External Actuator for Implantable Pump
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drug delivery systems fail to reliably and consistently administer therapeutic compounds at predetermined times, making them ineffective for chronotherapy, and often require frequent battery replacements, are bulky, and not easily refillable or operable in all environmental conditions.
Innovation Solution
An implantable pump system with an external actuator that applies physical force through the skin to actuate the pump, utilizing magnetic materials for alignment and lacking an internal energy source, allowing for timed and controlled drug delivery without the need for batteries, making it user-friendly and adaptable to various conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional controlled-release delivery systems are used, then continuous drug release is achieved, but the ability to deliver drugs at specific predetermined times is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The pump system segments the drug delivery function from the power source, with the implantable pump containing only the reservoir and actuating mechanism while the external actuator provides power and control. This segmentation allows the pump to be battery-free and fully implantable, while maintaining reliable timed delivery through external actuation signals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an external actuator as an intermediary device that transmits mechanical force through the skin to actuate the implantable pump. This intermediary mechanism enables reliable timed drug delivery without requiring internal batteries or complex electronics in the implant, solving the chronotherapy compliance problem.
2Duration of action of moving object
If implantable pumps with internal power sources are used, then continuous operation is achieved, but device size and bulk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the power source and control electronics from the implantable pump, placing them in an external actuator. This extraction allows the implantable pump to be significantly reduced in size and volume, while the external actuator provides unlimited operational duration through battery power and repeated actuation cycles.
3Reliability
If conventional pump systems are used, then drug delivery is achieved, but frequent battery replacement is required
Solution Approach 1:
The external actuator serves as an intermediary that delivers mechanical actuation forces through the skin to the implantable pump without requiring internal batteries. This eliminates the need for battery replacement entirely, while maintaining reliable and consistent drug delivery through controlled actuation cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The implantable pump is designed to be fully passive and self-contained, requiring no internal power source or electronics. The pump delivers drugs reliably through external mechanical actuation, eliminating maintenance requirements and making the system inherently more reliable over long periods.
4Ease of operation
If diffusion-based continuous release systems are used, then simple operation is achieved, but precise timing control is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the simple diffusion-based release mechanism from the timing control function. The implantable pump contains the simple reservoir and actuating mechanism, while the external actuator provides precise timing control through controlled actuation cycles, achieving both simplicity and precision simultaneously.
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 system enables precise and reliable timed drug delivery, reducing the size and bulk of the implanted device, allowing for multiple doses over long periods without battery replacement, and operates effectively in diverse environmental conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a magnetic material configured to magnetically attract the external actuator toward a portion of the implanted pump so that the external actuator is aligned with a corresponding actuatable portion of the implanted pump
Implementation Method 2
the pusher is configured to apply force to skin underlying the actuator to physically actuate an implanted pump
Data Source
AI summary
Delivery systems and their methods of use for delivering one or more therapeutic compounds to a user are described. A delivery system may include an implantable pump and an external actuator. The implantable pump may include an actuatable portion that may be actuated to dispense a volume of fluid. The external actuator may include a pusher configured to deform skin to engage an actuatable portion of the pump. The external actuator may also include a positioning magnet configured to magnetically attract a portion of the implantable pump such that the external actuator and the pump may be aligned prior to applying force to the portion of the skin between the external actuator and the actuatable portion of the pump.