Method and system for control of osmotic pump device

• US 7,896,868 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2008
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Wood, Victoria Y. H., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Hood, Leroy E., Tegreene, Clarence T., Langer, Robert, Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Jung, Edward K. Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mendez; Manuel A
• Application Number:
  US12/229,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20090024114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 604/890.1, 604/891.1, 604/892.1, 604 65- 67, 604131-133, 128/DIG.12, 128/DIG.13
• US Class Current: 604/892.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0004 Osmotic delivery systems; Sustained release driven by osmosis, thermal energy or gas
• 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 9/0024 Solid, semi-solid or solidifying implants, which are implanted or injected in body tissue compositions for intravenous administration, normal injectable solutions or dispersions for, e.g. subcutaneous administration A61K9/0019; brain implants A61K9/0085; (coated) prostheses, catheters or stents A61L
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14513 with secondary fluid driving or regulating the infusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0266 Shape memory materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0288 Electro-rheological or magneto-rheological materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/36 related to heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/145 using pressurised reservoirs, e.g. pressurised by means of pistons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00

Abstract

Embodiments of a system including a remotely controlled osmotic pump device and associated controller are described. Methods of use and control of the device are also disclosed. According to some embodiments, an osmotic pump device is placed in an environment in order to pump a material into the environment or into an additional fluid handling structure within the osmotic pump device. Exemplary environments include a body of an organism, a body of water, or an enclosed volume of a fluid. In selected embodiments, a magnetic field, an electric field, or electromagnetic control signal may be used.

Claims

1. An osmotic pump system comprising:

a delivery reservoir capable of containing a delivery fluid;

an osmotic chamber;

an osmotic pressure-generating material contained within the osmotic chamber;

a pressure-responsive movable barrier separating the osmotic chamber from the delivery reservoir, the pressure-responsive barrier being substantially impermeable to the osmotic pressure-generating material and configured to move in response to a change in pressure in the osmotic chamber to produce a change in at least one of pressure or volume in the delivery reservoir;

a semi-permeable membrane separating the osmotic chamber from an osmotic fluid source, the semi-permeable membrane being substantially permeable by fluid from the osmotic fluid source but substantially impermeable to the osmotic pressure-generating material;

at least one remotely controllable valve configured to regulate the pumping of the delivery fluid from the delivery reservoir responsive to a time-varying electromagnetic field control signal; and

a fluid-handling structure located downstream of the delivery reservoir and configured to receive the delivery fluid from the delivery reservoir.

2. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controllable valve is located between the osmotic fluid source and the osmotic chamber to regulate the flow of osmotic fluid into the osmotic chamber.

3. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controllable valve is located downstream of the delivery reservoir to regulate the flow of delivery fluid out of the delivery reservoir and into the downstream fluid-handling structure.

4. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the downstream fluid-handling structure includes a chamber.

5. The osmotic pump system of claim 4, wherein the chamber is a reaction chamber.

6. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the downstream fluid-handling structure includes a channel.

7. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controllable valve includes a bimetallic structure.

8. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controllable valve includes a shape memory material.

9. The osmotic pump system of claim 8, wherein the shape memory material is a shape memory metal.

10. The osmotic pump system of claim 8, wherein the shape memory material is a shape memory polymer.

11. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controllable valve includes an expandable gel structure.

12. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controllable valve includes a ferroelectric material.

13. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controllable valve includes a composite structure.

14. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controllable valve is responsive to a time-varying radio frequency electromagnetic field control signal.

15. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controllable valve is responsive to a time-varying microwave frequency electromagnetic field control signal.

16. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controllable valve is responsive to a time-varying infrared electromagnetic field control signal.

17. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controllable valve is responsive to a time-varying millimeter wave electromagnetic field control signal.

18. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controllable valve is responsive to a time-varying optical control signal.

19. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controllable valve is responsive to a time-varying ultraviolet control signal.

20. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controllable valve is responsive to the time-varying electromagnetic control signal by heating.

21. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controllable valve is responsive to the time-varying electromagnetic control signal by a change in shape.

22. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controllable valve is responsive to the time-varying electromagnetic control signal by a change in dimension.

23. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controllable valve is responsive to the time-varying electromagnetic control signal by a change in configuration.

24. The osmotic pump system of claim 1, wherein the remotely controllable valve is responsive to a time-varying electromagnetic control signal by a change in volume.