Methods for accelerated release of material from a reservoir device
First Claim
1. A device for the selective release or exposure of reservoir contents sealed in a reservoir comprising:
- a substrate;
one or more reservoirs located in and defined by the substrate;
reservoir contents located inside the reservoirs;
a reservoir cap or rupturable layer sealing an outlet of the reservoir; and
means for disintegrating the reservoir cap or rupturing the rupturable layer; and
means for accelerating the release of the reservoir contents from the reservoir through the outlet, or for enhancing diffusional mass transport of a material into or out of the reservoir.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and devices are provided for selective release or exposure of reservoir contents, such as a drug formulation or diagnostic reagent, sealed in a reservoir, e.g., a microreservoir. The devices comprise a substrate; one or more reservoirs located in and defined by the substrate; reservoir contents located inside the reservoirs; a reservoir cap or rupturable layer sealing an outlet of the reservoir; and means for disintegrating the reservoir cap or rupturing the rupturable layer; and means for accelerating the release of the reservoir contents from the reservoir through the outlet, or for enhancing diffusional mass transport of a material into or out of the reservoir. The means for accelerating can, for example, include a shape memory material. In a preferred embodiment, the device is adapted for implantation into a human or animal body and comprises an array of several discrete reservoir, each one being individually openable at a desired time.
408 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A device for the selective release or exposure of reservoir contents sealed in a reservoir comprising:
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a substrate;
one or more reservoirs located in and defined by the substrate;
reservoir contents located inside the reservoirs;
a reservoir cap or rupturable layer sealing an outlet of the reservoir; and
means for disintegrating the reservoir cap or rupturing the rupturable layer; and
means for accelerating the release of the reservoir contents from the reservoir through the outlet, or for enhancing diffusional mass transport of a material into or out of the reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method for making an array of shape memory elements, comprising:
making a series of cuts into a sheet of a shape memory material to form a plurality of shape memory elements, each of which remains connected to said sheet following said making of series of cuts. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
Specification