Left to right: Dr. Kenneth Dormer, Dr. Jack Hough and Charles Seeney.
Oklahoma City - NanoBioMagnetics, Inc. (NBMI) has been awarded a $118,000 grant by the National Institute of Health for the research and development of components employing nanotechnology for a new generation of implantable hearing devices (IHD's). NBMI has entered into a Letter of Intent with the Hough Ear Institute (HEI) in Oklahoma City to establish a Joint Development Research Agreement. HEI will provide its assistance and research facilities in the design and testing of the new components.
Dr. Kenneth Dormer will lead the research team. Dormer, who is a Professor of Physiology with the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, has been conducting research into the feasibility of using magnetic particles in
implantable organ assisting devices.
"Our goal is to not only reduce the size of IHD's, but to increase their efficiency through the application of nanotechnology," says Charles Seeney, Chairman and CEO of NBMI. "To my knowledge, this will be the first application of this new technology in the field of biomedical devices." The new component is intended to utilize magnetically responsive, biologically compatible nanoparticles capable of sound amplification. This component will be incorporated into an IHD that, in turn, will be implanted under the eardrum through a simple clinical procedure.
"Currently, there are approximately 24 to 28 million Americans who suffer from some degree of sensorineural hearing loss," says Dr. Jack Hough. "I believe a significant number of these people would be candidates for this new generation of IHD. We are very optimistic about the future of nanotechnology as applied to otologic research."
Seeney, who co-founded NBMI with Dr. Dormer, became interested in the developing field of nanotechnology in the late 1980's. He joined Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp. in 1990 where he continued his work in nanotechnology and received a patent for his work involving the surface modification of nanoparticles. After leaving Kerr-McGee and serving as serving as a Vice President of a local medical diagnostic venture, Seeney founded NanoSource Technologies, Inc. whose intellectual property was recently acquired by DuPont Chemical Corp.
In addition to developing components for IHD, Seeney and Dormer also are researching the application of nanotechnology in the area of vectored drug delivery systems.
"Nanotechnology is quickly emerging as the next megatrend in medical technology," says Seeney. "With the progress we have made, and the new research that is underway, Oklahoma has the opportunity to play significant role in this exciting new field of technological endeavor."
For more information contact:
Charles Seeney, Chairman& CEO
NanoBioMagnetics, Inc,
840 Research Parkway
Oklahoma City, OK 73104
Voice: 290.4344
Cell: 590.1832
Email: Seen1@cox.net
