Nanoparticles gives hope to Hard of Hearing
A nanobiomaterials company based in Oklahoma, NanoBioMagnetics, Inc, has received a patent to implant nanoparticles in hard of hearing patients’ middle ears. These particles will help the ear to become more responsive to sound vibrations and should allow hearing aids to become smaller. NBMI’s technology may be the first to demonstrate nanochemical tissue movement. It detects sound waves, processes the signals and uses these signals to stimulate an electromagnetic coil, which then transmits a signal that causes the nanoparticles to vibrate. This amplifies the sound and should act much the same as a commercially available electromagnetic hearing aid. The 28 million Americans suffering from hearing loss will eventually benefit from more improved hearing aid devices
The co-inventor of the ‘Method and Apparatus for Improving Hearing’ patent, Charles Seeney, believes that, as “part of an emerging trend” these hearing devices will become smaller. The company started researching and developing this technology between 2002 and 2004 and NBMI plans to find commercial partners for the patent.
Mr Seeney, who is also the CEO and founder of NBMI, revealed that his company is working on a companion hearing aid technology, which is based on sending bioactive materials to the middle ear. Besides their focus on improving hearing, there are various other research projects underway at the M D Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. One of these projects tries to assess the tumor-specific delivery of cancer therapeutics.
The University of Oklahoma and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, played a big role in the development of NBMI’s technology, which is viewed as Oklahoma’s first nanotechnology-based patent for a health-care application.