Hermetically Sealed Devices for Controlled Release or Exposure of Reservoir Contents

• US 20070036835A1
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MicroCHIPS Inc.
• Original Assignee: MicroCHIPS Inc.
• Inventors: Santini, John, Snell, Douglas, Coppeta, Jonathan, Uhland, Scott, Sheppard, Norman, Polito, Benjamin, Feakes, Christina
• Application Number:
  US11/537,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20070036835A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/426
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/058 Microfluidics not provided for in B81B2201/051 - B81B2201/054
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00269 Bonding of solid lids or wafers to the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2203/0145 Hermetically sealing an opening in the lid
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites

Abstract

Methods are provided for hermetically sealing an opening in a reservoir of a containment device. The method comprises applying a polymeric material to an opening in a reservoir of a containment device, the reservoir comprising reservoir contents (such as a drug or a sensor) to be hermetically isolated within the reservoir, the applied polymeric material closing off the opening and forming a temporary seal; and adhering a hermetic sealing material onto the polymeric material to hermetically seal the opening. The reservoir can be a micro-reservoir. The containment device can comprises an array of two or more of reservoirs, and the method comprises hermetically sealing each of the two or more reservoirs.

Claims

1. A containment device comprising:

at least one reservoir defined in a substrate;

reservoir contents hermetically isolated within the reservoir;

a first opening in the reservoir which is closed off by a metal reservoir cap which can be selectively disintegrated or permeabilized to expose or release the reservoir contents to an environment outside of the reservoir; and

a second opening in the reservoir which is hermetically sealed by a polymeric material and a hermetic sealing material.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the reservoir is a micro-reservoir.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the reservoir contents comprise a drug or a sensor.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the polymeric material comprises a thermoplastic polymer.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the polymeric material comprises a filler material, a desiccant, or a combination thereof.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the polymeric material comprises a thermoset polymer.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the polymeric material comprises a photodefinable polymer.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the polymeric material comprises a polyester-based liquid crystal polymer material.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a barrier layer interposed between the reservoir contents and the polymeric material.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein a barrier layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of synthetic polymers, sol gel glasses sol gel ceramics, biopolymers, and combinations thereof.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the barrier layer comprises an epoxy, a silicone, a polyurethane, a silica sol gel, a titania sol gel, an alginate, albumin, glutaraldehyde, or a combination thereof.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising a solid secondary component disposed in and blocking the reservoir opening.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the containment device comprises an array of two or more of micro-reservoirs.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is formed of one or more hermetic materials.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes one or more structures confining the location of the polymer.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the one or more structures comprise a trench surrounding the reservoir.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the hermetic sealing material is adhered to the substrate surface at least in an area circumscribing the opening.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the hermetic sealing material is selected from the group consisting of titanium, platinum, gold, stainless steels, aluminum, tin, gold-tin, indium, indium-tin, gold-silicon, polysilicon, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, titanium nitride, and combinations thereof.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the hermetic sealing material comprises a liquid crystal polymer.

20. The device of claim 1, further comprising power and control means for selectively disintegrating the reservoir cap by electrothermal ablation.