摘要:
A drug delivery device for implantation into a patient is provided that includes at least one device element that includes a substrate having a plurality of discrete reservoirs disposed therein, the reservoirs containing drug molecules and a degradable matrix material which controls in vivo release of the drug molecules from the reservoirs, wherein the drug delivery device is adapted to conform to a curved bone tissue surface. In one embodiment, the substrate is flexible and conforms to a bone tissue surface. In another embodiment, the device has two or more device elements attached to or integral with a flexible supporting layer.
摘要:
The present invention provides systems, devices, and related methods, involving electrochemical actuation. In some cases, application of a voltage or current to a system or device of the invention may generate a volumetric or dimensional change, which may produce mechanical work. For example, at least a portion of the system may be constructed and arranged to be displaced from a first orientation to a second orientation. Systems such as these may be useful in various applications, including pumps (e.g., infusion pumps) and drug delivery devices, for example.
摘要:
A method is provided for selectively opening a containment reservoir. The method includes providing a device which comprises a substrate in which at least one reservoir is located and covered by a reservoir cap; and directing laser light to said reservoir cap to cause the reservoir cap to disintegrate or become permeable. The device may be an implantable medical device. The reservoirs may contain a drug for controlled release or a biosensor.
摘要:
Micron scale dielectric items are manipulated by methods and apparatus taking advantage of spatially non-uniform field. Such fields give rise to a force on dielectric items, directing them generally toward regions of more concentrated field. The electrode may be elongated, either unitary, with a generally planar counter electrode, or dual, such as parallel pins, loops or plates. If dual, particles are generally attracted to regions of high field concentration, including tips, edges and spaces between electrode conductors. Items can be granular, threadlike, or sheets, and microelectronic parts and other shapes. Items can also be collected directly into a recess of a pharmaceutical material delivery microchip, with a conductive membrane of the microchip acting as a manipulating electrode. Items are attracted without regard to their surface charge, or the polarity of the field, which can be AC or DC. Charging, or knowing the charge of items to be manipulated is not necessary. The amount of material collected can be precisely controlled by varying parameters of collection, such as distance between the electrode and the items, distance between dual conductors, size (diameter, length) of the conductors, any dielectric sheathing thereof, and voltage. Elongated electrodes can be used to manipulate items into and from recesses, such as wells of microtitre trays, microchips, and semiconductor chips.
摘要:
Devices, systems, and methods are provided for wirelessly powering and/or communicating with microchip devices used for the controlled exposure and release of reservoir contents, such as drugs, reagents, and sensors. In one embodiment, the system includes (1) a microchip device comprising a substrate having a plurality of reservoirs containing reservoir contents for release or exposure; and (2) a rechargeable or on-demand power source comprising a local component which can wirelessly receive power from a remote transmitter wherein the received power can be used, directly or following transduction, to activate said release or exposure of the reservoir contents. In another embodiment, the system comprises (1) a microchip device comprising a substrate a plurality of reservoirs containing reservoir contents for release or exposure; and (2) a telemetry system for the wireless transfer of data between the microchip device and a remote controller.
摘要:
Devices are provided for medical diagnostics comprising a substrate; an array of reservoirs; one or more electrodes located at least partially inside the reservoirs; a plurality of discrete reservoir caps covering openings in the plurality reservoirs; control circuitry for selectively disintegrating or permeabilizing the reservoir cap over a reservoir opening; and, optionally, a diagnostic reagent in the reservoirs. Devices also are provided for the controlled delivery of molecules comprising a substrate; an array of reservoirs; a release system in the reservoirs comprising molecules for release; one or more electrodes attached to the substrate inside the reservoirs or to a surface outside of the reservoirs, wherein the electrodes are not reservoir caps; and means for applying an electric current or potential across the electrodes effective to activate release of the molecules from the reservoirs. The devices can be adapted for implantation for in vivo diagnostics or drug delivery.
摘要:
Systems and methods are described that allow the high-throughput preparation, processing, and study of arrays of samples, each of which comprises at least one compound. Particular embodiments of the invention allow a large number of experiments to be performed in parallel on samples that comprised of one or more compounds on the milligram or microgram quantities of compounds. Other embodiments of the invention encompass methods and devices for the rapid screening of the results of such experiments, as well as methods and devices for rapidly determining whether or not similarities exist among groups of samples in an array. Particular embodiments of the invention encompass methods and devices for the high-throughput preparation of different forms of compounds (e.g., different crystalline forms), for the discovery of new forms of old compounds, and for the discovery of new methods of producing such forms. Embodiments of the invention also allow for the high-throughput determination of how specific compounds or forms of compounds behave when exposed to other chemicals or environmental conditions.
摘要:
A process for selective electroless plating onto a substrate, including providing a substrate having at least a catalytic surface; providing a plating gel comprising a carrier vehicle, an electroless platable metal compound capable of providing metal ions to the carrier vehicle at a specific pH, a reducing agent, and a polymeric thickening agent; applying said plating gel to the substrate surface in a selected pattern, and inducing plating of said metal on the substrate surface in said selected pattern. A stabilizer, and/or buffering and/or organic chelating agent, and/or surfactant and/or a humectant may be included in the plating gel. Preferably the metal compound is a gold complex, and the substrate is aluminum nitride.
摘要:
Solid free-form fabrication (SFF) methods are used to manufacture devices for allowing tissue regeneration and for seeding and implanting cells to form organ and structural components, which can additionally provide controlled release of bioactive agents, wherein the matrix is characterized by a network of lumens functionally equivalent to the naturally occurring vasculature of the tissue formed by the implanted cells, and which can be lined with endothelial cells and coupled to blood vessels at the time of implantation to form a vascular network throughout the matrix. The SFF methods can be adapted for use with a variety of polymeric, inorganic and composite materials to create structures with defined compositions, strengths, and densities, using computer aided design (CAD). Examples of SFF methods include stereo-lithography (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), ballistic particle manufacturing (BPM), fusion deposition modeling (FDM), and three dimensional printing (3DP).