Automatic conveyor driven by hydrogels, provided with an adjustable output characteristic for conveying a medium
First Claim
1. An automatic conveyor for conveying a medium, the conveyor having an adjustable output characteristic, wherein by operation of a suitable swelling agent an actuator based on at least one swellable polymer network is activated and triggers an automatic chain of action comprising at least one of (a) a delay time from the user initiating the conveyor to the start of the conveying, (b) a period of time within which the medium is actually conveyed, (c) a characteristic curve during conveying, (d) a volume of medium to be conveyed per unit of time, and (e) a total volume of medium to be conveyed, wherein at least one of the delay time, the period of time, the characteristic curve, the volume and the total volume can be adjusted by the user, and wherein the characteristic curve during conveying is adjustable by selectively arranging one or more of a number of serially arranged selector elements, each of said elements having at least one function bore.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device for the dosed output of a substance, the device involving hydrogel-based osmotic drive, wherein output characteristics of the device, including a time profile, may be adjusted by a user. In some embodiments, the device may be used once and, in other embodiments, it may be used several times.
44 Citations
34 Claims
- 1. An automatic conveyor for conveying a medium, the conveyor having an adjustable output characteristic, wherein by operation of a suitable swelling agent an actuator based on at least one swellable polymer network is activated and triggers an automatic chain of action comprising at least one of (a) a delay time from the user initiating the conveyor to the start of the conveying, (b) a period of time within which the medium is actually conveyed, (c) a characteristic curve during conveying, (d) a volume of medium to be conveyed per unit of time, and (e) a total volume of medium to be conveyed, wherein at least one of the delay time, the period of time, the characteristic curve, the volume and the total volume can be adjusted by the user, and wherein the characteristic curve during conveying is adjustable by selectively arranging one or more of a number of serially arranged selector elements, each of said elements having at least one function bore.
- 15. A delivery device for delivering a substance, the delivery device having an adjustable output, wherein by operation of a suitable swelling agent an actuator triggers an automatic action comprising at least one of (a) a delay time from a user beginning to operate the device to the start of the delivery of the substance, (b) a period of time within which the substance is actually delivered, (c) a characteristic curve during delivery, (d) a volume of substance to be delivered per unit of time, and (e) a total volume of substance to be delivered, wherein at least one of the delay time, the period of time, the characteristic curve, the volume and the total volume can be adjusted by the user, and further comprising a number of serially arranged selector elements, wherein the characteristic curve is adjustable by selectively arranging said selector elements.
Specification