Patents by Inventor Robert S. Webber

Robert S. Webber 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: 10322284
    Abstract: A system and method for treating nausea and vomiting are provided, including one or more electrodes (10, 12) applied on or under the skin, the electrodes being connected to an external current source (34). The electrodes can be implanted under the skin and connect to internal stimulator electronics (22), which can form a magnetic inductive link to the external current source (34). Alternatively, the electrodes can be placed on the skin and directly linked by wires to the external current source. As a further alternative, the vagus nerve can be directly stimulated in the neck, or the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, or intestines can be directly stimulated by magnetic stimulation. The electrodes can stimulate the vagus nerve in the neck to reduce nausea and vomiting, or can be arranged near the chest or abdomen, so as to stimulate the esophagus, stomach, duodenum or intestines. Because the current source is provided outside the body, it is not necessary to implant batteries or another power supply in the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: The John Hopkins University
    Inventors: Ronald P. Lesser, Robert S. Webber
  • Publication number: 20080208266
    Abstract: A system and method for treating nausea and vomiting are provided, including one or more electrodes (10, 12) applied on or under the skin, the electrodes being connected to an external current source (34). The electrodes can be implanted under the skin and connect to internal stimulator electronics (22), which can form a magnetic inductive link to the external current source (34). Alternatively, the electrodes can be placed on the skin and directly linked by wires to the external current source. As a further alternative, the vagus nerve can be directly stimulated in the neck, or the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, or intestines can be directly stimulated by magnetic stimulation. The electrodes can stimulate the vagus nerve in the neck to reduce nausea and vomiting, or can be arranged near the chest or abdomen, so as to stimulate the esophagus, stomach, duodenum or intestines. Because the current source is provided outside the body, it is not necessary to implant batteries or another power supply in the body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2004
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Ronald P. Lesser, Robert S. Webber
  • Patent number: 7228171
    Abstract: Analytical methods and devices for analyzing biological signals, for example, electrical signals from the brain to determine whether an abnormal condition caused by a medical condition exists. In one embodiment, the medical disorder may be epilepsy. The analytical methods include wavelet analysis and neighbor cross-correlation count, which is a frequency specific measure of the degree of correlation of a single channel of data with respect to its neighbors. The devices according to the invention are programmed to include the analytical methods and to administer treatment regimens such as electrical stimulation, heating, cooling and medication as needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: The Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Ronald P. Lesser, W. Robert S. Webber
  • Patent number: 6882881
    Abstract: A device and a method of use for treating a medical disorder by surgically implanting into a patient at least one sensor element capable of detecting and conveying cell signals: attaching a management unit such that a micro controller of the management unit is connected to at least one sensor element; and connecting the management unit via a lead bundle to at least one treatment device. The treatment device may be an electrical stimulation device, a magnetic stimulation device, a heat transfer device, or a medication delivery device. Responsive to signals from the one or more sensor elements, mathematical algorithms of the management unit use wavelet crosscorrelation analysis to prompt delivery of at least one treatment modality, such heat transfer, current pulses, magnetic stimulation or medication. The medical disorder may arise from the brain, central nervous system or organs and tissues outside of the central nervous system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: The Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Ronald P. Lesser, W. Robert S. Webber, Gholam K. Motamedi, Yuko Mizuno-Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 6248126
    Abstract: A method of treating a brain disorder by heat transfer from brain tissue comprising the steps of surgically cutting a heat transfer aperture into a patient's skull, thereby exposing a predetermined portion of patient's brain; surgically implanting into said heat transfer aperture a heat pump having one or more electrical sensor elements and one or more temperature sensor elements; surgically implanting a heat transfer management unit in a body cavity of said patient such that a micro controller of the heat transfer management unit is connected to one or more activity sensor elements and one or more temperature sensor elements contacting brain tissue and connecting the heat transfer management unit to said heat pump via a lead bundle. Optionally, the heat transfer unit may be located external to the patient's body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: The Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Ronald P. Lesser, W. Robert S. Webber
  • Patent number: 5311876
    Abstract: A patient monitoring system and a method of operating same, including automatically detecting a seizure in the patient, by detecting an electrical discharge in the patient's brain; converting the detected electrical discharge into a digital signal; inputting the digital signal into a microprocessor; detecting a seizure by dividing the digital signals into time segments, preprocessing each time segment including standardizing the signal, reducing the signal in each time segment to a feature, the feature providing information about whether a seizure is occurring using the feature from each time segment; and indicating that a seizure is occurring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1994
    Assignee: The Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Dale E. Olsen, Ronald P. Lesser, John C. Harris, W. Robert S. Webber, John A. Cristion