Apparatus and method for spatially selective interventional neuroparticles

• US 9,622,809 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2014
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Weinberg Medical Physics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Weinberg Medical Physics, LLC
• Inventors: Weinberg, Irving N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patton, Amanda
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards, Philip C
• Application Number:
  US14/221,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20140206927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 607 1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/06 caused by chemical reaction , e.g. moxaburners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/10 Power sources therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/18 by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves radiation therapy A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00434 Neural system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00613 Irreversible electroporation reversible electroporation A61N1/327
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/142 Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36125 Details of circuitry or electric components
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/006 for magnetic stimulation of nerve tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/02 using magnetic fields produced by coils, including single turn loops or electromagnets A61N2/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/06 using magnetic fields produced by permanent magnets A61N2/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0622 Optical stimulation for exciting neural tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0625 Warming the body, e.g. hyperthermia treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for spatially-selective administration of actions by at least one device in the body using a transducer that is sensitive to a spatially-variant energy field imposed on the at least one device by a source external to a subject'"'"'s body; and at least one component in the at least one device, wherein interaction of the transducer with the imposed spatially-variant energy field causes or enables at least one component in the at least one device to affect nearby tissues in the body.

Claims

1. An apparatus for spatially-selective administration of an action by at least one device positioned inside a subject'"'"'s body, the apparatus comprising:

at least one device positioned inside the subject'"'"'s body including a transducer sensitive to a spatially-variant energy field imposed by a source external to the subject'"'"'s body, and at least one component coupled to the transducer and configured to affect tissue positioned nearby the at least one component in the subject'"'"'s body in response to the transducer reacting to the imposed spatially-variant energy field,

wherein the spatially-selective administration of the action is performed by the at least one device as a function of the spatially-variant energy field applied to the subject'"'"'s body.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the imposed spatially-variant energy field is an electromagnetic field.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nearby tissues include neurons.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nearby tissues are stimulated, inhibited, or heated.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nearby tissues are damaged so that the tissues can no longer reproduce.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nearby tissues are damaged so that the tissues can no longer survive.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nearby tissues are affected so as to potentiate subsequent application of another modality affecting the tissues.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the effect on the nearby tissues is implemented through the application of electrical energy, application of magnetic energy, application of light, application of heat, or application of kinetic energy.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the effect on the nearby tissues is implemented through contortion of the at least one device or of a cell in proximity to or containing the at least one device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the effect on the nearby tissues is implemented through the release of chemicals or other particulate matters.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducer is coupled to a magnetizable material.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducer uses the magnetoresistive effect, the magnetocapacitative effect, the ferroelectric effect, or the triboelectric effect.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducer is a cantilever.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducer is in a spiral configuration or a compact configuration.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducer harvests energy from an electromagnetic field imposed on the device by the source external to the subject'"'"'s body.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the activation of the at least one device depends on its local milieu.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one device is encapsulated in a biocompatible material.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducer triggers the release of energy from another component in the device that harvests energy from a source external to the body.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a spatially-variant energy field source positioned external to the subject'"'"'s body.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the largest dimension of the at least one device is less than one millimeter.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spatial variance is the magnetic field gradient.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spatial variance of the spatially-variant energy field is associated with a specific location with the subject'"'"'s body.

23. An apparatus for spatially-selective administration of actions by at least one device in the body, the apparatus comprising:

a transducer that is sensitive to a spatially-variant energy field imposed on the at least one device by a source external to a subject'"'"'s body,

and at least one component in the at least one device, wherein-interaction of the transducer with an imposed spatially-variant energy field causes or enables at least one component in the at least one device to affect nearby tissues in the body,

wherein the transducer triggers the release of energy from another component in the device that harvests energy from a source external to the body.

24. An apparatus for spatially-selective administration of an action by at least one device positioned inside a subject'"'"'s body, the apparatus comprising:

at least one device positioned inside the subject'"'"'s body including a transducer sensitive to a spatially-variant energy field imposed by a source external to the subject'"'"'s body, and at least one component coupled to the transducer and configured to sense the milieu of tissues positioned nearby the at least one component in the subject'"'"'s body in response to the transducer reacting to the imposed spatially-variant energy field,

wherein the spatially-selective administration of the action is performed by the at least one device as a function of the spatially-variant energy field applied to the subject'"'"'s body.