Drug delivery device having a cavity sealed by a pressurized membrane

• US 10,314,970 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2017
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dang, Bing, Knickerbocker, John U., Maria, Joana S. B. T., Webb, Bucknell C., Wright, Steven L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mendez, Manuel A
• Application Number:
  US15/859,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20180117245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 528 Days
• Field of Search: 604114
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0244 Micromachined materials, e.g. made from silicon wafers, microelectromechanical systems [MEMS] or comprising nanotechnology
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/04 implanted
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/332 Force measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16804 Flow controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/44 having means for cooling or heating the devices or media

Abstract

A digital biomedical device includes a substrate forming a reservoir, a membrane comprising a first layer and a second layer having a strain therebetween, the membrane sealing the reservoir, and a controller configured to activate the membrane and release at least a portion of the strain causing the membrane curl and open the reservoir.

Claims

1. A digital biomedical device comprising:

a substrate forming a reservoir;

a membrane comprising a first layer and a second layer having a strain therebetween;

a sealing material sealing the membrane to the substrate, wherein the membrane and sealing material maintain a pressure difference between an interior of the reservoir and an exterior of the reservoir;

a controller; and

a heater element disposed in the sealing material, wherein the heater element is controlled by the controller to heat the sealing material and allow the membrane to separate from a portion of the substrate, wherein the membrane, separated from the portion of the substrate, is configured to curl by a bending moment caused by the strain between the first layer and the second layer of the membrane.

2. The digital biomedical device of claim 1, wherein the strain difference between the first layer and the second layer of the membrane is greater than about 0.5 percent.

3. The digital biomedical device of claim 1, wherein the second layer is bonded to the first layer, and wherein the first layer and the second layer have different lengths in a stress-less state.

4. The digital biomedical device of claim 1, wherein the first layer includes a polymer material and the second layer includes a metal material.

5. The digital biomedical device of claim 1, wherein a strain between the first layer and the second layer of the membrane is caused by different coefficients of thermal expansion of the first and second layers.

6. The digital biomedical device of claim 1, comprising a door cut into the membrane around the reservoir.

7. The digital biomedical device of claim 6, wherein the door has a plurality of sides around the reservoir.

8. The digital biomedical device of claim 1, wherein the membrane is a lid disposed over the reservoir.