Remote control of substance delivery system

• US 20100076414A1
• Filed: 10/28/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Hood, Leroy E., Tegreene, Clarence T., Langer, Robert, Jung, Edward K.Y., Wood, Lowell L. JR., Wood, Victoria Y.H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,172,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/891.100
• 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: 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 31/002 Devices for releasing a drug at a continuous and controlled rate for a prolonged period of time artificial gland structures or devices A61F2/022; intra-uterine contraceptive devices A61F6/14; tampons for introducing into the vagina A61F13/20, A61L15/00; suppositories or bougies for intra-vaginal or intra-uterine application A61K9/02; physical forms of medicinal preparations for sustained or differential drug release A61K9/20, A61K9/50
• 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

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.

Claims

1-55. -55. (canceled)

56. A system, comprising:

a recordable signal bearing medium bearing;

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.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein the instructions for generating the electromagnetic control signal include instructions for calculating the electromagnetic control signal based on a model.

58. The system of claim 56, wherein the instructions for generating the electromagnetic control signal include instructions for generating the electromagnetic control signal based on a pattern stored in a data storage location.

59. The system of claim 56, wherein the instructions for generating the electromagnetic control signal include instructions for generating the electromagnetic control signal based upon a feedback control algorithm.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the instructions for generating the electromagnetic control signal include instructions for generating the electromagnetic control signal based upon a variable feedback control algorithm.

61. The system of claim 56, the recordable signal bearing medium further bearing:

instructions for receiving a feedback signal corresponding to one or more parameters sensed from the environment; and

instructions for generating the electromagnetic control signal based at least in part upon the received feedback signal, the electromagnetic control signal having signal characteristics expected to produce a desired feedback signal.

62. The system of claim 56, the recordable signal bearing medium further bearing:

instructions for receiving a feedback signal from the osmotic pump device; and

instructions for generating the electromagnetic control signal based at least in part on the received feedback signal, the electromagnetic control signal having frequency composition and amplitude expected to produce a desired feedback signal.

63. The system of claim 56, including:

instructions for receiving user input of one or more control parameters; and

instructions for generating the electromagnetic control signal based at least in part upon the one or more control parameters.

64. The system of claim 56, including instructions for performing encryption of the electromagnetic control signal.

65. The system of claim 56, including instructions for performing an authentication procedure between a remote controller transmitting the electromagnetic control signal and a delivery device including the electromagnetically responsive control element intended to be activated by the electromagnetic control signal.

66. The system of claim 56, wherein at least a portion of the instructions generating the electromagnetic control signal and the instruction for controlling the transmission of the electromagnetic control signal are executable in distributed fashion on a plurality of microprocessors.

67. The system of claim 56, including channel allocation instructions configured to control the allocation of control signal transmission channels for transmission of a plurality of control signals to a corresponding plurality of delivery devices.

68. The system of claim 56, wherein the recordable signal bearing medium is selected from a floppy disk, a hard disk drive, a CD ROM, a digital tape, and a computer memory.

69. The system of claim 63, wherein the instructions for receiving user input of one or more control parameters include instructions for receiving user input of at least one command.

70. The system of claim 63, wherein the instructions for receiving user input of one or more control parameters include instructions for receiving user input of at least one variable.

71. The system of claim 63, wherein the instructions for receiving user input of one or more control parameters include instructions for receiving user input of at least one duration.

72. The system of claim 63, wherein the instructions for receiving user input of one or more control parameters include instructions for receiving user input of at least one amplitude.

73. The system of claim 63, wherein the instructions for receiving user input of one or more control parameters include instructions for receiving user input of at least one frequency.

74. The system of claim 63, wherein the instructions for receiving user input of one or more control parameters include instructions for receiving user input of at least one waveform.

75. The system of claim 63, wherein the instructions for receiving user input of one or more control parameters include instructions for receiving user input of at least one data storage instruction.

76. The system of claim 63, wherein the instructions for receiving user input of one or more control parameters include instructions for receiving user input of at least one data retrieval instruction.