulator configured to be applied to one or more second tissues of the vertebrate subject.

41. The device of claim 39, wherein the neurostimulator includes at least one of electric neurostimulator, magnetic neurostimulator, ultrasonic neurostimulator, or microwave neurostimulator.

42. The device of claim 1, further comprising an applicator configured to deliver a therapeutic medicament.

10. (canceled)

37. (canceled)

40. (canceled)

43-115. -115. (canceled)

116. A system comprising:

a non-transitory signal-bearing medium configured for use in a computing device including,

one or more instructions for receiving data including data for applying cooling to one or more tissues of a vertebrate subject with one or more cooling elements of a treatment device, wherein the one or more cooling elements are configured to modulate at least one activity of brown adipose tissue of the vertebrate subject, and

one or more instructions for receiving data including data for controlling the one or more cooling elements with a programmable controller configured to provide instructions to the one or more cooling elements in response to information regarding one or more physiological conditions of the vertebrate subject.

117. The system of claim 116, further comprising one or more instructions for receiving data including data for processing the information regarding the one or more physiological conditions from one or more sensors operably connected to the programmable controller, and providing the instructions to the one or more cooling elements in response to the processed information from the one or more sensors to the programmable controller.

118. The system of claim 116, further comprising one or more instructions for receiving data including data for processing the information regarding the one or more physiological conditions from an outside operating source.

120. The system of claim 116, wherein processing the information includes comparing the information regarding the one or more physiological conditions to information of a standard value or preprogrammed value.

123. The system of claim 116, further comprising providing information from at least one of a sensor, a timekeeping device, a user interface, and an outside operating source to a digital processing unit, processing the information into at least one resulting instruction, and providing the at least one resulting instruction to the programmable controller.

126. The system of claim 116, wherein the controlling the one or more cooling elements with the programmable controller includes programming the programmable controller.

130. The system of claim 116, wherein modulating the at least one activity of the brown adipose tissue includes increasing metabolic activity, or increasing proliferation of brown adipose tissue in the vertebrate subject.

131. The system of claim 130, wherein modulating the at least one activity of the brown adipose tissue includes inducing non-shivering thermogenesis in the brown adipose tissue.

132. The system of claim 116, wherein controlling the one or more cooling elements with the programmable controller includes programming the programmable controller to induce weight loss.

133. The system of claim 116, wherein controlling the one or more cooling elements with the programmable controller includes programming the programmable controller to treat a disorder.

136. The system of claim 116, further comprising one or more instructions for receiving data including data for applying a neurostimulator to the one or more tissues.

137. The system of claim 116, further comprising one or more instructions for receiving data including data for applying a neurostimulator to one or more second tissues of the vertebrate subject.

138. The system of claim 116, comprising:

one or more instructions for receiving data including data from at least one user interface.

139. The system of claim 116, comprising:

one or more instructions for receiving data including data from at least one signal emitter.

140. The system of claim 116, comprising:

one or more instructions for receiving data including data from digital memory.

119. (canceled)

121-122. -122. (canceled)

124-125. -125. (canceled)

127-129. -129. (canceled)

134-135. -135. (canceled)

141-144. -144. (canceled)