The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 31, 2017
Filed:
Jan. 26, 2015
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US);
Anilkumar H. Achyuta, Cambridge, MA (US);
Bryan L. McLaughlin, Cambridge, MA (US);
James Hsiao, Watertown, MA (US);
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US);
Abstract
A scaffold defines a plurality of channels, into which axons of a severed nerve may regenerate, such as after limb amputation. Each channel includes a corresponding electrode. Regenerating axons may make electrical contact with the electrodes. Each channel is at least partially filled with a growth factor selected to selectively stimulate axon regeneration. Adjacent channels may include different growth factors, so as to attract different types of axons, for example efferent axons and afferent axons, to each of the adjacent channels. The growth factors may be distributed in the channels so as to present a gradient across a geometry of each channel. This gradient provides enhanced differentiated geometric guidance to the axons, thereby yielding better specificity, in terms of which axons regenerate into which channels. Topography, such as geometric patterns in walls, ceilings and floors of the channels, may also be used to selectively encourage axon regeneration into the channels.