Multi-stage Biodegradable Drug Delivery Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current drug delivery methods, particularly oral and intravenous, face limitations such as toxicity, poor absorption, and logistical challenges in administering multiple doses over extended periods, especially in rural areas lacking refrigeration and sterile medical supplies, making it difficult to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery of medication regimens for both humans and livestock.
Innovation Solution
A multi-stage biodegradable drug delivery device that penetrates the skin and subcutaneously delivers therapeutic agents in multiple doses over time, using a core body and skin-penetrating end made from biodegradable materials like PLGA and magnesium, allowing for controlled release of drugs in solid, liquid, or gel forms, eliminating the need for repeated administration and improving shelf life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If oral or intravenous drug delivery is used, then drugs can be administered, but toxicity and poor absorption occur with varying concentrations over time
Solution Approach 1:
The drug delivery system is segmented into multiple biodegradable stages (core body and shell structures) that release drugs in controlled sequences. Each stage can be designed with specific degradation rates to provide controlled release profiles, eliminating the need for repeated administrations and ensuring consistent drug concentrations over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes changes in physical and chemical parameters of biodegradable materials (such as PLGA and magnesium) to control drug release. By adjusting material composition, molecular weight, and environmental conditions, the degradation rate and drug release kinetics are precisely controlled to maintain therapeutic concentrations while avoiding toxicity.
2Reliability
If multiple booster shots are administered over time, then complete medication regimen is achieved, but time and costs increase with logistical difficulties in rural areas
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple drug delivery stages are merged into a single implantable device that provides sequential dosing over extended periods. The core body and shell structures are combined in a hierarchical configuration where each layer degrades at different rates to deliver multiple doses automatically, eliminating the need for repeated visits to rural clinics.
Solution Approach 2:
The complete medication regimen is prepared in advance within the implantable device, with drugs pre-loaded in controlled amounts. The device is designed to automatically deliver subsequent doses at predetermined time intervals, so that patients receive complete treatment sequences without needing to return for booster shots, thereby reducing time loss and logistical burdens.
3Reliability
If intravenous delivery is used, then drugs can be administered, but sterile technique and refrigeration are required which are not available in rural areas
Solution Approach 1:
The implantable device is designed to be self-contained with all necessary drug formulations and delivery mechanisms integrated within the biodegradable structure. Once implanted, the device autonomously degrades and releases drugs without requiring external sterile techniques or refrigeration, making it ideal for rural settings where such infrastructure is limited.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs disposable biodegradable materials (such as PLGA and magnesium) that are inexpensive and do not require specialized storage or handling. These materials are designed to degrade safely in the body over time, eliminating the need for complex sterile techniques and refrigeration while maintaining drug delivery effectiveness.
4Duration of action of moving object
If biodegradable materials like PLGA and magnesium are used, then controlled release is achieved, but material degradation rates must be precisely controlled
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the implantable device are designed with locally optimized properties. The core body and shell structures have different compositions, thicknesses, and degradation rates tailored to their specific functions. This allows precise control over drug release timing and duration while maintaining overall device integrity and safety.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device ensures sustained and controlled release of therapeutic agents, reducing the need for multiple visits and improving accessibility by extending the shelf life of medications, facilitating administration in resource-limited settings, and enhancing the delivery of vaccines and other therapeutic agents over extended periods.
Implementation Method 1
The core body 102 can include a first biodegradable material, and the secondary shell 108 can include a second biodegradable material
Implementation Method 2
multi-stage biodegradable drug delivery platform
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention provide multi-stage biodegradable drug delivery platforms and methods for the subcutaneous delivery of therapeutic agents (TA). Embodiments of the platform may be configured to subcutaneously deliver a first dose of a first TA which is absorbed into the body and/or blood stream (BBS) to produce a first therapeutic effect for a first selectable time period (STP), and subsequently after a second STP, deliver a second dose of a second TA which is absorbed into the BBS to produce a second therapeutic effect for a third STP. An embodiment of the platform may comprise a body having a tissue-penetrating end, a primary cavity having a first TA dose and a shell having a secondary cavity having a second TA dose. The first TA dose is released after the first STP and the second TA dose is released after the second STP by biodegradation of the shell.