From US Patent Application Publication US 2009/0163889 A1
MicroTransponder was founded in Dallas, TX in 2007 when it licensed technology developed at University of Texas in Dallas (UTD) by Larry Cauller, who heads the cortical connections lab. The first wireless transponder was developed under a DARPA Revolutionizing Prosthetics grant to create a bi-directional neural interface for a prosthetic hand.
According to the company’s website, MicroTransponder is developing two neurostimulation platforms to treat several neurological disorders. One is an implanted wired neurostimulator that stimulates the vagus nerve for the treatment of tinnitus and post stroke motor rehabilitation. The second is the SAINT™ System, a wireless neurostimulation device for the treatment of urinary incontinence and chronic pain.
The company has a patent pending for a delivery system for implanting an array of neurotransponders next to a peripheral nerve by means of a hypodermic needle. The individual transponders can be linked together to form a cluster, and to make removal simpler. Each neurotransponder is the size of a grain of salt (about 1 mm in length and 0.25 mm in diameter), small enough for dozens to be implanted simultaneously in a single location.
Company website: www.microtransponder.com
Click here for MicroTransponder’s patents