Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Other

University of California

The General Hospital Corporation

James C Weaver

Uwe Pliquett

Robert Samuel Langer

Mark R Prausnitz

Thomas E Zewert

R Rox Anderson

Harry Frederick Bowman

David J Edell

Terry O Herndon

Rita Vanbever

Stephen K Burns

Jonathan G Bliss

Kevin T Powell

Gregory B Williams

Joseph Kost

David Kisailus

Samir Suresh Mitragotri

Neri Oxman

Richard H Guy

H Frederick Bowman

Christopher Cullander

Garrett Milliron

Salvador Gonzalez

T R Gowrishankar

Thiruvallur R Gowrishankar

Christoph Bader

Gail I Harrison

Julian Joseph

Dominik Kolb

Timothy Vaughan

Tani Chen

Elizabeth A Gift

An unorganized point cloud may be created by an optical 3D scanner that scans a physical object, or by computer simulation. The point cloud may be converted into binary raster layers, which encode material deposition instructions for a multi-material 3D printer. In many cases, this conversion&#x2014;from point cloud to binary raster files&#x2014;is achieved without producing a 3D voxel representation and without producing a boundary representation of the object to be printed. The conversion may involve spatial queries to find nearby points, filtering material properties of the found points, looking up material mixing ratios, and dithering to produce binary raster files. These raster files may be sent to a multi-material 3D printer to control fabrication of an object. A user interface may display a preview of the object to be printed, and may accept user input to create or modify a point cloud.

Methods and apparatus for 3D printing of point cloud data

The disclosure provides a method to produce solid materials displaying structural ordering which can be controlled through a wide range of sizes and shapes. The process involves casting a medium, which solidifies (such as a resin or molten metal) over the surface of a magnet-fluid.

Magnetically controlled casting process for multistructural materials

The present invention relates to microscission methods and devices used for the manipulation or modification of the body tissue by the formation of microconduits in a tissue. The term 'microconduit' refers to a small opening, channel, or hole into, or through, a tissue, that allows transfer of materials by liquid flow, and by electrophoresis, the microconduit being formed upon impact of a plurality of accelerated microparticles with the surface of the tissue. This process of 'microscission' comprises forming at least one microconduit in tissue including the steps of: accelerating a plurality of microparticles to a velocity that causes the microparticles to penetrate a region of tissue surface upon impingement of the microparticles on the tissue surface; and directing the microparticle towards the region of tissue surface, thereby causing the microparticles to penetrate the tissue and form a microconduit in the tissue.

Microscission processes and procedures

The present invention relates to methods and devices used for the formation of microconduits in a tissue. The term &ldquo;microconduit&rdquo; refers to a small opening, channel, or hole into, or through, a tissue, that allows transfer of materials by liquid flow, and by electrophoresis, the microconduit being formed upon impact of a plurality of accelerated microparticles with the surface of the tissue. A method is described for forming at least one microconduit in tissue including the steps of: accelerating a plurality of microparticles to a velocity that causes the microparticles to penetrate a region of tissue surface upon impingement of the microparticles on the tissue surface; and directing the microparticle towards the region of tissue surface, thereby causing the microparticles to penetrate the tissue and form a microconduit in the tissue. According to an embodiment, microparticles are accelerated by being hit with a moving, solid surface. In another embodiment, microparticles are accelerated by a flowing gas or liquid. Also described are methods and devices for using microconduits to deliver therapeutic molecules and ions into tissue, or for extraction of chemical analytes out of tissue. Also described is a method of nail piercing to accommodate jewelry.

Localized molecular and ionic transport to and from tissues

A method for measuring biopotential of an organism includes electroporating a portion of a tissue surface of the organism. The biopotential of the organism is then measured with electrodes at the electroporated portion of the organism. The portion of the organism that is electroporated can be, for example, a skin surface of the organism. A resistance-decreasing agent, such as heparin, sodium thiosulfate, thioglycolic acid solution and dithioglycolic acid can be applied to the tissue surface to facilitate reduction in electrical resistance. Another example of a resistance-decreasing agent is a keratin-disrupting agent, such as sulforhodamine. Examples of suitable biopotential measurements include electrocardiographic, electroencephalographic, electromyographic, electrohysterographic and elctrokymographic measurements. The method decreases skin resistance to diminish unwanted electrical voltages that compete with biopotential measurements, thereby significantly improving the biopotential measurement.

Biopotential measurement including electroporation of tissue surface

Transdermal transport of molecules during sonophoresis (delivery or extraction) can be further enhanced by application of an electric field, for example, electroporation or iontophoresis. In a preferred embodiment the ultrasound is low frequency ultrasound which induces cavitation of the lipid layers of the stratum corneum (SC). This method provides higher drug transdermal fluxes, allows rapid control of transdermal fluxes, and allows drug delivery or analyte extraction at lower ultrasound intensities than when ultrasound is applied in the absence of an electric field.

Effect of electric field and ultrasound for transdermal drug delivery

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for localized electroporation of tissue. An apparatus includes a perforate electrically insulating layer, a first electrode at a first side of the perforate electrically insulating layer and a second electrode at a second side of the perforate electrically insulating layer. An electric field extending between the first and second electrodes will preferentially extend through perforations of the electrically insulating layer. The electric field thereby causes electroporation of tissue that is proximate to the first electrode and is partitioned from the electrically insulating layer and the second electrode by the first electrode. The apparatus controllably limits the depth of the electric field within a tissue, such as skin, thereby electroporating a surface layer, such as a stratum corneum layer of the skin, without stimulating submerged nerve endings within the skin. Sensation of the applied voltage and especially pain sensation can thereby be controlled by the invention.

Apparatus and method for electroporation of tissue

A method of modifying epidermis for transport of a material by electroporation includes applying to epidermis an agent that, upon entry into the epidermis, will modify the epidermis to thereby cause and altered rate of transport of a material across the epidermis. Typically, the altered rate will be an increased rate of transport. The epidermis is electroporated, whereby at least a portion of the modifying agent enters the electroporated epidermis, thereby modifying the epidermis to cause an altered rate of transport of a material across the epidermis. In another embodiment, the modifying agent can modify the epidermis to enable measurement and/or monitoring of physiological conditions or change within or beneath the epidermis. The modifying agents can also be employed to facilitate discharge of fluids from within an organism, such as by providing pathways for discharge of fluids from a tumor. Examples of modifying agents include: oxidizing agents; reducing agents; particles, such as optical indicator beads or beads that include drugs to be released into tissue; electrically-charged particles or molecules; etc. Materials that can be transported by the method of the invention include, for example, proteins, nucleic acids, electrically charged molecules or particles, microorganisms suitable for immunization, etc. Also, tissues other than skin can be employed in the method of the invention.

Introduction of modifying agents into skin by electroporation

A method for delivering a nucleotide into an organism includes applying a composition which includes a nucleotide component to epidermis of the organism. The epidermis is electroporated, whereby at least a portion of the composition enters or passes across the epidermis, thereby delivering the nucleotide into the organism. An example of a suitable nucleotide which can be delivered by the method of the invention includes antisense oligodeoxynucleotides for treatment of melanomas.

Delivery of nucleotides into organisms by electroporation

A method is disclosed for treating tissue in response to a stimulus generated by the tissue. In one embodiment, the method transdermally treats an organism in response to a stimulus. In this embodiment, the medication is applied to epidermis of the organism, and the epidermis is electroporated in response to a stimulus, whereby the medication passes through the epidermis at a rate sufficient to alter the stimulus, thereby transdermally treating the organism. In another embodiment, the method measures a blood component content of blood. A portion of epidermis is electroporated to cause an aqueous fluid to be directed through an electroporated epidermis to a surface of the epidermis. Thereafter, the blood component content of the aqueous fluid is measured for correlation with a known aqueous fluid blood component content associated with a known concentration of blood component in the blood. The blood component concentration of the blood can thereby be measured. In still another embodiment, the method includes directing a medication to the tissue which can alter the stimulus when the tissue is electroporated, and electroporating the tissue in response to a stimulus, whereby the medication passes through the tissue in an amount sufficient to alter the stimulus, thereby treating the organism.

Method for rapid temporal control of molecular transport across tissue

A protected antenna apparatus including an elongated tube; a cable having an upper end with a pair of separate bare leads extending therefrom, a lower end with a connector secured thereto, and an intermediate portion extended between the ends; a twin-lead transmission line having a central axis, a free upper end, a lower end with the bare leads extending therefrom and interconnected together, an intermediate location therebetween wherein each lead is connected with one of the bare leads of the cable, and a notch formed on an upper extent of the line at a location between the intermediate location and the upper end to thereby divide one of the leads into two different pieces and thus create a J-pole antenna having a short leg, a long leg, and an impedance matching stub portion therebetween, and wherein the antenna transmits radio signals of a characteristic frequency as a function of the lengths of the legs and the stub portion; and a coupling mechanism for securing the antenna within the tube and along a longitudinal extent thereof.

Protected antenna apparatus

A method and apparatus is disclosed for causing electroporation of remote cells and tissue, in vivo. The method includes directing an electrically conductive penetrator into an organism to a point which is approximate to the cells and/or tissue. An electrode is disposed at a surface of the organism, whereby a voltage applied between the electrically conductive penetrator and the electrode will cause electroporation of the cells and/or tissue. A voltage is applied between the electrically conductive penetrator and the electrode in an amount sufficient to cause electroporation of the cell or tissue. The method can also include treating remote tissue, in vivo, with a chemical agent, wherein the chemical agent is disposed in the organism in an amount sufficient to treat the cell or tissue during electroporation.

Method and apparatus for in vivo electroporation of remote cells and

A process for manipulation of liquid microdroplets is disclosed. The process involves formation of microdroplets such that physical forces based on particular interactions of the microdroplets with a surrounding non-aqueous fluid results can be used to alter the position of the microdroplets.

Process for manipulation of non-aqueous surrounded microdroplets

A probe adapted for insertion in living tissue for measuring oxygen partial pressure and temperature at a plurality of sites in living tissue is provided. A temperature sensitive resistor is positioned adjacent each of a plurality of oxygen sensors so that the oxygen partial pressure measured can be adjusted for tissue temperature. The probe substrate has thermal properties similar to living tissue and the resistors are formed of a material having a temperature sensitive resistance. Temperature at each temperature sensitive resistor is obtained by measuring resistance with a four point measurement and correlating the resistance to temperature.

Growing community of inventors

Sudbury, MA, United States of America

James C Weaver