Biodegradable Glass Substrates for Implantable Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing implantable medical devices often require surgical removal after their operational lifetime, leading to safety concerns and ethical issues, and photodynamic therapy for cancers is limited by the need for surface treatments and low efficiency for large solid tumors.
Innovation Solution
Development of biodegradable glass components with controllable structural degradation, including rapidly and slowly degradable glass substrates for use in devices such as optical fibers and pressure sensors, allowing for controlled dissolution and intentional failure without surgical intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If implantable medical devices are permanently placed in the body, then device functionality is maintained, but surgical removal is required causing safety concerns and ethical issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the material composition of the device substrate to enable controlled biodegradation. The device uses a biodegradable polymer substrate with adjustable degradation rate, allowing the device to maintain functionality during the treatment period and then safely dissolve after completing its therapeutic purpose, eliminating the need for surgical removal
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements the disposable principle by designing a biodegradable implantable device that is intended for temporary use only. The device is engineered to degrade after a specific operational lifetime, transforming from a permanent implant into a temporary one that safely decomposes in the body, thus avoiding the harms associated with removal surgery
2Reliability
If photodynamic therapy is applied to deep-seated tumors, then treatment efficacy is improved, but light delivery efficiency is reduced due to surface treatment limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an optical fiber as an intermediary to deliver light deep into the body for photodynamic therapy. The optical fiber acts as a mediator that transports light energy from external sources to deep-seated tumors, overcoming the limitation of surface-only light delivery and enabling effective treatment of internal tumors
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining biodegradable polymer substrates with optical fibers to create a multifunctional implantable device. This composite structure integrates both the biodegradable platform for safe disposal and the optical fiber for efficient deep light delivery, achieving both treatment efficacy and energy efficiency
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
Enables the creation of implantable devices that maintain functionality until intentional disintegration, addressing safety and ethical concerns while enhancing the efficacy of photodynamic therapy by delivering localized light to deep-seated tumors without surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
Biodegradable devices are typically composed of biodegradable organic materials and biodegradable metals/semiconductors. The operational lifetime of these biodegradable implants can be modified by altering the chemical composition of the constituent materials from which the devices are made.
Implementation Method 2
Biodegradable glasses are a class of materials that react in vivo and change their chemical composition when in contact with living tissue, allowing ingrowth of cells to become a part of the tissue itself and eventually resorbed.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are biodegradable glass substrates that are useful as functional elements of solid-state devices. In particular, biodegradable glass substrates having a rapidly degradable glass and a slowly degradable glass provide a structural platform that completely dissolves following a desired operational lifetime of devices such as implanted electronic devices, implanted sensor devices, and optical fibers.