Reaction device controlled by magnetic control signal

• US 20070106267A1
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Langer, Robert, Jung, Edward, Hood, Leroy, Tegreene, Clarence, Wood, Lowell, Ishikawa, Muriel, Wood, Victoria
• Granted Patent: US 8,585,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/890.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 41/00 Medicinal preparations obtained by treating materials with wave energy or particle radiation ; Therapies using these preparations
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0009 involving or responsive to electricity, magnetism or acoustic waves; Galenical aspects of sonophoresis, iontophoresis, electroporation or electroosmosis microelectromechanical systems A61K9/0097
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0024 Solid, semi-solid or solidifying implants, which are implanted or injected in body tissue compositions for intravenous administration, normal injectable solutions or dispersions for, e.g. subcutaneous administration A61K9/0019; brain implants A61K9/0085; (coated) prostheses, catheters or stents A61L
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0097 Micromachined devices; Microelectromechanical systems [MEMS]; Devices obtained by lithographic treatment of silicon; Devices comprising chips intradermal microneedle arrays A61K9/0021; MEMS in general B81B7/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14513 with secondary fluid driving or regulating the infusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0266 Shape memory materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0288 Electro-rheological or magneto-rheological materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/36 related to heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/145 using pressurised reservoirs, e.g. pressurised by means of pistons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0006 Controlling or regulating processes controlling or regulating in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00049 Controlling or regulating processes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/02 by heating methods of steam generation F22B; preheating boiler feed-water or accumulating preheated boiler feed-water F22D
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/66 by neutralisation; pH adjustment for degassing C02F1/20; using ion-exchange C02F1/42; for flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/52; for removing dissolved compounds C02F1/58
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/20 : Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/363 : PCB's; PCP's
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/02 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/0004 : Oxidoreductases (1.)
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/0006 : acting on CH-OH groups as donors (1.1)
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/10 : Transferases (2.) ribonucleases C12N9/22
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/12 : transferring phosphorus containing groups, e.g. kinases (2.7)
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/14 : Hydrolases (3)
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/88 : Lyases (4.)
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/90 : Isomerases (5.)
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/93 : Ligases (6)
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 : using a radio link

Abstract

Embodiments of a system including a remotely controlled reaction device and associated controller are described. Methods of use and control of the device are also disclosed. According to various embodiments, a reaction device is placed in an environment in order to perform a chemical reaction in an environment. Exemplary environments include a body of an organism, a body of water, or an enclosed volume of a fluid. In selected embodiments, a magnetic field, an electric field, or electromagnetic control signal may be used.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a body structure adapted for positioning in an environment;

a reaction region located in or on the body structure including a first material capable of influencing a chemical reaction; and

a remotely activatable control element operably coupled to the body structure and responsive to a static or quasi-static magnetic field control signal or a static or quasi-static electric field control to modify one or more of the rate or kinetics of the chemical reaction.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the remotely activatable control element responds to the control signal by changing in at least one dimension.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the reaction region is located in an interior portion of the body structure and is at least intermittently in fluid communication with the environment via at least one inlet or outlet.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the reaction region is located on an exterior portion of the body structure in fluid communication with the environment.

14. The system of claim 5, wherein additional portions of the reaction region are exposed responsive to the change in at least one dimension of the remotely activatable control element.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the remotely activatable control element includes a valve element or a structural element.

69. The system of claim 1, wherein the remotely activatable control element modifies one or more of the rate or kinetics of the chemical reaction by modifying the influence of the first material on the chemical reaction, or the rate of exposure of a reactant capable of participating in the chemical reaction to the first material.

70. The system of claim 1, wherein the remotely activatable control element includes at least one of a polymer, ceramic, dielectric, metal, shape memory material, bimetallic structure, hydrogel, ferrogel, ferroelectric, magnetically active material, or electrically active material.

71. The system of claim 10, further including a valve responsive to a change in at least one dimension of the remotely activatable control element to modify at least one of the flow of fluid into the reaction region or the flow of fluid out of the reaction region responsive to the change in at least one dimension of the remotely activatable control element.

72. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one of a surface area of the reaction region or a volume containing the reaction region within the interior portion of the body structure is increased responsive to the change in at least one dimension of the remotely activatable control element.

73. The system of claim 14, wherein exposure of additional portions of the reaction region exposes additional functional groups to produce at least a local change in osmolality, pH, surface energy, or surface charge.

74. The system of claim 1, wherein the remotely activatable control element responds to the control signal by at least one of producing heating, producing cooling, changing shape, changing volume, changing surface area or changing orientation.

75. The system of claim 1, including at least one of an outlet through which a product of the chemical reaction is released into the environment or an an inlet through which a second material capable of participating in the chemical reaction enters the reaction region.

76. The system of claim 1, wherein the first material is selected from a reactant that is modified by participation in the chemical reaction, a non-reactant material that modifies at least one condition at which the reaction occurs, or a catalyst that facilitates the chemical reaction but is not significantly modified by the chemical reaction.

77. The system of claim 1, including a body structure adapted for positioning in an environment selected from a body of an organism, a body of water, a contained fluid volume, an industrial fluid volume, an agricultural fluid volume, a swimming pool, an aquarium, a drinking water supply, and a HVAC system cooling water supply.

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30. A remote controller for a reaction system, comprising:

an electromagnetic signal generator capable of producing a static or quasi-static magnetic field control signal or a quasi-static electric field control signal sufficient to produce activation of a remotely activatable magnetically or electrically responsive control element of a reaction device located in an environment to produce a desired rate of a chemical reaction in the reaction device; and

an electromagnetic signal transmitter capable of transmitting the static or quasi-static magnetic field control signal to the remotely activatable magnetically or electrically responsive control element through the environment when the remote controller is positioned at a location remote from the reaction device.

34. The remote controller of claim 30, wherein the electromagnetic signal is produced at least in part according to a pre-programmed pattern.

41. The remote controller of claim 30, including a signal input adapted for receiving a feedback signal from the environment, wherein the magnetic field control signal or electric field control signal are determined based at least in part upon the feedback signal.

45. The remote controller of claim 30, including a signal input adapted for receiving a feedback signal from the reaction device, wherein the magnetic field control signal or the electric field control signal are produced based at least in part upon the feedback signal.

52. The remote controller of claim 30, including software configured to control generation of the static or quasi-static magnetic field control signal, or of the static or quasi-static electric field control signal.

78. The remote controller of claim 30, wherein the electromagnetic signal generator includes an electromagnet, an electrically-polarizable element, a permanent magnet, or an electret.

79. The remote controller of claim 30, wherein the magnetic field control signal or electric field control signal have signal characteristics sufficient to produce a change in dimension, shape, volume, surface area, configuration, or temperature in the remotely activatable control element, the change in dimension causing a change in the rate of the chemical reaction in the reaction device.

80. The remote controller of claim 30, wherein the magnetic field control signal or electric field control signal have signal characteristics sufficient to produce a change in shape in a remotely activatable control element including a at least one of a shape memory material, a bimetallic structure, or a polymeric material.

81. The remote controller of claim 41, wherein the feedback signal corresponds to at least one of the concentration or activity of a chemical in the environment, or the osmolality, pH, temperature or pressure of the environment.

82. The remote controller of claim 30, wherein the magnetic field control signal or the electric field control signal are produced based upon at least one of a predetermined activation pattern or a model-based calculation.

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53. A method of controlling a reaction device, comprising:

generating a static or quasi-static magnetic field control signal or a static or quasi-static electric field control signal absorbable by a remotely activatable magnetically or electrically responsive control element of a reaction device in an environment, respectively; and

remotely transmitting the static or quasi-static magnetic field control signal or the static or quasi-static electric field control signal to the reaction device in the environment with signal characteristics sufficient to activate the magnetically or electrically responsive control element in the reaction device to control a chemical reaction occurring at a reaction region of the reaction device.

57. The method of claim 53, including:

receiving a feedback signal from the environment; and

based upon the feedback signal, generating a magnetic field control signal or an electric field control signal having signal characteristics expected to produce a desired feedback signal.

61. The method of claim 53, including:

receiving a feedback signal from the reaction device; and

based upon the feedback signal, generating magnetic field control signal or an electric field control signal having signal characteristics expected to produce a desired feedback signal.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein receiving a feedback signal from the reaction device includes receiving a signal representing a concentration of a reactant at the reaction region of the reaction device.

63. The method of claim 53, including:

receiving user input of one or more control parameters; and

based upon the one or more control parameters, generating a magnetic field control signal or an electric field control signal having signal characteristics expected to produce a desired rate of reaction in the reaction device.

68. The method of claim 53, wherein the steps of generating an electromagnetic control signal and remotely transmitting the electromagnetic control signal to the reaction device are performed according to instructions provided in the form of software, hardware or firmware.

83. The method of claim 53, including generating the magnetic field control signal or the electric field control signal from a model-based calculation or generating the magnetic field control signal or the electric field control signal based on a stored pattern.

84. The method of claim 57, wherein receiving a feedback signal from the environment includes receiving a measure of osmolality, pH, temperature, pressure, or concentration or activity of a chemical within at least a portion of the environment.

85. The method of claim 53, including activating the magnetically or electrically responsive control element to produce heating, cooling, or change in configuration of the magnetically or electrically responsive control element sufficient to modify the chemical reaction occurring at the reaction region.

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