Patents by Inventor Agnella Izzo

Agnella Izzo has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Apparatus and methods for optical stimulation of the auditory nerve
    Patent number: 7833257
    Abstract: A cochlear implant placed in a cochlea of a living subject for stimulating the auditory system of the living subject, where the auditory system comprises auditory neurons. In one embodiment, the cochlear implant includes a plurality of light sources, {Li}, placeable distal to the cochlea, each light source, L1, being operable independently and adapted for generating an optical energy, Ei, wherein i=1, . . . , N, and N is the number of the light sources, and delivering means placeable in the cochlea and optically coupled to the plurality of light sources, {Li}, such that in operation, the optical energies {Ei} generated by the plurality of light sources {Li} are delivered to target sites, {Gi}, of auditory neurons, respectively, wherein the target sites G1 and GN of auditory neurons are substantially proximate to the apical end and the basal end of the cochlea, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignees: Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University
    Inventors: Joseph I. Walsh, Jr., E. Duco Jansen, Agnella Izzo, Claus-Peter Richter
  • Apparatus and methods for optical stimulation of the auditory nerve
    Publication number: 20060161227
    Abstract: A cochlear implant placed in a cochlea of a living subject for stimulating the auditory system of the living subject, where the auditory system comprises auditory neurons. In one embodiment, the cochlear implant includes a plurality of light sources, {Li}, placeable distal to the cochlea, each light source, L1, being operable independently and adapted for generating an optical energy, Ei, wherein i=1, . . . , N, and N is the number of the light sources, and delivering means placeable in the cochlea and optically coupled to the plurality of light sources, {Li}, such that in operation, the optical energies {Ei} generated by the plurality of light sources {Li} are delivered to target sites, {Gi}, of auditory neurons, respectively, wherein the target sites G1 and GN of auditory neurons are substantially proximate to the apical end and the basal end of the cochlea, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2005
    Publication date: July 20, 2006
    Applicants: Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University
    Inventors: Joseph Walsh, E. Jansen, Agnella Izzo, Claus-Peter Richter