Direct drive movement of body constituent

Abstract

A bio-magnetic system for moving a constituent of a human body includes at least one magnetically responsive member having an attachment mechanism including collagen which is bound with an epithelium of a moveable constituent in the human body. A bio-magnetic drive system for moving a constituent of a human body includes a plurality of magnetic microbeads connected in vivo to a moveable constituent of a human body, and it also includes a magnetic field source disposed in operative association with the microbeads but remote from the microbeads and the moveable constituent to provide a magnetic field to move the microbeads. A method for moving a constituent in a human body includes transmitting a signal to interact with a plurality of microbeads connected to a constituent in a human body such that the connected microbeads and constituent in the human body move in response. A more particular method includes providing a plurality of microbeads in vivo to attach to at least one ossicle in an ear of a human; and processing a sound to drive the microbeads, including transmitting a signal to interact with the microbeads such that the microbeads and the at least one ossicle vibrate in response. Also disclosed are a kit for use in causing a constituent of a human body to move and in vivo methods of connecting microbeads to a constituent in a human body.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . In a hearing assist system for a human ear, the improvement comprising a plurality of microbeads connected to at least one ossicle in an ear of a human.  
     
     
         2 . In a hearing assist system for a human ear, the improvement comprising at least one magnetically responsive member having an attachment mechanism including collagen, the collagen naturally bonded with an epithelium of a vibratory constituent of the human ear.  
     
     
         3 . In a system for inducing the perception of sound in a human, the improvement comprising a plurality of magnetically responsive microbeads connected to a constituent of the human hearing mechanism, the constituent selected from the group consisting of a tympanic membrane, a middle ear ossicle, a round window, and an oval window of a human ear.  
     
     
         4 . A middle-ear drive system for a human ear, comprising: 
 a plurality of microbeads connected to a vibratory constituent in an ear of a human; and    a transmitter to transmit a microbead-operative output signal within effective range of the plurality of microbeads such that the microbeads move in response.    
     
     
         5 . A middle-ear drive system as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the microbeads include ferromagnetic material and the output signal includes an electromagnetic signal.  
     
     
         6 . A middle-ear drive system as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the output signal drives the microbeads in opposition to ambient noise affecting the vibratory constituent.  
     
     
         7 . A middle-ear drive system as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the output signal includes an electromagnetic signal generated by at least a part of the transmitter spaced from the human.  
     
     
         8 . A middle-ear drive system as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the transmitter includes an electromagnetic signal generator.  
     
     
         9 . A middle-ear drive system as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the transmitter includes a static magnetic field source and means for moving the source relative to the microbeads.  
     
     
         10 . A middle-ear drive system as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the microbeads include collagen, the collagen bound to the epithelium of the vibratory constituent.  
     
     
         11 . A bio-magnetic system for moving a constituent of a human body, comprising at least one magnetically responsive member having an attachment mechanism including collagen, the collagen bound with an epithelium of a moveable constituent in the human body.  
     
     
         12 . A bio-magnetic system as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the constituent is selected from the group consisting of a tympanic membrane, a middle-ear ossicle, a round window membrane, an oval window membrane, a larynx, an eyelid, a sphincter, wound tissue, surgically positioned tissue, nerve tissue, and vascular tissue of the human body.  
     
     
         13 . A bio-magnetic system as defined in  claim 11 , further comprising means for vibrating the at least one magnetically responsive member.  
     
     
         14 . A bio-magnetic system as defined in  claim 13 , wherein the means for vibrating includes an electromagnetic signal generator to provide an electromagnetic signal to vibrate the at least one magnetically responsive member.  
     
     
         15 . A bio-magnetic system as defined in  claim 13 , wherein the means for vibrating includes a magnet and a motor connected to the magnet to move the magnet relative to the at least one magnetically responsive member.  
     
     
         16 . A bio-magnetic system as defined in  claim 11 , further comprising means for moving the at least one magnetically responsive member into a held position.  
     
     
         17 . A bio-magnetic system as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the means for moving includes an electromagnetic signal generator to provide an electromagnetic signal to move the at least one magnetically responsive member.  
     
     
         18 . A bio-magnetic system as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the means for moving includes a magnet cooperatively disposed with the at least one magnetically responsive member such that the magnetic field of the magnet acts on the at least one magnetically responsive member to move the at least one magnetically responsive member to a desired position.  
     
     
         19 . A bio-magnetic system as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the means for moving includes another at least one magnetically responsive member having an attachment mechanism including collagen, the collagen bound with an epithelium of tissue in the human body such that the magnetically responsive members react to each other to move.  
     
     
         20 . A bio-magnetic system as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the magnetically responsive members are magnetic with opposite magnetic polarities between the first-mentioned at least one magnetically responsive member and the another at least one magnetically responsive member.  
     
     
         21 . A bio-magnetic system as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the magnetically responsive members are magnetic with the same magnetic polarity between the first-mentioned at least one magnetically responsive member and the another at least one magnetically responsive member.  
     
     
         22 . A bio-magnetic drive system for moving a constituent of a human body, comprising: 
 a plurality of magnetically responsive microbeads connected in vivo to a moveable constituent of a human body; and    a magnetic field source disposed in operative association with the microbeads but remote from the microbeads and the moveable constituent to provide a magnetic field to move the microbeads.    
     
     
         23 . A bio-magnetic drive system as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the magnetic field source is outside the human body.  
     
     
         24 . A bio-magnetic drive system as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the magnetic field source is inside the human body.  
     
     
         25 . A bio-magnetic drive system as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the moveable constituent is selected from the group consisting of a tympanic membrane, a middle-ear ossicle, a round window membrane, an oval window membrane, a larynx, an eyelid, a sphincter, wound tissue, surgically positioned tissue, nerve tissue, and vascular tissue of the human body.  
     
     
         26 . A bio-magnetic drive system as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the magnetic field source includes an electromagnetic signal generator to provide an electromagnetic signal to move the magnetically responsive microbeads.  
     
     
         27 . A bio-magnetic drive system as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the magnetic field source includes a permanent magnet.  
     
     
         28 . A bio-magnetic drive system as defined in  claim 27 , wherein the magnetic field source further includes a motor connected to the magnet to move the magnet relative to the magnetically responsive microbeads.  
     
     
         29 . A bio-magnetic drive system as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the magnetic field source includes a magnet cooperatively disposed with the magnetically responsive microbeads such that the magnetic field of the magnet acts on the magnetically responsive microbeads to move the moveable constituent to a desired position.  
     
     
         30 . A bio-magnetic drive system as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the magnetic field source includes another plurality of magnetically responsive microbeads having an attachment mechanism including collagen, the collagen bound with an epithelium of tissue in the human body such that the magnetically responsive microbeads react to each other to move.  
     
     
         31 . A bio-magnetic drive system as defined in  claim 30 , wherein the magnetically responsive microbeads are magnetic with opposite magnetic polarities between the first-mentioned plurality of magnetically responsive microbeads and the another plurality of magnetically responsive microbeads.  
     
     
         32 . A bio-magnetic drive system as defined in  claim 30 , wherein the magnetically responsive microbeads are magnetic with the same magnetic polarity between the first-mentioned plurality of magnetically responsive microbeads and the another plurality of magnetically responsive microbeads.  
     
     
         33 . A kit for use in causing a constituent of a human body to move, comprising: 
 a plurality of biologically compatible, magnetically responsive microbeads coated with a composition that connects the microbeads to a selected constituent of a human body;    a signal processor including a receiver to receive an input signal and further including a transmitter responsive to the receiver to transmit a magnetic output signal within effective range of the plurality of magnetically responsive microbeads; and    a package containing the plurality of microbeads and the signal processor.    
     
     
         34 . A kit as defined in  claim 33 , further comprising a physiologic solution and a container having the physiologic solution and the microbeads admixed and contained therein, wherein the container with the admixture is disposed in the package.  
     
     
         35 . A kit as defined in  claim 34 , wherein the signal processor is in the form of a deep canal ear mold.  
     
     
         36 . A method for moving a constituent in a human body, comprising displacing with a magnetic field a plurality of magnetically responsive microbeads connected to a constituent in a human body such that the connected microbeads and constituent move in the human body.  
     
     
         37 . A method as defined in  claim 36 , wherein displacing with a magnetic field includes generating the magnetic field electromagnetically.  
     
     
         38 . A method as defined in claim  36 ; wherein displacing with a magnetic field includes electromagnetically generating a time-varying magnetic field.  
     
     
         39 . A method as defined in  claim 36 , wherein displacing with a magnetic field includes generating a moving magnetic field by moving a static magnetic field relative to the microbeads.  
     
     
         40 . A method as defined in  claim 36 , wherein the magnetic field is a stationary, static magnetic field.  
     
     
         41 . A method as defined in  claim 36 , wherein the microbeads are connected by collagen-integrin bonds with the constituent inside the human body.  
     
     
         42 . A method as defined in  claim 36 , further comprising selecting the constituent from the group consisting of a tympanic membrane, a middle-ear ossicle, a round window membrane, an oval window membrane, a larynx, an eyelid, a sphincter, wound tissue, surgically positioned tissue, nerve tissue, and vascular tissue of the human body.  
     
     
         43 . A method for moving a constituent in a human body, comprising transmitting a signal to interact with a plurality of microbeads connected to a constituent in a human body such that the connected microbeads and constituent in the human body move in response.  
     
     
         44 . A method as defined in  claim 43 , wherein the microbeads are connected by collagen-integrin bonds with the constituent inside the human body.  
     
     
         45 . A method of aiding a human to hear, comprising vibrating with magnetic signal transmission a plurality of magnetically responsive microbeads connected to at least one human ear constituent.  
     
     
         46 . A method as defined in  claim 45 , wherein the microbeads are connected by collagen-integrin bonds on the epithelium of the at least one human ear constituent.  
     
     
         47 . A method of aiding a human to hear, comprising: 
 providing a plurality of microbeads in vivo to attach to at least one ossicle in an ear of a human; and    processing a sound to drive the microbeads, including transmitting a signal to interact with the microbeads such that the microbeads and the at least one ossicle vibrate in response.    
     
     
         48 . A method as defined in  claim 47 , wherein the microbeads include magnetically responsive material and transmitting a signal includes propagating a time-varying electromagnetic signal to within effective range of the microbeads.  
     
     
         49 . A method as defined in  claim 47 , wherein the microbeads include magnetically responsive material and transmitting a signal includes moving a permanent magnet such that the magnetic field of the magnet is moved relative to the microbeads.  
     
     
         50 . An in vivo method of connecting microbeads to a constituent in a human body, comprising: 
 aspirating a plurality of magnetically responsive microbeads and accompanying physiologic solution into a syringe from an admixture of magnetically responsive microbeads and physiologic solution;    inserting a needle of the syringe into the human body toward the constituent; and    ejecting at least a portion of the microbeads and physiologic solution from the syringe onto or into the constituent.    
     
     
         51 . An in vivo method of connecting microbeads to a constituent in a human body, comprising: 
 moving a brush into an admixture of magnetically responsive microbeads and physiologic solution such that a plurality of magnetically responsive microbeads and accompanying physiologic solution adhere to the brush;    inserting the brush into the human body toward the constituent; and    transferring at least a portion of the microbeads and physiologic solution from the brush onto the constituent.