Direct drive movement of body constituent

• US 6,436,028 B1
• Filed: 12/28/1999
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Soundtech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Soundtech, Inc.
• Inventors: Dormer, Kenneth J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilbert, Samuel G.
• Application Number:
  US09/473,017
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 600/25, 128/897-899, 607/136-137, 607/55-57, 181/128-137, 381/68-69, 381/2
• US Class Current: 600/25
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/04 Methods or devices for enabling ear patients to achieve auditory perception through physiological senses other than hearing sense, e.g. through the touch sense electronic stimulation of auditory nerves A61N1/36036

Abstract

A bio-magnetic system for moving a constituent of a human body includes at least one magnetically responsive member having an attachment mechanism including collagen which is bound with an epithelium of a moveable constituent in the human body. A bio-magnetic drive system for moving a constituent of a human body includes a plurality of magnetic microbeads connected in vivo to a moveable constituent of a human body, and it also includes a magnetic field source disposed in operative association with the microbeads but remote from the microbeads and the moveable constituent to provide a magnetic field to move the microbeads. A method for moving a constituent in a human body includes transmitting a signal to interact with a plurality of microbeads connected to a constituent in a human body such that the connected microbeads and constituent in the human body move in response. A more particular method includes providing a plurality of microbeads in vivo to attach to at least one ossicle in an ear of a human; and processing a sound to drive the microbeads, including transmitting a signal to interact with the microbeads such that the microbeads and the at least one ossicle vibrate in response. Also disclosed are a kit for use in causing a constituent of a human body to move and in vivo methods of connecting microbeads to a constituent in a human body.

Claims

1. In a hearing assist system for a human ear, the improvement comprising at least one magnetically responsive member having an attachment mechanism including collagen, the collagen configured to become naturally bonded with an epithelium of a vibratory constituent of the human ear.

2. A middle-ear drive system for a human ear, comprising:

a plurality of microbeads for connecting to a vibratory constituent in an ear of a human, wherein the microbeads include collagen, the collagen configured to be bound to the epithelium of the vibratory constituent; and

a transmitter to transmit a microbead-operative output signal within effective range of the plurality of microbeads such that the microbeads move in response.

3. A kit for use in causing a constituent of a human body to move, comprising:

a plurality of biologically compatible, magnetically responsive microbeads coated with a composition for connecting the microbeads to a selected constituent of a human body;

a signal processor including a receiver to receive an input signal and further including a transmitter responsive to the receiver to transmit a magnetic output signal within effective range of the plurality of magnetically responsive microbeads;

a package containing the plurality of microbeads and the signal processor, and

a physiologic solution and a container having the physiologic solution and the microbeads admixed and contained therein, wherein the container with the admixture is disposed in the package.

4. A kit as defined in claim 3, wherein the signal processor is in the form of a deep canal ear mold.

5. A method of aiding a human to hear, comprising vibrating with magnetic signal transmission a plurality of magnetically responsive microbeads connected to at least one human ear constituent, wherein the microbeads are connected by collagen-integrin bonds on the epithelium of the at least one human ear constituent.

6. An in vivo method of connecting microbeads to a constituent of an ear in a human body, comprising:

aspirating a plurality of magnetically responsive microbeads and accompanying physiologic solution into a syringe from an admixture of magnetically responsive microbeads and physiologic solution;

inserting a needle of the syringe into the ear of the human body toward the constituent; and

ejecting at least a portion of the microbeads and physiologic solution from the syringe onto or into the constituent of the ear.

7. An in vivo method of connecting microbeads to a constituent in a human body, comprising:

moving a brush into an admixture of magnetically responsive microbeads and physiologic solution such that a plurality of magnetically responsive microbeads and accompanying physiologic solution adhere to the brush;

inserting the brush into the human body toward the constituent; and

transferring at least a portion of the microbeads and physiologic solution from the brush onto the constituent.

8. In a hearing assist system for a human ear, the improvement comprising at least one magnetically responsive member having an attachment mechanism for naturally bonding, through cellular connection proteins, with an epithelium of a vibratory constituent of the human ear.

9. In a hearing assist system for a human ear, the improvement comprising a plurality of biologically compatible, non-necrotizing, lightweight magnetically responsive members, each of the members coated with an attachment mechanism to naturally bond through integrins on cells of the human ear.

10. In a system for inducing the perception of sound in a human, the improvement comprising a plurality of magnetically responsive beads including biological attachment means for naturally bonding with cellular connection proteins of a constituent selected from the group consisting of a tympanic membrane, a middle ear ossicle, a round window, and an oval window of a human ear.

11. A middle-ear drive system for a human ear, comprising:

magnetically responsive material in a matrix for linking to a cell of a vibratory constituent in an ear of a human after the material and the matrix are placed on the vibratory constituent; and

a transmitter to transmit an output signal within effective range of the magnetically responsive material such that the material and the linked vibratory constituent move in response when the magnetically responsive material is linked to the vibratory constituent and the transmitter transmits the output signal within effective range.

12. A middle-ear drive system as defined in claim 11, wherein the magnetically responsive material includes ferromagnetic material and the output signal includes an electromagnetic signal.

13. A middle-ear drive system as defined in claim 11, wherein the output signal drives the magnetically responsive material and linked vibratory constituent in opposition to ambient noise affecting the vibratory constituent.

14. A middle-ear drive system as defined in claim 11, wherein the output signal includes an electromagnetic signal generated by at least a part of the transmitter spaced from the human.

15. A middle-ear drive system as defined in claim 11, wherein the transmitter includes an electromagnetic signal generator.

16. A middle-ear drive system as defined in claim 11, wherein the transmitter includes a static magnetic field source and means for moving the source relative to the magnetically responsive material.

17. A method of aiding a human to hear, comprising vibrating with magnetic signal transmission a plurality of magnetically responsive beads connected through integrin bonds on epithelium of at least one human ear constituent.

18. A method of aiding a human to hear, comprising vibrating with magnetic signal transmission magnetically responsive material connected through cellular connection proteins to a cell of at least one human ear constituent.

19. A bio-magnetic system for moving a constituent of a human body, comprising at least one magnetically responsive member having an attachment mechanism configured to connect the member, through natural bonding with cellular connection proteins, to a cell of a moveable constituent in the human body, wherein the constituent is selected from the group consisting of a tympanic membrane, a middle-ear ossicle, a round window membrane, an oval window membrane, a larynx, an eyelid, and a sphincter.

20. A bio-magnetic system as defined in claim 19, further comprising means for vibrating the at least one magnetically responsive member.

21. A bio-magnetic system as defined in claim 20, wherein the means for vibrating includes an electromagnetic signal generator to provide an electromagnetic signal to vibrate the at least one magnetically responsive member.

22. A bio-magnetic system as defined in claim 20, wherein the means for vibrating includes a magnet and a motor connected to the magnet to move the magnet relative to the at least one magnetically responsive member.

23. A bio-magnetic system as defined in claim 19, further comprising means for moving the at least one magnetically responsive member into a held position.

24. A bio-magnetic system as defined in claim 23, wherein the means for moving includes an electromagnetic signal generator to provide an electromagnetic signal to move the at least one magnetically responsive member.

25. A bio-magnetic system as defined in claim 23, wherein the means for moving includes a magnet cooperatively disposed with the at least one magnetically responsive member such that the magnetic field of the magnet acts on the at least one magnetically responsive member to move the at least one magnetically responsive member to a desired position.

26. A bio-magnetic system as defined in claim 23, wherein the means for moving includes another at least one magnetically responsive member having an attachment mechanism for bonding with integrins of an epithelium of tissue in the human body such that the magnetically responsive members react to each other to move.

27. A bio-magnetic system as defined in claim 26, wherein the magnetically responsive members are magnetic with opposite magnetic polarities between the first-mentioned at least one magnetically responsive member and the another at least one magnetically responsive member.

28. A bio-magnetic system as defined in claim 26, wherein the magnetically responsive members are magnetic with the same magnetic polarity between the first-mentioned at least one magnetically responsive member and the another at least one magnetically responsive member.

29. A method for moving a constituent in a human body, comprising displacing with a magnetic field a magnetically responsive member connected by cellular connection proteins to a cytoskeleton of a cell of a constituent of a human body such that the connected magnetically responsive member and cell move, wherein the constituent is selected from the group consisting of a tympanic membrane, a middle-ear ossicle, a round window membrane, an oval window membrane, a larynx, an eyelid, and a sphincter.

30. A method as defined in claim 29, wherein displacing with a magnetic field includes generating the magnetic field electromagnetically.

31. A method as defined in claim 29, wherein displacing with a magnetic field includes electromagnetically generating a time-varying magnetic field.

32. A method as defined in claim 29, wherein displacing with a magnetic field includes generating a moving magnetic field by moving a static magnetic field relative to the magnetically responsive member.

33. A method as defined in claim 29, wherein the magnetic field is a stationary, static magnetic field.

34. A method as defined in claim 29, wherein the magnetically responsive member is connected by integrin bonds with the cell of the constituent of the human body.