Papers by Frances Richmond
Development of asynchronous, intralingual electrical stimulation to treat obstructive sleep apnea
Proceedings of the 25th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (IEEE Cat. No.03CH37439)
Abstract-We are evaluating the feasibility of using a single intralingual BION ~ ~ microstimulato... more Abstract-We are evaluating the feasibility of using a single intralingual BION ~ ~ microstimulator to prevent airway obstruction in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Neuromuscular and hypoglossal nerve stimulation of the genioglossus have been reported to expand the ...
Journal of Neurophysiology, 1988
1. Biventer cervicis (BC) is an anatomically complex muscle that is divided by tendinous inscript... more 1. Biventer cervicis (BC) is an anatomically complex muscle that is divided by tendinous inscriptions into five in-series compartments of motor units. We have analyzed the fiber architecture and fiber-type composition of these different compartments using microdissection and histochemical methods. 2. BC narrows as it runs rostrally, but its in-series compartments have similar cross-sectional areas. The tapered shape of BC comes about because tendinous inscriptions and the tendon of insertion are oriented obliquely and muscle fibers attach in a progressively offset fashion from the medial to the lateral muscle edge. 3. Individual compartments of BC differ from one another in their architecture. The rostral two compartments (1 and 2) contain fibers of similar length that run between two plates of tendinous tissue. Compartments 3 and 4 are divided into two or three in-parallel subvolumes whose fiber bundles differ in their lengths and sites of attachment. Compartment 5 is the most vari...
The Role of Universities in the Commercialization of Medical Products: A Survey of Industry Views
Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science, 2014
Survey methods were used to explore the expectations and recommendations of senior business devel... more Survey methods were used to explore the expectations and recommendations of senior business development professionals with respect to the roles, activities, and interactions with US universities in the development of new medical products. This target group was chosen because it was judged to be most likely to interact with university faculty and technology transfer services and seek and acquire university assets. The survey instrument was first reviewed by a focus group of individuals with experience both in technology transfer and in academic or industry policy, then distributed to a selected subset of 80 business development professionals, of whom 72 responded. Serious concerns were expressed over the current mechanisms for technology transfer and university support of commercialization. When asked if they believed that there is a need for a change in the way that universities interact with industry in the US, 86% of the respondents replied that they either strongly agreed or agreed that there was, indeed, a need for change. Among several areas that might be improved, the availability of proof-of-concept facilities and funds for early-stage feasibility studies were most often identified as important.
Hormonally-timed dermatological preparations
Bion Injectable Neuromuscular Stimulators for Muscle Strengthening in Knee Osteoarthritis: Preliminary Results
Journal of Bone Joint Surgery British Volume, Apr 1, 2004
BIONs (Bionic Neurons) are microminiature stimulators that can be injected into muscles. They rec... more BIONs (Bionic Neurons) are microminiature stimulators that can be injected into muscles. They receive power and commands from an external magnetic field. They have been shown to be safe and effective for stimulating muscles in animals. Clinical trials are underway to assess the efficacy and safety of BIONs for therapeutic exercise of weak or paralyzed muscles. In patients with knee osteoarthritis weakness of quadriceps muscle has been shown by different authors to be highly correlated with pain and functional impairment, while quadriceps strengthening is associated with significant improvements of clinical scores. Preliminary results of the use of BIONs to strengthen the quadriceps muscles in patients affected by knee osteoarthritis are reported. Five patients have been recruited so far, three of them have completed the protocol. Patients are implanted with BIONs near the common femoral nerve and in the vastus medialis muscle, and stimulated for 12 weeks. Therapy starts three days after implantation with two-three stimulation sessions of 10–30 minutes each day. Stimulation parameters are intended to recruit the quadriceps muscles (up to 10 X threshold for muscle twitch) at relatively low frequencies (5–13 pps) in short trains (5–10 s) with pauses between trains (5 s). Outcome measures include WOMAC, Knee Society Score, muscle measurements with MRI, gait analysis, isokinetic tests. All patients found muscle stimulation to be agreeable. No adverse events or complications have been observed. Thresholds for eliciting muscle contractions remained stable over time. In the three patients knee function improved and pain decreased over the stimulation period, while muscle thickness, as measured by MRI, increased. Results are preliminary but encouraging. We anticipate studying 15 patients to demonstrate clearly the safety and efficacy of this technology in this application. Plans are underway for additional clinical trials in orthopaedic patients as well as in stroke patients.
Apparatus for Control of Bowel Function
Implantable stimulator methods for treatment of incontinence and pain
Electromyographic studies of neck muscles ill the intact cat 11. Reflexes evoked by muscle nerve stimulation
Exp Brain Res, 1992
System and method for providing recovery from muscle denervation
Implantable microstimulator system for prevention of disorders
Implantable microstimulation system for treatment of sleep apnea
System and Method for Conditioning Pelvic Musculature Using an Implanted Microstimulator
Method and apparatus for conditioning muscles during sleep
Method for conditioning pelvic musculature using an implanted microstimulator
Implantable stimulator systems and methods for treatment of incontinence and pain
Design and fabrication of hermetic microelectronic implants
1st Annual International IEEE-EMBS Special Topic Conference on Microtechnologies in Medicine and Biology. Proceedings (Cat. No.00EX451), Oct 12, 2000
Virtually all physiological functions are controlled by nerve and muscle cells that are controlle... more Virtually all physiological functions are controlled by nerve and muscle cells that are controlled in turn by bioelectrical impulses called action potentials. In order to diagnose and to repair dysfunction, it is frequently useful to be able to record or stimulate bioelectrical activity via ...
Microminiature radiotelemetrically operated sensors for small animal research
Apparatus for Conditioning Muscles During Sleep
Method and apparatus to treat disorders of gastrointestinal peristalsis
Method of treating obstructive sleep apnea using implantable electrodes
Uploads
Papers by Frances Richmond