Implant Hydration via Pressure Differential
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Solution Overview
Problem
Implantable drug delivery devices with solid drug formulations face challenges in hydration due to air pockets, which impede the mass transport of interstitial fluid, leading to delayed or incomplete drug release.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that reduce pressure within the drug delivery device reservoir and introduce a biocompatible fluid through a nanoporous membrane, creating a pressure differential to facilitate fluid uptake and hydration, using a housing, tubular outer member, obturator, pressure reducer, and connector for fluid transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a solid or dry formulation is filled into the reservoir, then drug stability during shelf life is improved, but fluid uptake and hydration are impeded by air pockets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by evacuating air from the reservoir before filling with the solid drug formulation. This creates a vacuum or reduced pressure environment that prevents air pockets from forming during subsequent fluid uptake, thereby maintaining both drug stability and enabling efficient hydration when the device is activated
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts air from the reservoir using an evacuation system connected to a vacuum source. This removal of air pockets eliminates the barrier to fluid uptake while preserving the solid drug formulation, resolving the contradiction between maintaining drug stability and enabling productivity
2Ease of manufacture
If air is included in the reservoir with solid formulation, then filling process is simplified, but mass transport of interstitial fluid is impeded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs air evacuation as a preliminary step before or during the filling process. By creating a vacuum environment first, the system ensures that when the solid formulation is introduced, air pockets are minimized or eliminated, thereby maintaining both ease of manufacture and reliable mass transport
3Ease of operation
If simultaneous mass transport of water into device and air out of device is required, then proper hydration is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent simplifies the overall process by performing air evacuation as a preliminary action before implantation. This separates the air removal step from the hydration step, allowing each to be optimized independently rather than requiring complex simultaneous transport mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary evacuation system that acts as a mediator between the reservoir and the external environment. This system temporarily removes air during manufacturing or priming, then allows the nanoporous membrane to handle only fluid uptake during operation, reducing the complexity of the primary delivery device
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
Accelerates fluid uptake into the reservoir, ensuring proper hydration and drug release, reducing the time required for filling the device and enhancing the efficiency of drug delivery systems.
Implementation Method 1
reduce pressure within the drug delivery device reservoir and introduce a biocompatible fluid through a nanoporous membrane, creating a pressure differential to facilitate fluid uptake
Implementation Method 2
mass transport of interstitial fluid into the reservoir after implantation
Implementation Method 3
release rate controlling membrane based on nanopores
Data Source
AI summary
The invention pertains to apparatuses, means and methods to promote uptake of biocompatible fluids into a reservoir of an implantable drug delivery system though a porous membrane. Embodiments of the invention promote fluid uptake by creating a pressure differential between the reservoir of the drug delivery device and the biocompatible fluid outside the device.