Implantable devices with invasive and non-invasive reversible infusion rate adjustability

A method of delivering a pharmaceutical agent, comprising steps of:

• implanting a pump into the patient, the pump including a pump engine, a piston, a pharmaceutical agent compartment configured to enclose a volume of pharmaceutical agent and the piston, the pharmaceutical agent compartment being configured such that when the piston is acted upon by the pump engine, the piston moves within the pharmaceutical agent compartment and delivers the pharmaceutical agent, and a rate adjustment assembly configured to enable a selective and reversible increase or decrease of a delivery rate of the pharmaceutical agent;
• manipulating the rate adjustment assembly to selectively increase or decrease the delivery rate of the pharmaceutical agent.

An osmotic pump, comprising:

• an osmotic engine;
• a pump housing enclosing the osmotic engine and defining a space adapted to contain a volume of pharmaceutical agent, and
• a rate adjustment module configured to enable a selective and reversible increase or decrease of a delivery rate of the pharmaceutical agent.

A method of non-invasively increasing or decreasing a dose of pharmaceutical agent delivered to a patient by a previously implanted osmotic pump, comprising the steps of:

• providing a magnet;
• positioning the provided magnet on or close to a skin of the patient over the previously implanted osmotic pump, and
• rotating the positioned magnet by a predetermined degree of rotation, whereby the implanted osmotic pump responds to the rotating magnet by increasing or decreasing the dose of pharmaceutical agent delivered to the patient.