Nanopump system

• US 6,955,670 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2002
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delpor, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Francis J. Martin, Robbie J. Walczak
• Inventors: Walczak, Robbie J., Martin, Francis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thompson, Michael M
• Application Number:
  US10/170,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20030013186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 604/890.1, 604/891.1, 604 65- 67, 604/93.01, 604131-133, 604141-142, 604/151, 604/153, 604241-242, 128/DIG.1, 128/12, 128/DIG.13
• US Class Current: 604/891.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 57/02 by electrophoresis treatment of water, waste water, sewage or sludge by electrophoresis C02F1/469; electrophoretic production of compounds or non-metals C25B7/00; investigating or analysing materials by using electrophoresis G01N27/26
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/56 Electro-osmotic dewatering
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0681 Filter
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0896 Nanoscaled
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0415 electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0418 electro-osmotic flow [EOF]
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50273 characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids micropumps F04B19/006, of the membrane type F04B43/043
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502753 characterised by bulk separation arrangements on lab-on-a-chip devices, e.g. for filtration or centrifugation separation in general B01D; microapparatus for analysis using electrophoresis G01N27/44791; sample preparation G01N1/28
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 15/00 Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/00 Pumps characterised by combination with, or adaptation to, specific driving engines or motors
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/006 Micropumps F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2250/84 Nanomachines Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating B82Y15/00

Abstract

A self-contained delivery device for delivery a selected volume of stored electrolyte solution at selected time intervals is disclosed. The device includes a housing having a delivery port, a chamber containing an upstream supply reservoir for holding a quantity of electrolyte solution, a downstream delivery reservoir for receiving electrolyte solution from the supply reservoir and, disposed between the two reservoirs, a membrane having a plurality of flow-through channels extending between the two reservoirs. A pair of electrodes placed in the chamber on either side of the membrane and controlled by a controller contained within the housing for pumping selected quantities of the electrolyte solution at selected time intervals. The device includes a chamber, and a membrane disposed in said chamber and having a channel extending between an upstream chamber region, where the said channel has a selected minimum cross-sectional dimension in the range between 2 and 100 nm.

Claims

1. A self-contained delivery device for delivery a selected volume of stored electrolyte solution at selected time intervals, comprising

a housing having a delivery port,

contained within said housing, a chamber containing an upstream supply reservoir for holding a quantity of electrolyte solution, a downstream delivery reservoir for receiving electrolyte solution from the supply reservoir and, disposed between the two reservoirs, a membrane having a plurality of flow-through channels extending between the two reservoirs, where said channels has a minimum cross-sectional dimension between 2 and 100 nm and a net surface charge at the pH of the electrolyte solution,

a pair of electrodes placed in said chamber on either side of said membrane,

a one-way valve connecting the delivery reservoir to the delivery port within said housing, allowing solution to flow out of the delivery port only, and

a controller contained within said housing, including (i) a power source operatively connected to said electrodes for applying across the electrodes, a voltage potential effective to pump electrolyte solution from the supply to delivery reservoir, at a selecting pumping rate, and (ii) a timer for controlling the duration and timing of application of the voltage potential to the electrodes, to pump a selected volume of solution through said membrane, at selected time intervals.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said housing is adapted for implantation at a body site, and said solution contains a therapeutic drug for delivery at said site.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said voltage potential is less than 5 volts.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said channels have a substantially uniform minimum dimension along their lengths.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said channels have a minimum dimension in a selected range between about 2 and 30 nm.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein said timer is designed to apply across said electrodes, a pulsed voltage whose duration is effective to pump a selected volume of supply solution across said membrane.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said membrane is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of silicon, polysilicon, polymers, and titanium.