Biocompatible and Implantable Optical Conduits

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016303384-A1
Application number	US-201615098497-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 14, 2016
Priority date	Apr 15, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure provides advantageous optical conduit assemblies (e.g., biocompatible and implantable optical conduit assemblies), and related methods of use. More particularly, the present disclosure provides advantageous optical conduit assemblies (e.g., polydimethylsiloxane (“PDMS”)-based optical conduit assemblies) configured to power implantable devices (e.g., neural micro-stimulators or deep brain stimulators or the like) or to be used in optogenetic stimulation. In general, the exemplary optical conduit assemblies can be used for applications where energy needs to be transmitted to deep locations inside the body or brain without using electrical wires. Therefore, implantable devices that need to be powered (e.g., neural prosthetics) can be powered from an external light source using an optical conduit and an optical-to-electrical converter (e.g., a photodiode) attached to the end of the optical conduit on the inside.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An optical conduit assembly comprising:
an optical conduit configured to be positioned in a first desired anatomical location, the optical conduit configured to wirelessly transmit optical energy to an implantable device; a light source configured to deliver optical energy to the optical conduit; wherein after the light source delivers optical energy to the optical conduit, the optical conduit wirelessly transmits optical energy to the implantable device, the implantable device positioned in a second desired anatomical location.

2 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the optical conduit is a PDMS-based optical conduit.

3 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the implantable device is an untethered neural micro-stimulator or a neural prosthetic.

4 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first desired anatomical location includes the epidermis, and wherein the second desired anatomical location is a deep location inside the body or brain.

5 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the light source is an external laser diode.

6 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the optical conduit includes an optical-to electrical converter attached to a distal tip of the optical conduit.

7 . The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the optical-to electrical converter is a photodiode.

8 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the optical conduit includes at least one curved section.

9 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the implantable device includes an optical-to electrical converter.

10 . A method to power implantable devices comprising:
providing an optical conduit configured to wirelessly transmit optical energy to an implantable device; positioning the optical conduit in a first desired anatomical location; providing a light source configured to deliver optical energy to the optical conduit; positioning an implantable device in a second desired anatomical location; delivering optical energy to the optical conduit via the light source so that the optical conduit wirelessly transmits optical energy to the implantable device.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the optical conduit is a PDMS-based optical conduit.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the untethered implantable device is an untethered neural micro-stimulator or a neural prosthetic.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first desired anatomical location includes the epidermis, and wherein the second desired anatomical location is a deep location inside the body or brain.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the light source is an external laser diode.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the optical conduit includes an optical-to electrical converter attached to a distal tip of the optical conduit.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the optical-to electrical converter is a photodiode.

17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the optical conduit includes at least one curved section.

18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the implantable device includes an optical-to electrical converter.

19 . An optical conduit system comprising:
a plurality of an optical conduits configured to be positioned in a first desired anatomical location; a plurality of light sources, each light source configured to deliver optical energy to a respective optical conduit of the plurality of optical conduits; a plurality of implantable devices configured to be positioned in a second desired anatomical location; wherein after each light source delivers optical energy to its respective optical conduit of the plurality of optical conduits, each optical conduit wirelessly transmits optical energy to a respective implantable device of the plurality of implantable devices.

20 . The system of claim 19 , further including a substrate having a plurality of holes, each hole configured and dimensioned to house an end of one respective optical conduit of the plurality of optical conduits.

Assignees

• New Jersey Inst Of Technoloty
• New Jersey Inst Technology

Inventors

• Sahin Mesut
• Ersen Ali

Classifications

• H02J2105/46

  Medical devices, medical implants or life supporting devices · CPC title

• A61N2005/067

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A61N5/0622

  Optical stimulation for exciting neural tissue · CPC title

• A61N2005/063

  comprising light transmitting means, e.g. optical fibres · CPC title

• A61N2005/0651

  Diodes · CPC title