Cerebral or organ interface system

• US 7,346,391 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2004
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Flint Hills Scientific, LLC
• Original Assignee: Flint Hills Scientific, LLC
• Inventors: Frei, Mark G., Osorio, Ivan
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaetzle; Kennedy J.
• Application Number:
  US10/940,289
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 607/45, 607/139, 607/36, 607/3, 607/60, 600/378, 600/544
• US Class Current: 607/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/031 Intracranial pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/372 Analysis of electroencephalograms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4064 Evaluating the brain A61B5/031, A61B5/369, A61B5/14553 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6864 Burr holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6882 Anchoring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0539 Anchoring of brain electrode systems, e.g. within burr hole
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36017 with leads or electrodes penetrating the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36025 for treating a mental or cerebral condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37288 Communication to several implantable medical devices within one patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/375 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37514 Brain implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37518 Anchoring of the implants, e.g. fixation

Abstract

A cerebral and/or interface system has a housing mechanism configured to be at least partially spaced in a cavity formed in the subject'"'"'s skull; an attaching mechanism for attaching the housing mechanism to the subject'"'"'s skull; a sealing mechanism for providing a fluid-tight seal between the housing mechanism and the subject'"'"'s skull; a control mechanism spaced within the housing mechanism; a communication mechanism with one or more sensors embedded in the subject'"'"'s brain connecting the control mechanism to the subject'"'"'s brain; and a power source spaced within the housing mechanism. Optional embodiments include a treatment portion for cooling or heating adjacent tissue, a medicament portion for administering medicament to adjacent tissue, a separate auxiliary compartment with a removable lid secured to or spaced apart from the housing mechanism, contacts extending outwardly from housing mechanism, and/or a supporting mechanism for precisely displacing the housing mechanism angularly or along x-, y-, and z-axes.

Claims

1. An organ interface system for communicatively connecting at least one organ of a body with a user, comprising:

(a) at least one housing mechanism including an intraosseous portion and an extraosseous auxiliary portion, the at least one housing mechanism configured to be spaced at least in part within a bone of a subject and having at least one device contained or partially contained therein;

(b) attaching means configured to attach the at least one housing mechanism to the bone, the attaching means being slidable for repositioning of the auxiliary housing mechanism in reference to the intraosseous housing mechanism to allow access to the intraosseous housing mechanism without removing the auxiliary housing mechanism; and

(c) at least one communication mechanism configured to communicatively connect the at least one organ to the at least one device; and

(d) wherein the at least one device is configured to operatively sense, monitor, store, record, log, transmit, analyze, quantify, detect changes in, predict changes in, warn of changes in, modify, or control the state or activity in the at least one organ.

2. An organ interface system for communicatively connecting at least one organ of a body with a user, comprising:

(a) at least one housing mechanism configured to be spaced at least in part within a bone of a subject, the at least one housing mechanism having at least one device contained or partially contained therein;

(b) attaching means configured to attach the at least one housing mechanism to the bone;

(c) at least one communication mechanism configured to communicatively connect the at least one organ to the at least one device; and

(d) at least one movable structure that is in moveable engagement with a device positioning mechanism having;

(1) a first track with a first mounting mechanism structured to connect the at least one movable structure to the first track,

(2) a second track with a second mounting mechanism structured to mount the first track thereon, the second track having first and second ends,

(3) elevation mechanisms with third mounting mechanisms structured to mount the first and second ends of the second track to the elevation mechanisms,

(4) an x-axis driving mechanism structured to controllably and operatively displace the housing mechanism along the first track,

(5) a y-axis driving mechanism structured to controllably and operatively displace the first track along the second track, and

(6) z-axis driving mechanisms structured to controllably and operatively displace the first and second ends of the second track along the elevation mechanisms, and

(e) wherein the at least one device is configured to operatively sense, monitor, store, record, log, transmit, analyze, quantify, detect changes in, predict changes in, warn of changes in, modify, or control the state or activity in the at least one organ.

3. The system as described in claim 2, wherein the first mounting mechanism includes an angular driving mechanism configured to rotate the at least one movable structure about an axis of rotation.