Self-Sealing Implant Wall for Refillable Drug Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current implants for local active ingredient delivery, such as those for rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, face challenges including limited ability to achieve high concentrations of immunosuppressants in joint tissues, risk of infection, and inability to be refilled without explantation, making them unsuitable for long-term or adaptable treatment.
Innovation Solution
A subcutaneous implant with a disk-shaped design featuring a self-sealing, elastically deformable upper wall and a lower wall with a liquid-permeable feed-through, an anti-piercing means that prevents accidental piercing, and a biocompatible construction allowing for multiple reloads of immunosuppressants without explantation, ensuring safe and effective delivery to joint tissues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the implant wall is made soft and elastic to allow piercing with injection cannulas, then ease of filling is improved, but the risk of accidental piercing and infection increases
Solution Approach 1:
The implant wall is segmented into two distinct layers: a soft outer layer that allows easy piercing with injection cannulas for filling, and a hard inner layer that prevents accidental piercing through the skin. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by assigning different functions to different parts of the same structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant utilizes a composite wall structure combining materials with contrasting properties - a soft, elastic outer material (such as silicone rubber) that is pierceable, and a hard inner material (such as plastic or metal) that is pierce-resistant. This composite construction enables both easy filling and protection against accidental piercing.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If the implant is designed for long-term implantation, then duration of action is improved, but the ability to refill without explantation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is segmented into a permanent housing structure and a replaceable filling compartment. The housing with its dual-layer wall remains implanted long-term, while the filling compartment can be accessed and refilled through the self-sealing mechanism, enabling long-term use with refill capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant incorporates a self-sealing piercing mechanism that automatically seals after injection cannula removal, allowing the implant to service itself by maintaining its integrity after repeated refilling operations without requiring explantation or complex closure mechanisms.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a hard anti-piercing layer is added to prevent accidental piercing, then protection against infection is improved, but ease of filling with injection cannula deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The wall is segmented into an outer soft layer optimized for piercing and an inner hard layer optimized for pierce-resistance. The soft outer layer ensures easy penetration by injection cannulas, while the hard inner layer provides the necessary protection against accidental piercing through the skin.
Solution Approach 2:
The dual-layer wall combines materials with complementary properties: the outer layer uses soft, elastic materials that are easily pierced, while the inner layer uses hard, rigid materials that resist accidental piercing. This composite structure resolves the contradiction between ease of filling and protection.
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 implant enables continuous, high-concentration delivery of immunosuppressants directly to joint tissues, reducing the risk of infection and allowing for adaptable treatment as it can be refilled multiple times without removal, effectively managing chronic joint inflammation.
Implementation Method 1
the upper wall is closed and disk-shaped and consists of a material which is pierceable with a medical injection cannula using a force of less than 100 N, is self-sealing and is elastically deformable
Implementation Method 2
the lower wall has at least one feed-through through the lower wall, wherein the at least one feed-through is liquid-permeable
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an implant for local active ingredient release having an upper wall (1), which is closed and disk-shaped and consists of a material which is pierceable with an injection cannula using a force of less than 100 N, is self-sealing and is elastically deformable, a lower wall (2) which is arranged opposite the upper wall (1), is disk-shaped, is elastically deformable and has at least one liquid-permeable feed-through (3) through the lower wall (2), a hollow space (4) which is arranged between the upper wall (1) and the lower wall (2), and an anti-piercing means (6), which is disk-shaped, between the upper wall (1) and the lower wall (2), wherein the anti-piercing means (6) consists of a material which is not pierceable with an injection cannula (100) using a force of less than 100 N.The invention also relates a method for filling such an implant with a liquid.