Elongated Particle Alignment in Biological Tissue Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for delivering particles into biological tissue, such as advanced gene therapies, face challenges in penetrating cells due to insufficient momentum of light functional materials coated on dense carrier particles, which limits the depth of delivery and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A device that uses a conduit system with a propellant source to propel elongated particles in a collimated stream, featuring alignment mechanisms like aerodynamic, electrostatic, or magnetic fields to ensure the particles' longitudinal axis is parallel to the stream, and includes heavier/denser particles to create micropores for deeper penetration, allowing lighter functional particles to follow and reach target cells effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If light functional material particles are used to carry functional material in higher doses, then the functional material loading is improved, but the momentum is insufficient to penetrate biological tissue to sufficient depth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines light functional material particles with dense carrier particles into a composite particle system. The dense carrier provides the necessary momentum for tissue penetration, while the light functional material is carried on or within the carrier, allowing both high functional material loading and sufficient penetration force to be achieved simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite particles consisting of a dense carrier material (such as gold or other high-density materials) combined with light functional material (such as drugs, genes, or cosmetics). This composite structure allows the particle to have both the mass needed for momentum and the functional material needed for therapeutic effect.
2Force
If dense carrier particles are used to provide sufficient momentum, then the tissue penetration depth is improved, but the functional material loading efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The dense carrier particles are designed with specific local properties - the carrier portion provides density and momentum, while the functional material is concentrated in specific regions on or within the carrier. This local differentiation allows the particle to maintain high functional material loading efficiency while achieving sufficient penetration momentum.
3Manufacturing precision
If elongated particles are aligned parallel to the particle stream direction, then the delivery precision is improved, but the device complexity increases due to alignment mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses aerodynamic alignment mechanisms where the shape and orientation of elongated particles are optimized to align automatically with the particle stream direction during propulsion. The aerodynamic forces in the fluid stream cause the elongated particles to orient themselves parallel to the flow direction, achieving precise alignment without complex mechanical alignment devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The elongated particles self-align through aerodynamic forces generated during their propulsion through the fluid stream. The particle geometry and flow conditions are designed so that the particles automatically orient themselves parallel to the stream direction without requiring external alignment mechanisms, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining high alignment precision.
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
This approach enhances the delivery of functional materials by ensuring precise alignment and increased momentum, reducing recoil and bruising, and achieving more accurate and controlled drug delivery with higher doses, while maintaining a focused beam diameter for precise tissue interaction.
Implementation Method 1
an aerodynamic alignment mechanism that includes a source of sheath fluid and one or more ports in the conduit configured to allow entry of the sheath fluid into the conduit in one or more sheath streams adjacent to the particle stream. The one or more sheath streams are configured to align the longitudinal axis of the elongated particles along the direction of the particle stream in the alignment region.
Implementation Method 2
the elongated particles are electrically charged and the alignment mechanism comprises an electrostatic alignment mechanism comprising one or more charged plates arranged proximate to the conduit.
Implementation Method 3
the elongated particles are magnetic and the alignment mechanism comprises a magnetic field generator that generates a magnetic field within the conduit.
Implementation Method 4
A propellant source is fluidically coupled to the conduit and configured to deliver a propellant into the conduit. The propellant source and the conduit are configured to propel the elongated particles in a collimated particle stream toward the biological tissue.
Implementation Method 5
The particle delivery device includes a particle accelerator downstream from the alignment mechanism. The particle accelerator is configured to accelerate the elongated particles toward the biological tissue.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for delivery of particles into biological tissue includes at least one conduit and a propellant source fluidically coupled to the conduit and configured to deliver a propellant into the conduit. A particle source is configured to release elongated particles into the conduit, the elongated particles having a width, w, a length, l>w. The propellant source and the conduit are configured to propel the elongated particles in a collimated particle stream toward the biological tissue. An alignment mechanism is configured to align a longitudinal axis of the elongated particles to be substantially parallel to a direction of the particle stream in an alignment region of the conduit. The aligned elongated particles are ejected from the conduit and impact the biological tissue.