Back to results
US 11,304,893 B2Granted
Low power, chemically amplified, electrically removable barrier
AssigneeCalifornia Institute of Technology
InventorsSamson Chen, Axel Scherer, Richard Daniel Smith, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An implantable device contains a drug or biosensing compound, protected from the external environment within a human body by several barriers which are broken upon activation of the device through electrothermal, chemical, and mechanical processes. The device allows accurate and repeated dosing within a human body, thus reducing the number of implantation procedures required. This device extends the lifetime of a biosensor, reducing the number of implantation procedures required.
Claims21
A device comprising:
- a container having an opening;
- a plurality of barriers closing the opening;
- a chemical compound or biological material within the container,
- wherein:
- the device is configured to be implantable within a human body or other organism,
- the plurality of barriers are configured to electrochemically or electrothermally unseal, upon application of an electric potential or current to at least one barrier of the plurality of barriers, thereby allowing interaction between the chemical compound or biological material and the human body or other organism;
- a reference electrode on an external surface of the device, thereby being in contact with the human body or other organism upon implantation of the device, wherein the reference electrode is electrically connected to a first barrier through a control circuit, wherein:
- the plurality of barriers comprises the first barrier, and the first barrier is not reactive to the human body or other organism and is configured to electrochemically unseal when the electric potential is applied to the first barrier;
- wherein the plurality of barriers comprises a second barrier configured to electrochemically or mechanically unseal upon contact with the human body or other organism, wherein the second barrier is placed between the first barrier and the chemical compound or biological material;
- and
- a cathode electrode on an external surface of the device, thereby being in contact with the human body or other organism upon implantation of the device, wherein the cathode electrode is electrically connected to the second barrier through a control circuit.
8 more elements
A device comprising:
- a container having an opening;
- a plurality of barriers closing the opening;
- a chemical compound or biological material within the container, wherein:
- the device is configured to be implantable within a human body or other organism,
- the plurality of barriers are configured to electrochemically or electrothermally unseal upon application of an electric potential or current to at least one barrier of the plurality of barriers, thereby allowing interaction between the chemical compound or biological material and the human body or other organism;
- a reference electrode on an external surface of the device, thereby being in contact with the human body or other organism upon implantation of the device, wherein the reference electrode is electrically connected to a first barrier through a control circuit;
- wherein:
- the plurality of barriers comprises the first barrier, and the first barrier is not reactive to the human body or other organism and is configured to electrochemically unseal when the electric potential is applied to the first barrier;
- wherein the plurality of barriers comprises a second barrier configured to electrochemically or mechanically unseal upon contact with the human body or other organism, wherein the second barrier is placed between the first barrier and the chemical compound or biological material, wherein the plurality of barriers comprises a third barrier placed between the second barrier and the chemical compound or biological material, wherein the third barrier is not reactive to the chemical compound or biological material and is configured to mechanically break upon dissolution of the second barrier.
6 more elements
A device comprising:
- a container having an opening;
- a plurality of barriers closing the opening;
- a chemical compound or biological material within the container,
- wherein:
- the device is configured to be implantable within a human body or other organism,
- the plurality of barriers are configured to electrochemically or electrothermally unseal upon application of an electric potential or current to at least one barrier of the plurality of barriers, thereby allowing interaction between the chemical compound or biological material and the human body or other organism;
- a reference electrode on an external surface of the device, thereby being in contact with the human body or other organism upon implantation of the device, wherein the reference electrode is electrically connected to a first barrier through a control circuit, wherein:
- the plurality of barriers comprises the first barrier, and the first barrier is not reactive to the human body or other organism and is configured to electrochemically unseal when the electric potential is applied to the first barrier;
- wherein the plurality of barriers comprises a second barrier configured to electrochemically or mechanically unseal upon contact with the human body or other organism, wherein the second barrier is placed between the first barrier and the chemical compound or biological material;
- and
- a cathode electrode on an external surface of the device, thereby being in contact with the human body or other organism upon implantation of the device, wherein the cathode electrode is electrically connected to the second barrier through a control circuit;
- and
- the plurality of barriers comprises a third barrier placed between the second barrier and the chemical compound or biological material, wherein the third barrier is not reactive to the chemical compound or biological material and is configured to mechanically break upon dissolution of the second barrier.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.