Swallowable Capsule Combustible Propellant Intestinal Delivery
Solution Overview
Problem
Current drug delivery methods, particularly for labile medicaments like proteins and antibodies, face challenges such as degradation in the stomach, poor absorption, and the need for invasive administration routes, which limits the effectiveness and convenience of oral drug delivery.
Innovation Solution
Development of swallowable capsules equipped with propulsive drivers using combustible propellants and sensors that detect specific conditions in the gastrointestinal tract to precisely deliver therapeutic agents into targeted regions, such as the gastric antrum, allowing for controlled injection and minimizing degradation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional oral delivery methods are used for labile medicaments, then the drug can be administered conveniently, but the drug undergoes degradation in the stomach
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the drug delivery system into distinct functional components: a swallowable capsule for oral administration, a propulsive driver mechanism, and a targeted delivery system that releases the drug at a specific location (gastric antrum or intestinal wall). This segmentation allows the drug to be protected during transit through the GI tract while enabling convenient oral administration.
Solution Approach 2:
The swallowable capsule acts as an intermediary vehicle that carries the labile medicament through the gastrointestinal tract without direct contact with degrading environments. The capsule protects the drug until it reaches the target site, where controlled release occurs, thus mediating between oral administration and safe drug delivery.
2Reliability
If intravenous or parenteral administration is used to avoid degradation, then the drug stability is maintained, but the method becomes invasive and carries infection risks
Solution Approach 1:
The swallowable capsule is a self-contained system that autonomously navigates through the GI tract, detects the target location using sensors, and delivers the drug without requiring external intervention. The propulsive driver mechanism self-activates to propel the drug from the capsule to the target tissue, eliminating the need for invasive procedures while maintaining drug stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical invasive system (needles, IV lines, surgical implantation) with a swallowable mechanical system that uses controlled propulsion and sensor-based targeting to deliver the drug. This substitution eliminates infection risks and invasiveness while maintaining reliable drug delivery.
3Measurement precision
If implantable drug delivery pumps are used, then the drug can be delivered to targeted regions, but the device requires semi-permanent implantation and maintains limitations of IV delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the key parameter of device permanence from semi-permanent (implantable pumps) to transient (swallowable capsule). The capsule is designed to deliver the drug and then be naturally excreted, eliminating the need for surgical implantation and removal procedures while maintaining targeted delivery capabilities through sensor-based location detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The swallowable capsule is pre-loaded with the drug and the propulsive driver mechanism is pre-positioned within the capsule before administration. The sensors are pre-calibrated to detect specific GI tract conditions, enabling the device to autonomously navigate and deliver the drug at the correct location without requiring implantation or external control.
4Productivity
If the drug is released in the stomach, then absorption can occur, but the drug experiences poor and erratic absorption
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from luminal drug release (in the stomach lumen where absorption is poor and erratic) to wall-based drug delivery (into the gastric antrum or intestinal wall). This dimensional change from three-dimensional luminal space to two-dimensional wall surface enables direct drug entry into the bloodstream through the wall vasculature, significantly improving absorption rate and consistency.
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 effective and precise delivery of labile therapeutic agents into the gastrointestinal tract, avoiding degradation and the need for invasive administration, with the potential for rapid absorption into the bloodstream, improving drug efficacy and patient convenience.
Implementation Method 1
a propulsive driver within the capsule is arranged and configured to advance the solid dosage therapeutic agent through the capsule wall. The propulsive driver typically comprises a combustible propellant and an igniter.
Implementation Method 2
The swallowable devices of the present invention may include sensors, such as pressure sensors, pH sensors, conductivity sensors, or other mechanisms that can detect a position of the swallowable device within the GI tract.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention provide swallowable devices, preparations, and methods for delivering drugs and other therapeutic agents within the GI tract. Particular embodiments provide a swallowable device such as a capsule for delivering drugs or other therapeutic agents (TA) into a wall of the GI tract such as the stomach or small intestine. The swallowable device comprises a sensor, a combustible propellant (CP) and a therapeutic agent preparation (TAP) comprising at least one TA. The sensor triggers the CP to ignite and propel the TAP into the wall of the GI tract in response to an external condition or change in external condition. Embodiments of the invention are particularly useful for orally delivering drugs or other TAs which are degraded within the GI tract and require parenteral injection.