SIMULATION AND CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD USING CONTACT, PRESSURE WAVES AND FACTOR CONTROLS FOR CELL REGENERATION, TISSUE CLOSURE AND RELATED APPLICATIONS

• US 20130151223A1
• Filed: 12/12/2012
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZAM Research, LLC
• Original Assignee: ZAM Research, LLC
• Inventors: Zamierowski, David S., Bubb, Stephen K., Billings, Wade M., Hildebrandt, Patrick A., Tobaben, Eric J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,569,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/11
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/915 Constructional details of the pressure distribution manifold
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/332 Force measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3344 Measuring or controlling pressure at the body treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 5/00 ICT specially adapted for modelling or simulations in systems biology, e.g. gene-regulatory networks, protein interaction networks or metabolic networks
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

A description of a device and method of use are provided for a containment chamber, accompanying sensing and monitoring instrumentation, and method of creation of a physical force wave that would be capable of mimicking physiologic waves such as pulse pressure, muscle contraction, peristalsis, acoustic waves and other desired waves to be studied. This device allows for the use of various biologic or biologically comparable fluids—alone or in combination—that would allow for the analysis of the passage of these waves through these media. Singularly, this device also allows for the manipulation of the external constraints that mimic the containment of that media in vivo. This allows for the analysis of the effects on the nature of the wave, its reflections, potential augmentation or dampening that occur in conjunction with various selected external and internal (baffle) constraints that mimic those found in nature or in therapeutic interventions.

Claims

1. A system for simulating an in vivo cellular interaction, which system comprises:

a medium material including a characteristic simulating an in vivo characteristic;

an energy source adapted for imparting a force to said medium material;

a sensor attached to said medium material and adapted for sensing a force effect therein; and

an output connected to said sensor and adapted for providing output corresponding to said force effect.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said medium material comprises a gel.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein said gel comprises a synthetic material with soft-tissue characteristics.

4. The system according to claim 1, which includes:

said medium material being formed in a generally cylindrical configuration with opposite ends;

an acoustic source being embedded in one of said cylinder ends; and

an acoustic receiver connected to the other cylinder end and adapted for receiving acoustic signals from said source and providing output corresponding to said received acoustic signals.

5. The system according to claim 4, which includes:

said medium material being adapted to transmit acoustic energy waves including incident and reflected waves.

6. The system according to claim 5, which includes:

said medium material being adapted to transmit reinforced waves.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein said force effect is chosen from among the group comprising:

physical contact, fluidic contact, fluid pressure gradient, pressure wave, osmolar, osmotic, oncotic, mechano/transductive, electromagnetic force (EMF), pharmacological, chemical, anti-microbial, thermal, ultrasound and acoustic.

8. A method of simulating an in vivo physiological characteristic in a patient, which method comprises the steps of:

providing a medium material including a characteristic simulating an in vivo characteristic;

connecting an energy source to said medium material;

imparting a force to said medium material with said energy source;

attaching a sensor to said medium material and adapted for sensing a force effect therein;

providing an output from said sensor corresponding to said force effect; and

analyzing said output for purposes of modeling the in vivo physiological characteristic.

9. A method of treating a wound, which method includes the steps of:

attaching an energy source to the patient; and

said energy source being chosen from among the group comprising;

physical contact, fluidic contact, fluid pressure gradient, pressure wave, osmolar, osmotic, oncotic, mechano/transductive, electromagnetic force (EMF), pharmacological, chemical, anti-microbial, thermal, ultrasound and acoustic.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein said energy source produces in vitro pressure waves in the patient.