Devices, systems, and methods for delivering therapeutic agents into a stomach wall

A swallowable device for delivering a therapeutic agent preparation into an antrum wall of a patient's stomach, the device comprising:

• a capsule sized to pass through the patient's gastrointestinal tract, the capsule having a wall including opposed side portions and opposed end portions, the capsule having an elongated shape configured to longitudinally orient within an antrum of the stomach during a peristaltic contraction of the antrum such that one of the opposed side portions of the capsule wall is adjacent a wall of the antrum;
• a therapeutic preparation in the capsule, the preparation comprising a therapeutic agent and shaped as a tissue-penetrating member;
• a sensor disposed in one of the opposed side portions of the capsule wall, the sensor configured to sense a force applied by the antrum wall to the capsule corresponding to a peristaltic contraction of the antrum and to generate an output upon sensing said force;
• and
• ejection means operatively coupled to the tissue penetrating member and the sensor, wherein the ejection means ejects the tissue penetrating member from the capsule into antrum wall tissue responsive to the output from the sensor while at least a portion of the capsule is being squeezed by the peristaltic contraction of the antrum.

A swallowable device for delivering a therapeutic agent preparation into a wall of a patient's stomach, the device comprising:

• a capsule sized to pass through the patient's intestinal tract, the capsule having a wall including opposing side portions and opposing end portions, the capsule having an elongated shape configured to longitudinally orient within the antrum of the stomach during a peristaltic contraction of the stomach such that a side portion of the capsule wall is adjacent a wall of the antrum;
• a therapeutic preparation in the capsule, the preparation comprising a therapeutic agent and shaped as a tissue penetrating member;
• a sensor disposed in one of the opposed side portions of the capsule wall, the sensor configured to sense a force applied by the antrum wall to the capsule and to generate an electrical output upon sensing said force;
• logic means configured to analyze the electrical output from the sensor and generate a trigger signal when a peristaltic contraction in the antrum is detected;
• and
• ejection means operatively coupled to the tissue penetrating member and the logic means, wherein the ejection means ejects the tissue penetrating member from the capsule into antrum wall tissue responsive to the trigger signal quickly enough such that the tissue penetrating member is ejected from the capsule into the antrum wall tissue while the antrum is in a state of peristaltic contraction.