Patents
US 10441808 B2: Methods and devices for activating brown adipose tissue with light
- Granted
- 2019-10-15
- Filed
- 2011-12-21 application 13977536
- Type
- Utility · 15 claims
- Elsewhere
- Google Patents ↗ · USPTO patent document ↗ · USPTO Patent Center record ↗
Abstract
Methods and devices are provided for activating brown adipose tissue (BAT) with light. Generally, the methods and devices can activate BAT to increase thermogenesis, e.g., increase heat production in the patient, which over time can lead to weight loss and/or improved metabolic function. In one embodiment, a medical device is provided that activates BAT by using light to stimulate nerves that activate the BAT and/or to stimulate brown adipocytes directly, thereby increasing thermogenesis in the BAT and inducing weight loss and/or improved metabolic function through energy expenditure. The light can be configured to directly or indirectly stimulate the nerves and/or the brown adipocytes. The light can be configured to indirectly stimulate the nerves and/or the brown adipocytes by activating a light activatable medium administered to a patient and configured to respond to the light to cause activation of the brown adipose tissue.
Source: PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 (ipg191015.xml).
Assignees
| Assignee | Type | Place | Also on furp.org | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. 1,347 patents | US company or organization | Cincinnati, OH | ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY. INC. State business registration EXACT high confidence: identical full name and state | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| The General Hospital Corporation 1,995 patents | US company or organization | Boston, MA | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Inventors
| Inventor | Place | Patents | Person page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason L. Harris | Hamilton, OH | 1286 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Lee M. Kaplan | Wellesley, MA | 19 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| David N. Plescia | Cincinnati, OH | 40 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Taylor W. Aronhalt | Loveland, OH | 229 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| James W. Voegele | Cincinnati, OH | 67 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Nicholas Stylopoulos | Boston, MA | 11 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
CPC categories
| Subclass | Category | First group | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| A61N | Electrotherapy; magnetotherapy; radiation therapy; ultrasound therapy | A61N5/0613 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| A61M | Devices for introducing media into, or onto, the body ; devices for transducing body media or for taking media from the body ; devices for producing or ending sleep or stupor | A61M5/14276 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Cooperative Patent Classification, as currently assigned (one row per subclass).
Assignments and security interests
| Recorded | What | From | To | Reel/frame | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-03-10 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | KAPLAN, LEE M. signed 2013-09-09 STYLOPOULOS, NICHOLAS signed 2013-09-11 | THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION D/B/A MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL BOSTON, MA | 32391/103 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
| 2014-03-10 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | HARRIS, JASON L. signed 2013-08-14 ARONHALT, TAYLOR W. signed 2013-08-15 VOEGELE, JAMES W. signed 2013-08-16 PLESCIA, DAVID N. signed 2013-08-20 | ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC. CINCINNATI, OH | 32391/85 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
Documents recorded with the USPTO Assignment Recordation Branch that list this patent. A security interest is a lender’s claim on the patent as collateral; a release ends it.
USPTO bulk data: PatentsView granted patents, disambiguated (PVGPATDIS) for patents, assignees, inventors, places and CPC categories; the USPTO Patent Assignment Dataset (ECORSEXC) for assignments and security interests. Patents filed in the last 20 years. No claims or full text. Links to other records are by name (and state): EXACT means the identical full name and state; FUZZY means a looser name match, with the confidence shown.