Swallowable Medication Capsule

• US 20140135698A1
• Filed: 03/23/2012
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biora Therapeutics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stoco Gmbh
• Inventors: Zou, Hans, Shimizu, Jeff
• Granted Patent: US 9,687,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/4808 characterised by the form of the capsule or the structure of the filling; Capsules containing small tablets; Capsules with outer layer for immediate drug release capsules filled with granules or microparticles A61K9/16; filled with microcapsules or coated microparticles A61K9/50; with mixture of different granules, microcapsules, (coated) microparticles A61K9/5084
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/00 Devices for introducing or retaining media, e.g. remedies, in cavities of the body A61M25/00 takes precedence ; introducing or retaining ophthalmic products into the ocular cavities A61F9/0008
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to a swallowable medication capsule capable 200 of dispensing fluid medicine stored in a medication compartment 211 through a valveless exit holt 207. A vent hole 206 enables ventilation of an actuator cavity 212 which houses an actuator used for displacing a surface 205 which separates the medication cavity 211 and the actuator cavity 212. By locating the vent and exit holes close to each other so that contact with contracting parts of the gastrointestinal tract and the exterior surface 221 is not able to prohibit a pressure passageway between the vent and exit holes, creation of a pressure difference of pressures in the medication and actuator cavity is prohibited.

Claims

1. A swallowable medication capsule (200) having an elongate shape, the capsule comprising,

a wall (220) forming an exterior surface (221) of the capsule,

a medication compartment (211) for containing a medication,

an actuator compartment (212) for containing a displacement actuator (130),

a displaceable surface (205) arranged to be driven by the displacement actuator, where the medication compartment is partly defined by the displaceable surface,

a dispense channel (201) providing a passageway between the medication compartment and an exit hole (207) formed at the exterior surface for dispensing the fluid medication to the surroundings,

a vent channel (202) providing a passageway between the actuator compartment and a vent hole (206) formed at the exterior surface,

where the separation (291) between the exit hole and the vent hole along an elongate axial direction of the elongate shape is less than the length of the medication compartment along the elongate axial direction.

2. A capsule according to claim 1, where the surface normal (280) to the exterior surface (221) at the location of the exit hole (207) is substantially parallel with the surface normal (280) to the exterior surface (221) at the location of the vent hole (206).

3. A capsule according to claim 1, where the surface normal (280) to the exterior surface (221) at the location of the exit hole (207) and the surface normal (280) to the exterior surface (221) at the location of the vent hole (206) are substantially perpendicular to the elongate axial direction.

4. A capsule according to claim 1, where the exterior surface (221) of the capsule is formed by a cylindrical shell part (501, 502) having an exterior cylindrical surface (221), where the displaceable surface (205) is arranged in an interior of the cylindrical part so that the displaceable surface divides the interior into adjacent sections forming the medication compartment and the actuator compartment, and where the exit hole and the vent hole are located on the same exterior cylindrical surface (221).

5. A capsule according to claim 1, where a part of the dispense channel and/or the vent channel extends within the wall (220) of the capsule between two different locations (391, 392) on the exterior wall surface.

6. A capsule according to claim 5, where the dispense channel extending within the wall of the capsule has different channel directions so that at least one part of the channel provides a fluid passageway in a direction against the gravity, irrespective of the orientation of the swallowable medication capsule.

7. A capsule to claim 5, where the dispense channel and/or the vent channel is formed as a groove (511) in an outer shell (501) of the capsule in combination with an inner shell (512) providing a closure of the groove and where the inner shell has a hole (513) providing a fluid passageway between the medication compartment and the groove.

8. A capsule according to claim 1, where the displaceable surface (205) forms a fluid tight separation between the medication compartment (211) and the actuator compartment (212).

9. A capsule according to claim 1, where the capsule (200) is constituted by a first part (581) and a second part (582) which are connectable, and where the medication compartment (211) is a self-confined entity comprised by the second part (582), and the actuator compartment (212) is a self-confined entity comprised by the first part (581).

10. A method for providing a swallowable medication capsule (200) having an elongate shape, where the capsule has a wall (220) forming an exterior surface (221) of the capsule, the method comprises

providing a first part (581) of the capsule where the first part comprises,

an actuator compartment (212) for containing a displacement actuator (130),

a vent channel (202) providing a passageway between the actuator compartment and a vent hole (206) formed at the exterior surface,

providing a second part (582) of the capsule where the second part comprises,

a medication compartment (211) for containing a medication,

a dispense channel (201) providing a passageway between the medication compartment and an exit hole (207) formed at the exterior surface for dispensing the fluid medication to the surroundings,

where the first and second parts (581, 582) are connectable to form the elongately shaped capsule, and where the separation between the exit hole and the vent hole along an elongate direction of the elongate shape, when the first and second parts are connected, is less than the length of the medication compartment along the elongate direction.