Granted Patent B2

US 12,623,090 · App. 17/059,649 · Granted May 12, 2026

Inventors: Lynne Bilston (Ashfield, AU); Peter Burke (Redfern, AU)

A61N5/0603A61N1/0452A61N1/0456A61N5/062A61N5/0622A61N2005/0606A61N2005/0626A61N2005/063A61N5/067

Abstract

Claims (59)

1 . A system comprising:

a mechanism configured to form at least one ion channel in at least one of a pharyngeal muscle cell and a neural cell associated with a pharyngeal muscle cell, such that the at least one channel opens and closes in response to a stimulus source;

an oral appliance; and

a controller operably coupled to the oral appliance and programmed to operate the stimulus source;

wherein the oral appliance comprises the stimulus source configured for direct in vivo activation of the at least one ion channel formed in the at least one pharyngeal muscle cell or at least one motor neural cell associated with a pharyngeal muscle cell, thereby causing the at least one ion channel to open and induce contraction of at least one muscle cell; and

wherein the oral appliance comprises a channel configured to engage over a user's teeth.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one channel is photosensitive or magnetically sensitive such that the at least one ion channel opens and closes in response to light or a magnetic field, and the stimulus source provides a stimulus selected from one or more of: light that acts on a cognate optogenetic target; and a magnetic field that acts on a cognate magnetogenetic target.

3 . The system according to claim 2 ,

wherein the stimulus is light that acts on the cognate optogenetic target;

wherein the light is any one of red, amber, blue, or green light; and

wherein the ion channel is able to be activated or deactivated by any one or more of red, amber, blue, or green light.

4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to selectively deliver a control stimulus to the at least one ion channel for selective in vivo activation or deactivation of the at least one ion channel.

5 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein the control stimulus is optical, chemical, genetic, or physical.

6 . The system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one ion channel is only formed in at least one location selected for muscle cell stimulation.

7 . The system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the stimulus is delivered only to ion channels formed in at least one location selected for muscle cell stimulation and not to an ion channel formed in any other location.

8 . The system according to claim 1 , including at least one sensor for monitoring at least one predetermined treatment situation of a user,

wherein the at least one predetermined treatment situation is selected from: the respiratory cycle of the user, breathing, cessation of breathing, apnea, hypopnea, diaphragm movement, muscle cell activity, neural cell activity, impedance across chest, chest movement, abdominal movement, airway pressure, temperature, pharyngeal narrowing, or pharyngeal collapse.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one sensor is an accelerometer for detecting vibrations of the airway.

10 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the oral appliance is implantable.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the oral appliance is an orthodontic retainer or orthodontic plate.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the oral appliance further comprises a releasable fastening mechanism to hold the oral appliance in an oral cavity of the user.

13 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of intraoral delivery sites positioned proximate to a pharyngeal muscle cell or a neuron associated with a pharyngeal muscle cell and configured to deliver the direct, in vivo stimulus to at least one ion channel; wherein the stimulus source is operably connected to the delivery sites to provide the stimulus directly at or through the delivery sites.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the stimulus source is configured for direct, in vivo activation of at least one ion channel formed in at least one human pharyngeal muscle cell or at least one human motor neural cell associated with a human, pharyngeal muscle cell.

15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the mechanism is configured to deliver genetic material to the at least one pharyngeal muscle cell or at least one motor neural cell associated with a pharyngeal muscle cell, thereby forming the at least one ion channel.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the mechanism is configured to inject a viral vector into the at least one pharyngeal muscle cell or at least one motor neural cell associated with a pharyngeal muscle cell or electroporate the at least one pharyngeal muscle cell or at least one motor neural cell associated with a pharyngeal muscle cell.

17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the mechanism is configured to deliver nanoparticles to the at least one pharyngeal muscle cell or at least one motor neural cell associated with a pharyngeal muscle cell, thereby forming the at least one ion channel.

18 . A system for inducing contraction of at least one pharyngeal muscle cell, the system including:

a mechanism configured to form at least one ion channel that is photosensitive or magnetically sensitive in at least one of a pharyngeal muscle cell and a neural cell associated with a pharyngeal muscle cell;

an oral appliance configured to deliver an in vivo stimulus to the at least one ion channel formed in the at least one of a pharyngeal muscle cell and a neural cell associated with a pharyngeal muscle cell, thereby to induce contraction of at least one muscle cell;

a stimulus source, configured to provide the stimulus through the oral appliance; and

a controller operatively coupled to the stimulus source and programmed to operate the stimulus source;

wherein the stimulus is selected from one light that acts on a cognate optogenetic target comprising the at least one ion channel and a magnetic field that acts on a cognate magnetogenetic target comprising the at least one ion channel.

19 . A method for inducing contraction of at least one pharyngeal muscle cell in a human subject, the method including the steps of:

forming at least one ion channel that is photosensitive or magnetically sensitive in at least one of a pharyngeal muscle cell and a motor neural cell associated with a pharyngeal muscle cell in the human subject; and

delivering an in vivo stimulus directly to the at least one ion channel thereby causing the at least one ion channel to open and induce contraction of at least one muscle cell;

wherein the stimulus is selected from one or more of: light that acts on a cognate optogenetic target comprising the at least one ion channel; and a magnetic field that acts on a cognate magnetogenetic target comprising the at least one ion channel; and

detecting at least one predetermined treatment situation of the human subject, and

thereafter performing the step of delivering the stimulus,

wherein the at least one predetermined treatment situation is selected from: the respiratory cycle of the user, breathing, cessation of breathing, apnea, hypopnea, diaphragm movement, muscle cell activity, neural cell activity, impedance across chest, chest movement, abdominal movement, airway pressure, temperature, pharyngeal narrowing, or pharyngeal collapse.

20 . The method according to claim 19 ,

wherein the stimulus is light that acts on a cognate optogenetic target;

wherein the light is any one of red, amber, blue, or green light; and

wherein the ion channel is able to be activated or deactivated by any one or more of red, amber, blue, or green light.

21 . The method according to claim 19 , including the step of:

selectively delivering a control stimulus to the at least one ion channel, thereby to selectively allow or prevent contraction of the at least one muscle cell.

22 . The method according to claim 21 , wherein the control stimulus is optical, chemical, genetic, or physical.

23 . The method according to claim 19 ,

wherein the at least one ion channel is only formed in at least one location selected for pharyngeal muscle cell stimulation.

24 . The method according to claim 19 ,

wherein the step of delivering a stimulus includes delivering the stimulus only to ion channels formed in a location selected for pharyngeal muscle cell stimulation and not to an ion channel formed in any other location.

25 . The method according to claim 19 , wherein the ion channel is formed by delivery of genetic material into the pharyngeal muscle cell or the neural cell.

26 . The method according to claim 19 , wherein the method is suitable for use as a therapy for obstructive sleep apnea.

27 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the ion channel is formed by delivery of nanoparticles into the pharyngeal muscle cell or the neural cell.

28 . A method of treating obstructive sleep apnea in a human subject comprising:

(i) delivering to the human subject a direct, in vivo stimulus to at least one of pharyngeal muscle cell or a motor neural cell associated with a pharyngeal muscle cell in the oral cavity of the subject, thereby inducing contraction of the at least one pharyngeal muscle cell by forming an ion channel in the at least one pharyngeal muscle cell, wherein the ion channel is photosensitive or magnetically sensitive; and

(ii) implanting a removable oral appliance in the human subject prior to step (i), wherein the removable oral appliance is configured to fit over the teeth of the human subject;

wherein the stimulus is selected from one or more of: light that acts on a cognate optogenetic target comprising the at least one ion channel and a magnetic field that acts on a cognate magnetogenetic target comprising the at least one ion channel.

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (49)