Delivery Device Including Reactive Material For Programmable Discrete Delivery Of A Substance

• US 20170119960A1
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DANG, BING, MARIA, JOANA S.B.T., WEBB, BUCKNELL C., FRITZ, GREGORY M., LEWANDOWSKI, ERIC P., WRIGHT, STEVEN L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,881,788 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0244 Micromachined materials, e.g. made from silicon wafers, microelectromechanical systems [MEMS] or comprising nanotechnology
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0277 Chemo-active materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/04 implanted
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14 Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation

Abstract

A digital biomedical device includes a substrate forming a cavity, a seal formed around the cavity, a lid coupled to the substrate by the seal, a reactive metal structure comprising a plurality of metal layers, wherein the reactive metal structure is a component of at least one of the substrate and the lid, a metal trace configured to initiate a self-propagating reaction between the plurality of metal layers of the reactive metal structure and release contents of the cavity, and a power supply configured to apply an electric current to the metal trace

Claims

1. A digital biomedical device comprising:

a substrate forming a cavity;

a seal formed around the cavity;

a lid coupled to the substrate by the seal;

a reactive metal structure comprising a plurality of metal layers, wherein the reactive metal structure is a component of at least one of the substrate and the lid;

a metal trace configured to initiate a self-propagating reaction between the plurality of metal layers of the reactive metal structure and release contents of the cavity; and

a power supply configured to apply an electric current to the metal trace.

2. The digital biomedical device of claim 1, wherein a thickness of each of the plurality of metal layers is between about 5 nanometers and about 50 nanometers.

3. The digital biomedical device of claim 1, wherein the reactive metal structure comprises a first layer of aluminum (Al) and a second layer of palladium (Pd).

4. The digital biomedical device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the lid comprises the reactive metal structure.

5. The digital biomedical device of claim 1, wherein the metal trace is a heater electrode.

6. The digital biomedical device of claim 1, wherein the self-propagating reaction of the reactive metal structure is initiated by passing electrical current through the reactive metal structure via the metal trace.

7. The digital biomedical device of claim 1, wherein the reactive metal structure is configured to fracture upon the application of the electric current to the metal trace.

8. The digital biomedical device of claim 1, wherein the reactive metal structure is configured to compromise the seal upon the application of the electric current to the metal trace.

9. The digital biomedical device of claim 1, wherein the lid is a composite structure containing at least a portion of the reactive metal structure and a non-reactive support structure, and wherein the reactive metal structure is a sacrificial material, removed during the self-propagating reaction.

10. The digital biomedical device of claim 9, wherein the composite structure is configured to become a porous structure upon the application of the electric current to the metal trace.

11. The digital biomedical device of claim 9, wherein a baffle structure is disposed outside the composite structure, and is configured to block the reactive metal material from exiting the digital biomedical device.

12. The digital biomedical device of claim 1, wherein the membrane is mechanically stressed and configured to peel upon the application of the electric current to the metal trace.

13. The digital biomedical device of claim 1, wherein the reactive metal structure is disposed on the substrate, adjacent to the seal.

14. The digital biomedical device of claim 13, wherein the self-propagating reaction is initiated by a heater electrode.

15. The digital biomedical device of claim 13, wherein the self-propagating reaction is initiated by passing the electrical current through the reactive metal structure via the metal trace.

16. The digital biomedical device of claim 1, wherein the reactive metal structure is configured to melt upon initiation of the self-propagating reaction.

17. The digital biomedical device of claim 13, wherein the reactive metal structure is configured to compromise the seal upon initiation of the self-propagating reaction.

18. A method of activating a digital biomedical device comprising a substrate forming a cavity, a seal formed around the cavity, and a lid coupled to the substrate by the seal, the method comprising:

initialing a self-propagating reaction in a reactive metal structure by applying an electric current to the reactive metal structure comprising a plurality of metal layers, wherein the reactive metal structure is a component of at least one of the substrate and the lid; and

exposing contents of the cavity to an exterior of the digital biomedical device upon the self-propagating reaction of the reactive metal structure.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein exposing the contents includes releasing at least a portion of the lid from the substrate.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein exposing the contents includes forming openings in a portion of the lid formed of the reactive metal structure.