Internal drug dispenser capsule medical device

• US 7,658,736 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: von Alten, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mendez; Manuel A
• Application Number:
  US11/056,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20050147559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• Field of Search: 604/890.1, 604/891.1, 604/892.1, 604 65- 67, 604/131, 128/DIG.12, 128/DIG.13
• US Class Current: 604/890.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/007 Marking tablets or the like apparatus for printing on tablets or the like B41F17/36
• 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: 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 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/1042 Alimentary tract A61M2210/0618 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 9/14 using microscopic probe means , i.e. recording or reproducing by means directly associated with the tip of a microscopic electrical probe as used in Scanning Tunneling Microscopy [STM] or Atomic Force Microscopy [AFM] for inducing physical or electrical perturbations in a recording medium; Record carriers or media specially adapted for such transducing of information marking using electrical current B41M5/20; measuring roughness or irregularity of surfaces G01B7/34; details of scanning-probe microscopes G01Q

Abstract

The present invention provides a swallowable internal drug medical device. The device includes a swallowable capsule. A sensing module is disposed in the capsule. A bioactive substance dispenser is disposed in the capsule. A memory and logic component is disposed in the capsule and in communication with the sensing module and the dispenser.

Claims

1. A method of dispensing a drug comprising:

swallowing an inert capsule into the digestive tract of the body;

sensing, via an on-board sensor of the capsule, at least one biologic condition within the digestive tract;

evaluating, within the capsule, the sensed at least one biologic condition relative to predetermined criteria stored within a memory and logic component in the capsule; and

selectively dispensing, in response to the evaluating of the sensed at least one biologic condition and via initiation exclusively within the capsule, a biologically active agent from the capsule into the digestive tract.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing the at least one biologic condition comprises:

sensing the at least one biologic condition at a first predetermined location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein dispensing a biologically active agent comprises:

dispensing the biologically active agent at the first predetermined location.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein dispensing a biologically active agent comprises:

dispensing the biologically active agent at a second predetermined location within the digestive tract.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating, within the capsule, the sensed at least one biologic condition comprises:

arranging the predetermined criteria to include a profile of biologic conditions regarding the digestive tract.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein dispensing a biologically active agent comprises:

dispensing the agent with at least one of a selectable rate and a selectable bolus volume.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein dispensing a biologically active agent comprises:

dispensing the agent at a predetermined continuously variable rate in which the rate increases as the value of the sensed at least one biologic condition increases and the rate decreases as the value of the sensed at least one biologic condition decreases.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein dispensing a biologically active agent comprises:

dispensing the agent at a predetermined continuously variable rate in which the rate decreases as the value of the sensed at least one biologic condition increases and the rate increases as the value of the sensed at least one biologic condition decreases.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein dispensing a biologically active agent comprises:

dispensing the agent after a predetermined amount of time and upon the sensed at least one biologic condition sustaining a predetermined value for a predetermined amount of time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein dispensing a biologically active agent comprises:

activating a release mechanism permitting selective release of the agent from the capsule.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein dispensing a biologically active agent comprises:

opening a fusible releasable link joining portions of a shell of the capsule to expose the agent from a cavity in the capsule to the digestive tract.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein dispensing a biologically active agent comprises:

releasing a first biologically active agent in a first stage of dispensing via exposure of an outer shell portion of the capsule to a first portion of the digestive tract; and

releasing a second biologically active agent in a second stage of dispensing via a controller that initiates opening an inner shell portion of the capsule within a second portion of the digestive tract.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing the at least one biologic condition comprises at least one of:

sensing the at least one biologic condition via an electrical sensor;

sensing the at least one biologic condition via a biologic condition sensor;

or

sensing the at least one biologic condition via a chemical sensor.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing the at least one biologic condition comprises:

sensing an unexpected digestive tract constituent including at least one of a blood component and a cancer cell.

15. A method of dispensing a drug comprising:

swallowing an inert capsule into the digestive tract of the body;

sensing, via an on-board sensor of the capsule, at least one biologic condition within the digestive tract;

evaluating, within the capsule, the sensed at least one biologic condition relative to a profile of biologic conditions stored within a memory and logic component in the capsule; and

selectively dispensing, via a reclosable portion of the capsule, a biologically active agent from the capsule into the digestive tract based on the evaluating of the sensed at least one biologic condition, wherein the selective dispensing is initiated within the capsule independent of a device external to the capsule.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein selectively dispensing the biologically active agent comprises:

arranging the reclosable portion of the capsule as a reclosable port.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein selectively dispensing the biologically active agent comprises:

releasing the biologically active agent at a static rate in response to the sensed at least one biologic condition.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein selectively dispensing the biologically active agent comprises:

releasing the biologically active agent at a controlled variable rate in response to the sensed at least one biologic condition.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein selectively dispensing the biologically active agent comprises:

successively initiating dispensing of the biologically active agent within the digestive tract and terminating dispensing of the biologically active agent within the digestive tract.