Remote control of substance delivery system
First Claim
1. A method of delivering a material, comprising:
- introducing a delivery device into an environment, the delivery device including an electromagnetically responsive control element, a pump, a fluid-containing structure containing a delivery fluid and a quantity of a primary material, the primary material being distributed between a first active form carried in the delivery fluid and a second form according to a first distribution in which the primary material has a first effective concentration in the delivery fluid equal to the concentration of the first active form in the delivery fluid, and wherein the electromagnetically responsive control element is configured to modify the distribution of primary material between the first active form and the second form, and a pump, the pump being activatable for pumping delivery fluid from the fluid-containing structure to a downstream location; and
delivering an electromagnetic distribution control signal to the environment with signal characteristics selectively receivable by the electromagnetically responsive control element and sufficient to produce a change in the distribution of the primary material between the first active form and the second from to a second distribution, the primary material distributed according to the second distribution having a second effective concentration in the delivery fluid.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of a system including a remotely controlled substance delivery device and associated controller are described. Methods of use and control of the device are also disclosed. According to some embodiments, a delivery device or related device may be placed in an environment in order to pump a material into the environment or into an additional fluid handling structure within the device. Exemplary environments include a body of an organism, a body of water, or an enclosed volume of a fluid. The concentration of a substance in the fluid to be delivered may be modified by a remote control signal. In selected embodiments, a magnetic field, an electric field, or electromagnetic control signal may be used.
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Citations
79 Claims
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1. A method of delivering a material, comprising:
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introducing a delivery device into an environment, the delivery device including an electromagnetically responsive control element, a pump, a fluid-containing structure containing a delivery fluid and a quantity of a primary material, the primary material being distributed between a first active form carried in the delivery fluid and a second form according to a first distribution in which the primary material has a first effective concentration in the delivery fluid equal to the concentration of the first active form in the delivery fluid, and wherein the electromagnetically responsive control element is configured to modify the distribution of primary material between the first active form and the second form, and a pump, the pump being activatable for pumping delivery fluid from the fluid-containing structure to a downstream location; and
delivering an electromagnetic distribution control signal to the environment with signal characteristics selectively receivable by the electromagnetically responsive control element and sufficient to produce a change in the distribution of the primary material between the first active form and the second from to a second distribution, the primary material distributed according to the second distribution having a second effective concentration in the delivery fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 68, 69)
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10. A method of controlling a delivery device, comprising:
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generating an electromagnetic control signal including frequency components absorbable by an electromagnetically responsive control element of a delivery device in an environment, the delivery device including a fluid-containing structure containing a delivery fluid and a quantity of primary material, the primary material being distributed between a first active form and a second form and having an effective concentration in the delivery fluid equal to the concentration of the first active form in the delivery fluid, wherein the effective concentration of the primary material in the delivery fluid is controllable by the electromagnetically responsive control element; and
remotely transmitting the electromagnetic control signal to the delivery device with signal characteristics sufficient to activate the electromagnetically responsive control element in the delivery device to control the effective concentration of primary material in the delivery fluid in the delivery device. - View Dependent Claims (25, 29, 30, 39, 40, 47, 52, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78)
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56. Software for controlling delivery of a material from a delivery device, comprising:
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instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal including frequency components absorbable by an electromagnetically responsive control element of a delivery device in an environment, the delivery device including a fluid-containing structure containing a delivery fluid and a quantity of primary material, the primary material being distributed between a first active form and a second form and having an effective concentration in the delivery fluid equal to the concentration of the first active form in the delivery fluid, wherein the effective concentration of the primary material in the delivery fluid is controllable by the electromagnetically responsive control element; and
instructions for controlling the transmission of the electromagnetic control signal to the delivery device with signal characteristics sufficient to activate the electromagnetically responsive control element in the delivery device to control the effective concentration of primary material in the delivery fluid in the delivery device. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 79)
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Specification