Patents by Inventor Robert Langer

Robert Langer 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).

  • Patent number: 10347875
    Abstract: A battery for use in electronic devices and which is safely ingested into a body and a related method of making the battery. The battery includes an anode, a cathode and a quantum tunneling composite coating. The quantum tunneling composite coating covers at least a portion of at least one of the anode or the cathode and provides pressure sensitive conductive properties to the battery including a compressive stress threshold for conduction. The compressive stress threshold may be greater than a pre-determined applied stress in a digestive tract of the body in order to prevent harm if the battery is ingested. The battery may include a waterproof seal that extends between the quantum tunneling composite coating and a gasket separating the anode and cathode to inhibit the battery from short circuiting in a conductive fluid below the compressive stress threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The Brigham and Women's Hospital
    Inventors: Bryan Laulicht, Janet Freilich, Jeffrey M. Karp, Robert Langer
  • Publication number: 20190204299
    Abstract: Disclosed here is a generally applicable framework that utilizes massively-parallel single-cell RNA-seq to compare cell types/states found in vivo to those of in vitro models. Furthermore, Applicants leverage identified discrepancies to improve model fidelity. Applicants uncover fundamental gene expression differences in lineage-defining genes between in vivo systems and in vitro systems. Using this information, molecular interventions are identified for rationally improving the physiological fidelity of the in vitro system. Applicants demonstrated functional (antimicrobial activity, niche support) improvements in Paneth cell physiology using the methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2019
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Mead, Jose Ordovas-Montanes, Alexander K. Shalek, Jeffrey Karp, Robert Langer
  • Patent number: 10182869
    Abstract: Systems and methods for wearable injection guides are described, which include: acquiring one or more digital images of a body region of an individual with at least one image capture device; creating a digitally rendered model of a wearable injection guide from the one or more digital images of the body region of the individual; adding one or more digitally rendered fiducials indicative of at least one treatment parameter to the digitally rendered model of the wearable injection guide; and forming the wearable injection guide from the digitally rendered model of the wearable injection guide, the formed wearable injection guide including one or more fiducials corresponding to the one or more digitally rendered fiducials on the digitally rendered model of the wearable injection guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Mahalaxmi Gita Bangera, Edward S. Boyden, Hon Wah Chin, Gregory J. Della Rocca, Daniel Hawkins, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Jordin T. Kare, Robert Langer, Eric C. Leuthardt, Stephen L. Malaska, Terence Myckatyn, Parag Jitendra Parikh, Dennis J. Rivet, Joshua S. Shimony, Michael A. Smith, Elizabeth A. Sweeney, Clarence T. Tegreene, Sharon L. Wolda, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10163403
    Abstract: A system may produce images including narrow-bandwidth colors. One or more sets of the narrow-bandwidth colors may be selected to be interpreted as substantially a same color by a user. The system may include a light source configured to produce the narrow-bandwidth colors, and/or narrow-passband filters may create narrow-bandwidth colors from light emitted by broad-spectrum light sources or color sources. Spatial and/or time multiplexing may be used to create separate narrow-bandwidth colors interpreted as substantially a same color by the user. For example, the light source and/or the narrow-passband filter elements may be adjustable and may alternate between emission of two or more narrow-bandwidth colors. A viewing device may include filters allowing the user to selectively filter the narrow-bandwidth colors. The user may filter the narrow-bandwidth colors to separate a stereoscopic image pair, to view a user-specific image, to view desired content obfuscated by an obfuscating image, and/or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Erez Lieberman Aiden, Philip A. Eckhoff, William Gates, Peter L. Hagelstein, Roderick A. Hyde, Jordin T. Kare, Robert Langer, Eric C. Leuthardt, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Michael Schnall-Levin, Clarence T. Tegreene, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10143809
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for guided injection, which include: one or more controllable light-emitting elements configured to emit non-destructive light and a computing device operably connected to the one or more controllable light-emitting elements configured to emit non-destructive light, the computing device including a processor operable to receive at least one digital representation of a body region of an individual, the body region of the individual including one or more physical registration landmarks, the at least one digital representation including one or more digitally registered injection sites and one or more digital registration landmarks corresponding to the one or more physical registration landmarks on the body region; and control the one or more controllable light-emitting elements to illuminate a location of a surface of the body region of the individual corresponding in location to at least one of the one or more digitally registered injection sites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Edward S. Boyden, Hon Wah Chin, Gregory J. Della Rocca, Daniel Hawkins, Roderick A. Hyde, Robert Langer, Eric C. Leuthardt, Terence Myckatyn, Parag Jitendra Parikh, Dennis J. Rivet, Joshua S. Shimony, Michael A. Smith, Elizabeth A. Sweeney, Clarence T. Tegreene
  • Patent number: 10134342
    Abstract: A system may produce images including narrow-bandwidth colors. One or more sets of the narrow-bandwidth colors may be selected to be interpreted as substantially a same color by a user. The system may include a light source configured to produce the narrow-bandwidth colors, and/or narrow-passband filters may create narrow-bandwidth colors from light emitted by broad-spectrum light sources or color sources. Spatial and/or time multiplexing may be used to create separate narrow-bandwidth colors interpreted as substantially a same color by the user. The light source and/or the narrow-passband filter elements may be adjustable and may alternate between emission of two or more narrow-bandwidth colors. A viewing device may include filters configured to selectively filter the narrow-bandwidth colors. The user may filter the narrow-bandwidth colors to separate a stereoscopic image pair, to view an image specific to a user, to view desired content obfuscated by an obfuscating image, and/or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Erez Lieberman Aiden, Philip A. Eckhoff, William Gates, Peter L. Hagelstein, Roderick A. Hyde, Jordin T. Kare, Robert Langer, Eric C. Leuthardt, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Michael Schnall-Levin, Clarence T. Tegreene, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20180296733
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for inhibiting bacterial attachment to a surface, the method comprising forming the surface from a polymer, or applying a polymer to the surface, wherein the polymer is a homopolymer formed from a (meth) acrylate or (meth) acrylamide monomer or a copolymer formed from one or more (meth) acrylate or (meth) acrylamide monomers, wherein the (meth) acrylate or (meth) acrylamide monomers are of formula (I) or (II): [H2C?CR?—C(=0)-0-]n, R (I) [H2C?CR?—C(=0)-NH—]n R (II) wherein n is 1, 2 or 3, R? is independently H or CH3, R is an organic group having a total of from 2 to 24 carbon atoms, wherein the organic group includes an aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon moiety and wherein the organic group does not include any hydroxyl groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Applicants: The University of Nottingham, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Paul Williams, Morgan Russell Alexander, Martyn Christopher Davies, Robert Langer, Daniel Griffith Anderson
  • Publication number: 20180264191
    Abstract: A neural drug delivery system is disclosed. In an embodiment, the system includes two or more microtubes, each having a distal end, a proximal end, and elongate channel body extending therebetween; an electrode having a distal end, a proximal end, and elongate body extending therebetween; an elongate carrying template supporting the microtubes and the electrode in an aligned stack; and an annular needle having a distal end and a proximal end, and housing the carrying template, the microtubes, and the electrode. The system may include at least one pump fluidically connected to the proximal end(s) of one or more of the microtubes. The pump may be configured to deliver a fluid drug on demand through the elongate channel body and out of the distal end of the microtubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Applicant: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Canan Dagdeviren, Robert Langer, Michael J. Cima
  • Patent number: 10052159
    Abstract: Systems and methods for wearable injection guides are described, which include: acquiring one or more digital images of a body region of an individual with at least one image capture device; creating a digitally rendered model of a wearable injection guide from the one or more digital images of the body region of the individual; adding one or more digitally rendered fiducials indicative of at least one treatment parameter to the digitally rendered model of the wearable injection guide; and forming the wearable injection guide from the digitally rendered model of the wearable injection guide, the formed wearable injection guide including one or more fiducials corresponding to the one or more digitally rendered fiducials on the digitally rendered model of the wearable injection guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Mahalaxmi Gita Bangera, Edward S. Boyden, Hon Wah Chin, Gregory J. Della Rocca, Daniel Hawkins, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Jordin T. Kare, Robert Langer, Eric C. Leuthardt, Stephen L. Malaska, Terence Myckatyn, Parag Jitendra Parikh, Dennis J. Rivet, Joshua S. Shimony, Michael A. Smith, Elizabeth A. Sweeney, Clarence T. Tegreene, Sharon L. Wolda, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10046119
    Abstract: System and methods are described herein for generating an injection guide, which include receiving one or more digital images of a body region of an individual, the body region including one or more physical registration landmarks, generating at least one digital representation of the body region using the one or more digital images, the at least one digital representation including one or more digital registration landmarks corresponding to the one or more physical registration landmarks on the body region, adding one or more digitally registered injection sites to the at least one digital representation of the body region in an injection-treatment pattern, the one or more digitally registered injection sites registered relative to the one or more digital registration landmarks, and generating one or more output signals having information for controlling one or more controllable light-emitting elements to illuminate a location on a surface of the body region of the individual corresponding in location to at
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Edward S. Boyden, Hon Wah Chin, Gregory J. Della Rocca, Daniel Hawkins, Roderick A. Hyde, Robert Langer, Eric C. Leuthardt, Terence Myckatyn, Parag Jitendra Parikh, Dennis J. Rivet, Joshua S. Shimony, Michael A. Smith, Elizabeth A. Sweeney, Clarence T. Tegreene
  • Patent number: 10034743
    Abstract: Breast implants including sensor modules and related methods are described herein. Breast implants include those with: a shell configured to be substantially filled with a viscous material; and a plurality of sensor modules attached to the shell and positioned at a distance from each other, each of the plurality of sensor modules oriented to detect one or more analytes in a fluid adjacent to the shell, wherein each of the plurality of sensor modules includes a unique identifier and is configured to utilize energy transmitted from an external source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Edward S. Boyden, Gregory J. Della Rocca, Daniel Hawkins, Roderick A. Hyde, Robert Langer, Eric C. Leuthardt, Terence Myckatyn, Parag Jitendra Parikh, Dennis J. Rivet, Joshua S. Shimony, Michael A. Smith, Elizabeth A. Sweeney, Clarence T. Tegreene
  • Patent number: 9981068
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for inhibiting bacterial attachment to a surface, the method comprising forming the surface from a polymer, or applying a polymer to the surface, wherein the polymer is a homopolymer formed from a (meth) acrylate or (meth) acrylamide monomer or a copolymer formed from one or more (meth) acrylate or (meth) acrylamide monomers, wherein the (meth) acrylate or (meth) acrylamide monomers are of formula (I) or (II): [H2C?CR?—C(?O)—O—]nR??(I) [H2C?CR?—C(?O)—NH—]nR??(II) wherein n is 1, 2 or 3, R? is independently H or CH3, R is an organic group having a total of from 2 to 24 carbon atoms, wherein the organic group includes an aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon moiety and wherein the organic group does not include any hydroxyl groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignees: The University of Nottingham, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Paul Williams, Morgan Russell Alexander, Martyn Christopher Davies, Robert Langer, Daniel Griffith Anderson
  • Patent number: 9875719
    Abstract: A method may include automatically remotely identifying at least one characteristic of an individual via facial recognition; and providing a display for the individual, the display having a content at least partially based on the identified at least one characteristic of the individual. A system may include a facial recognition module configured for automatically remotely identifying at least one characteristic of an individual via facial recognition; and a display module coupled with the facial recognition module, the display module configured for providing a display for the individual, the display having a content at least partially based on the identified at least one characteristic of the individual.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: GEARBOX, LLC
    Inventors: Philip A. Eckhoff, William Gates, Peter L. Hagelstein, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Jordin T. Kare, Robert Langer, Eric C. Leuthardt, Erez Lieberman, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Michael Schnall-Levin, Clarence T. Tegreene, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9876080
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a semiconductor structure including: (i) a monocrystalline substrate having a top surface, (ii) a non-crystalline structure overlying the monocrystalline substrate and including an opening having a width smaller than 10 microns and exposing part of the top surface of the monocrystalline substrate. The semiconductor structure also includes (iii) a buffer structure having a bottom surface abutting the part and a top surface having less than 108 threading dislocations per cm2, the buffer structure being made of a material having a first lattice constant. The semiconductor structure also includes (iv) one or more group IV monocrystalline structures abutting the buffer structure and that are made of a material having a second lattice constant, different from the first lattice constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: IMEC VZW
    Inventors: Bernardette Kunert, Robert Langer, Geert Eneman
  • Publication number: 20180000956
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for treating an auditory disease in a subject in need thereof comprising administering an effective amount of a gel-based precursor that includes an inner ear-specific therapeutic compound directly into the cochlea of the subject.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Inventors: Jeffrey T. Borenstein, Erin Pararas, Ernest S. Kim, Vishal Tandon, Andrew Ayoob, Michael McKenna, William Sewell, Marcello Peppi, Marc Weinberg, Robert Langer
  • Publication number: 20170354281
    Abstract: In an aspect, an eating utensil includes a controllable odorant emitter for delivering an odorant to a person who is eating or drinking from the eating utensil. The odorant may be delivered orthonasally or retronasally. The odorant may be used to stimulate or suppress appetite. In an aspect, a controllable odorant emitter is provided in an attachment that may be removably secured to an eating utensil. Related methods and systems for delivering odorant in connection with use of an eating utensil are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Edward K.Y. Jung, Jordin T. Kare, Robert Langer, Eric C. Leuthardt, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Dennis J. Rivet, Elizabeth A. Sweeney, Clarence T. Tegreene, Lowell L. Wood, JR., Victoria Y.H. Wood
  • Publication number: 20170333348
    Abstract: Methods for making particles, such as nanoparticles, devices useful in the methods, and particles made by the method are described herein. The methods involves the use of microfluidic device, such that upon mixing solutions of the materials to form the particles (or a solution of the material or materials to form the particles and a non-solvent for the material or materials) at least two symmetrical microvortices are formed simultaneously. The method can be used to prepare polymeric or non-polymeric particles and hybrid particles, such as lipid-polymer hybrid particles, as well as such particles containing one or more agents associated with the particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Yong Tae Kim, Zahi Fayad, Willem J. Mulder, Edward Fisher, Francois Fay, Omid C. Farokhzad, Robert Langer
  • Publication number: 20170324069
    Abstract: A battery for use in electronic devices and which is safely ingested into a body and a related method of making the battery. The battery includes an anode, a cathode and a quantum tunneling composite coating. The quantum tunneling composite coating covers at least a portion of at least one of the anode or the cathode and provides pressure sensitive conductive properties to the battery including a compressive stress threshold for conduction. The compressive stress threshold may be greater than a pre-determined applied stress in a digestive tract of the body in order to prevent harm if the battery is ingested. The battery may include a waterproof seal that extends between the quantum tunneling composite coating and a gasket separating the anode and cathode to inhibit the battery from short circuiting in a conductive fluid below the compressive stress threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: Bryan Laulicht, Janet Freilich, Jeffrey M. Karp, Robert Langer
  • Publication number: 20170311894
    Abstract: Aspects disclosed in the detailed description include an ingestible power harvesting device and related applications. An ingestible power harvesting device includes a cathode electrode and an anode electrode that can catalyze a power generating reaction to generate a direct current (DC) power when surrounded by an acidic electrolyte. The cathode electrode and the anode electrode are coupled to an encapsulated electronic device that includes power harvesting circuitry configured to harvest the DC power and output a DC supply voltage for a prolonged period. In examples discussed herein, the prolonged period is at least five days. The DC supply voltage powers an electronic circuit in the encapsulated electronic device to support a defined in vivo operation (e.g., controlled drug delivery, in vivo vital signs monitoring, etc.). As such, the ingestible power harvesting device can operate in vivo for the prolonged period without requiring an embedded conventional battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Phillip Nadeau, Dina El-Damak, Dean Glettig, Yong Lin Kong, Niclas Roxhed, Robert Langer, Anantha P. Chandrakasan, Carlo Giovanni Traverso
  • Publication number: 20170272735
    Abstract: A 3D-display system alternates between directing light representing a left-eye view of a 3D image to a viewer's left eye and directing light representing a right-eye view of a 3D image to a viewer's right eye. To direct the light towards the viewer's eyes, the system receives eye-location data relative to a display device from an eye-tracking system and uses light deflectors, such as acousto-optic, electro-optic, and passive optical deflectors, to aim the light in a particular direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Applicant: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Erez L. Aiden, Alistair K. Chan, Philip A. Eckhoff, William Gates, Peter L. Hagelstein, Roderick A. Hyde, Jordin T. Kare, Robert Langer, Eric C. Leuthardt, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Michael Schnall-Levin, Lowell L. Wood,, JR.