University of South Florida

The University of Texas System

Rochester Institute of Technology

Joseph Paul Walton

Robert Dana Frisina

David Borkholder

Luisa Lynn Scott

Farzad Forouzandeh

Xiaoxia Zhu

Venkat Rama Bhethanabotla

Parveen Bazard

David Alan Eddins

Denis Cormier

Robert Nash Carter

Bo Ding

Compounds, pharmaceutical compositions, and methods for treating tinnitus in a subject in need thereof. The methods include administering a therapeutically effective amount of a compound having a structure represented by Formula I as described herein. The compounds and compositions are administered transdermally or orally, preferably via a sustained release mechanism. The compounds and compositions reduce at least one behavioral correlate of tinnitus and/or at least one neurophysiological correlate of tinnitus. The compounds and compositions reduce hyperactivity in the auditory system.

Drug for treating tinnitus

A device and method that supplements sensory input, thereby providing a supplemented sensory environment, to induce plasticity within the central nervous system that effectively overcomes sensory-neural processing deficits or strengthens specific sensory-neural abilities. In one implementation, ear-level hearing devices are used to deliver therapeutic sound with specific acoustic features that serve as archetypes of stimulus features for which sensory-neural processing is compromised by a sensory-neural deficit.

Device for targeted feature-specific sensory therapy

A miniature pump including a first chamber, a second chamber, a deformable membrane provided within the second chamber that divides the second chamber into first and second sub-chambers, the second sub-chamber defining a reservoir configured to contain liquid to be dispensed, a passage that connects the first chamber to the first sub-chamber, and an outlet in fluid communication with the reservoir, wherein pressurized fluid within the first internal chamber flows through the passage and into the first sub-chamber to compress the deformable membrane and cause liquid contained within the reservoir to flow out from the reservoir through the outlet and wherein the deformable membrane does not generate significant restoring forces when it is deformed and, therefore, will not return to its initial undeformed shape unless the reservoir is refilled.

Miniature pressure-driven pumps

In one embodiment, a fluid storage device includes a rigid outer housing that defines a septum cavity, a reservoir cavity, and a channel that extends between the two cavities, the outer housing further defining an outlet in fluid communication with the reservoir cavity, a septum provided within the septum cavity, the septum being made of an elastic polymer and facilitating refilling of the fluid storage device, and a thin, collapsible membrane that does not generate significant restoring forces when it is deformed as fluid is drawn from the reservoir cavity and, therefore, does not completely or partially return to its initial non-deformed shape even if the outlet of the device remains open after doses are administered.

Implantable drug storage devices for drug delivery

The present invention concerns peptides and nucleic acids encoding the peptides, and their use for modulating large conductance Caactivated K(BK) channel activity in cells; for treating conditions such as presbycusis (age-related hearing loss), audiogenic seizures, alcohol addiction, cancer, and neurodegenerative disease; and for delivering a cargo moiety to the brain of a subject through the blood-brain barrier.

BK channel-modulating peptides and their use

In one embodiment, a peristaltic micropump comprising a substrate having a first side and a second side, a microtube that extends across the first side of the substrate, and multiple pump actuators formed on the first side of the substrate and positioned adjacent to the microtube at discrete, spaced positions along the length of the microtube, wherein the micropump is configured to sequentially actuate the pump actuators so as to create peristaltic action that drives fluid contained in the microtube along the length of the tube.

Peristaltic micropumps and fluid delivery devices that incorporate them

A novel method to stimulate electrically active biological cells using visible wavelength light and metallic nanoparticles possessing plasmonic properties is presented herein. Using this technology, prosthetic devices such as cochlear and retinal implants and cardiac pacemakers can be developed to have superior properties as compared to the currently utilized electrical stimulation designs. These properties include improved spatial resolution; less or non-invasive devices; and higher fidelity of transduction. An additional advantage of using visible light wavelengths is the avoidance of unwanted heating of surrounding tissue that occurs with infrared stimulation.

Plasmonic stimulation of electrically excitable biological cells

Permanent hearing loss or deafness affects about 15% of people worldwide, about 40 million in the US alone. There are currently no FDA-approved drugs on the market in the US, or anywhere in the world that prevent, treat or reverse permanent hearing loss or deafness. Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is one of the most common forms of permanent hearing loss and deafness. ARHL is the #1 neurodegenerative disorder, #1 communication disorder, and 1 of the top 3 chronic medical conditions (along with arthritis & cardiovascular diseases) of our aged population. The incidence of ARHL is increasing due to the 'Baby Boomers' reaching old age, and cumulative effects of lifetime noise exposure, and widespread use of chemotherapeutic and antibiotic drugs, which are ototoxic, or have ototoxic side effects. A new drug is disclosed to prevent or slow the progression of ARHL, based upon natural, existing FDA-approved compounds that are on the market to treat other non-ARHL biomedical problems. When given in the proper dosage the compounds have few, if any side effects, and initial evidence supports the effectiveness of the drug from in vitro experiments, and in vivo studies of aging mice, indicating is usefulness in preventing/treating one of the most pervasive forms of permanent hearing loss.

Growing community of inventors

Tampa, FL, United States of America

Joseph Paul Walton