Samuel J Ahn

US Patent:

6398710, Jun 4, 2002

Filed:

Jan 6, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/478591

Inventors:

Akira Ishikawa - Royce City TX
Nabuo Takeda - Richardson TX
Suzanne I. Ahn - Dallas TX
Samuel S. Ahn - Los Angeles CA
Steven R. Hays - Dallas TX
F. Andrew Gaffney - Nashville TN

Assignee:

Ball Semiconductor, Inc. - Allen TX

International Classification:

A61N 500

US Classification:

600 3, 2504845, 600300

Abstract:

A radiation dosimetry system ( ) using miniature implanted transponder balls. A patient having a tumor that is the target of the radiation treatment lies in a treatment area with the tumor positioned beneath a target ( ) used for alignment purposes. The system ( ) is controlled and monitored by a CPU ( ) which receives instructions from a radiologist operating a control panel ( ), and displays control parameters, data and graphics to the radiologist on a display ( ). The CPU ( ) controls an RF system operating through a broad-band antenna ( ) and directed at the target area ( ). The CPU ( ) controls operation of a radiation source ( ), which may be a conventional linear accelerator, for directing radiation at the target area ( ). The radiation source ( ) includes a collimator ( ) or similar apparatus for shaping a radiation beam for accurate application to the target area ( ). A pair of RF receivers ( ) and ( ) are positioned such that they are spaced apart and opposite from the CPU antenna ( ) with respective antennas ( ) and ( ) directed at the target area ( ).

US Patent:

6415184, Jul 2, 2002

Filed:

Jan 6, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/478592

Inventors:

Akira Ishikawa - Royce City TX
Nabuo Takeda - Richardson TX
Suzanne I. Ahn - Dallas TX
Samuel S. Ahn - Los Angeles CA
Steven R. Hays - Dallas TX
F. Andrew Gaffney - Nashville TN

Assignee:

Ball Semiconductor, Inc. - Allen TX

International Classification:

A61N 105

US Classification:

607 45, 607116

Abstract:

A ball semiconductor for stimulating a mass of nervous system brain tissue for therapeutic purposes. The ball ( ) is embedded in a mass of nervous system tissue ( ) of a brain. Electrical pulses generated and transmitted to the ball ( ) by a remote electrical pulse generator system ( ) are picked up by a receiving antenna of the ball ( ), and are applied to an electrode pair of the ball ( ) to cause the mass of nervous system tissue ( ) of the brain located between output pads of the electrode to become stimulated, as therapy for a pathological condition.

US Patent:

6423056, Jul 23, 2002

Filed:

Dec 30, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/475819

Inventors:

Akira Ishikawa - Royce City TX
Nabuo Takeda - Richardson TX
Suzanne I. Ahn - Dallas TX
Samuel S. Ahn - Los Angeles CA
Steven R. Hays - Dallas TX
F. Andrew Gaffney - Nashville TN

Assignee:

Ball Semiconductor, Inc. - Allen TX

International Classification:

A61B 1818

US Classification:

606 28, 600 12, 607113

Abstract:

A method of tumor ablation using injectable thermal-sensing balls. A catheter system ( ) is used to inject a slurry ( ) of thermal-sensing balls ( ) into a tumor ( ) located in, for example, a liver ( ). The catheter system ( ) comprises a catheter ( ) and a specialized syringe ( ) consisting of a housing ( ) and a plunger ( ). The housing ( ) includes a cylindrical chamber having the slurry ( ) of thermal-sensing balls ( ). The catheter ( ) is inserted retrograde into the femoral artery and passed to the site of the tumor ( ). The hepatic artery ( ) branches into smaller vessels, one of which is a tumor artery ( ) which feeds the tumor ( ). The tip of the catheter ( ) is placed in the tumor artery ( ) guided by conventional fluoroscopy. The injected balls ( ) then receive energy from an external control system ( ). The system ( ) comprises a control panel ( ) as an operator interface for controlling the system ( ) and reading data therefrom.

US Patent:

6447448, Sep 10, 2002

Filed:

Dec 30, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/475820

Inventors:

Akira Ishikawa - Royce City TX
Nabuo Takeda - Richardson TX
Suzanne I. Ahn - Dallas TX
Samuel S. Ahn - Los Angeles CA
Steven R. Hays - Dallas TX
F. Andrew Gaffney - Nashville TN

Assignee:

Ball Semiconductor, Inc. - Allen TX

International Classification:

A61B 500

US Classification:

600300, 600373, 600377, 128899

Abstract:

A substantially spherical semiconductor ball implanted in orthopedic structures for sensing and/or stimulation. In one embodiment, a vertebral column ( ) having a number of intervertebral discs ( ) interspersed among respective vertebral bodies ( ), material placed in intervertebral discs ( ) allows for a semi-synthetic vertebral disc ( ) to be constructed. The artificial intervertebral disk ( ) contains one or more ball sensors ( ) located within the body of the disk ( ) in order to monitor the compression forces. Conventionally, the semi-synthetic disc ( ) is monitored only retrospectively, and visualized on x-ray. In this particular embodiment, any of a number of semi-synthetic intervertebral discs ( ) can be implanted with one or more ball sensors ( ) such that stress and compression forces can be monitored to assure proper alignment of vertebrae ( ) in the vertebral column ( ), and to monitor the development of any nonphysiologic forces due to vertebral degeneration, disk malfunction, and so on.

US Patent:

6464687, Oct 15, 2002

Filed:

Mar 9, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/521922

Inventors:

Akira Ishikawa - Royce City TX
Nabuo Takeda - Richardson TX
Suzanne I. Ahn - Dallas TX
Samuel S. Ahn - Los Angeles CA
Steven R. Hayes - Dallas TX
F. Andrew Gaffney - Nashville TN

Assignee:

Ball Semiconductor, Inc. - Allen TX

International Classification:

A61K 922

US Classification:

6048911

Abstract:

A miniature implantable drug delivery capsule system. The drug delivery system ( ) comprises one or more ball semiconductor aggregations ( ) and ( ) facilitating release of a drug stored in a reservoir ( ). The first aggregate ( ) is used for sensing and memory, and a second aggregation ( ) for control aspects, such as for pumping and dispensing of the drug. Notably, the aggregates ( ) and ( ) may be interconnected by a common bus ( ) for communication purposes, or may be implemented to operate independently of each other. Each aggregate ( ) and ( ) is encased in a semipermeable membrane ( ) to allow species which are to be monitored, and drugs to be delivered, to freely diffuse. The system ( ) may communicate with a remote control system, or operate independently on local power over a long period for delivery of the drug based upon a request of the patient, timed-release under control by the system ( ), or delivery in accordance with measured markers.

US Patent:

62612476, Jul 17, 2001

Filed:

Dec 30, 1999

Appl. No.:

9/475312

Inventors:

Akira Ishikawa - Royce City TX
Nabuo Takeda - Richardson TX
Suzanne I. Ahn - Dallas TX
Samuel S. Ahn - Los Angeles CA
Steven R. Hays - Dallas TX
F. Andrew Gaffney - Nashville TN

Assignee:

Ball Semiconductor, Inc. - Allen TX

International Classification:

A61B 5103

US Classification:

600587

Abstract:

An anatomical position sensing system (100) using one or more substantially spherical transponders for measuring relative positions and distances. Transponders (P) and (S) are capable of receiving and transmitting RF signals, and communicating between themselves and with a separate CPU (112). The CPU (112) is controlled by an operator at an operator control panel (114), interacts with an alarm (120) for providing audible alerts to the operator, and a display for displaying information to the operator. The CPU (112) controls a broadband antenna (118) to transmit, at a frequency f. sub. 1, a low-frequency RF power signal (122) across a wide field to energize the transponders (P) and (S). Directional components (122a) and (122b) intercept and energize the transponders (P) and (S). Once energized, transponder (P) transmits a range signal in all directions including component (124) at a very high RF frequency f. sub.

US Patent:

62545485, Jul 3, 2001

Filed:

Nov 24, 1999

Appl. No.:

9/448638

Inventors:

Akira Ishikawa - Royce City TX
Nabuo Takeda - Richardson TX
Suzanne I. Ahn - Dallas TX
Samuel S. Ahn - Los Angeles CA
Steven R. Hays - Dallas TX
F. Andrew Gaffney - Nashville TN

Assignee:

Ball Semiconductor, Inc. - Allen TX

International Classification:

A61B 500

US Classification:

600549

Abstract:

A miniature spherical-shaped internal temperature transponder. A temperature sensor (25) is fabricated in a spherical integrated transponder circuit (15) which may be placed in the human body by ingestion, implantation, or injection. In one aspect of the invention, a passive system is disclosed whereby an external monitoring station (13) generates an energy field using a magnetic field generator (19) which is coupled to a power coil (21) of the transponder (15). The power coil (21) passes power to a power regulator (23) to provide regulated power to all transponder (15) circuits. Temperature data obtained by the temperature sensor (25) is passed to a voltage controlled oscillator (27) for conversion into an RF signal. A mixing circuit (31) receives the RF temperature signal and modulates the temperature data signal onto an oscillator frequency from an RF oscillator (29). An RF amplifier (33) receives the modulated RF signal from the mixing circuit (31) and transmits it via an antenna (35) to the external monitor station 13 which is proximate to the transponder (15).

US Patent:

62646117, Jul 24, 2001

Filed:

Nov 24, 1999

Appl. No.:

9/448644

Inventors:

Akira Ishikawa - Royce City TX
Nabuo Takeda - Richardson TX
Suzanne I. Ahn - Dallas TX
Samuel S. Ahn - Los Angeles CA
Steven R. Hays - Dallas TX
F. Andrew Gaffney - Nashville TN

Assignee:

Ball Semiconductor, Inc. - Allen TX

International Classification:

A61B 502

US Classification:

600486

Abstract:

A ball-shaped semiconductor monitoring device (150) having one or more transducer functions for use with an instrument that is insertable into a human body. In one disclosed embodiment, a needle (130) and modified stylet (140) are inserted into intraluminal body cavities for measuring fluid pressure. The modified stylet (140) has the monitoring device (150) attached to one end. The stylet (140) has a metal annulus (142) extending throughout its length and a communication wire (144) disposed therein. The wire (144) is surrounded by an insulator (146) to electrically isolate it from the stylet (140). A recessed cavity (148) is provided at the distal end of the stylet (140) to accommodate the ball monitoring device (150). A transducer (152) is integrated on the ball device (150) to measure such quantitative conditions as pressure. The ball (150) has a ground terminal (154) and a data terminal (156).