Method and system for control of osmotic pump device

• US 8,192,390 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2008
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hood, Leroy E., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Jung, Edward K. Y., Langer, Robert, Tegreene, Clarence T., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): MENDEZ, MANUEL A
• Application Number:
  US12/229,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20090018704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 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: 604/19
• 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. A system comprising:

a signal-bearing medium bearing one or more instructions related to controlling an osmotic pump device, the one or more instructions including;

instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal including frequency components absorbable by an electromagnetically responsive control element of a remotely controllable valve, the valve configured to adjust the movement of fluid into or out of the osmotic pump device; and

instructions for remotely transmitting the electromagnetic control signal to the osmotic pump device in an environment with signal characteristics sufficient to produce mechanical, thermal or chemical activation of the electromagnetically responsive control element in the remotely controllable valve of the osmotic pump device to control the pumping rate of the osmotic pump device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal include instructions for calculating the electromagnetic control signal based on a model.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal include instructions for generating the electromagnetic control signal based on a pattern stored in a data storage location.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more instructions include:

instructions for receiving a feedback signal from the environment; and

instructions for generating the electromagnetic control signal based at least in part upon the received feedback signal, the electromagnetic control signal having signal characteristics expected to produce a desired feedback signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more instructions include:

instructions for receiving a feedback signal from the osmotic pump device; and

instructions for generating the electromagnetic control signal based at least in part upon the received feedback signal, the electromagnetic control signal having frequency composition and amplitude expected to produce a desired feedback signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more instructions include:

instructions for receiving user input of one or more control parameters; and

instructions for generating the electromagnetic control signal based at least in part upon the one or more control parameters.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal including frequency components absorbable by an electromagnetically responsive control element of a remotely controllable valve include instructions for generating a radio frequency electromagnetic control signal.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal including frequency components absorbable by an electromagnetically responsive control element of a remotely controllable valve include instructions for generating a microwave frequency electromagnetic control signal.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal including frequency components absorbable by an electromagnetically responsive control element of a remotely controllable valve include instructions for generating an infrared electromagnetic control signal.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal including frequency components absorbable by an electromagnetically responsive control element of a remotely controllable valve include instructions for generating a millimeter wave electromagnetic control signal.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal including frequency components absorbable by an electromagnetically responsive control element of a remotely controllable valve include instructions for generating an optical control signal.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal including frequency components absorbable by an electromagnetically responsive control element of a remotely controllable valve include instructions for generating an ultraviolet control signal.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal including frequency components absorbable by an electromagnetically responsive control element of a remotely controllable valve include instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal including frequency components absorbable by an electromagnetically responsive control element including an expandable gel structure.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal including frequency components absorbable by an electromagnetically responsive control element of a remotely controllable valve include instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal including frequency components absorbable by an electromagnetically responsive control element including a bimetallic structure.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal including frequency components absorbable by an electromagnetically responsive control element of a remotely controllable valve include instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal including frequency components absorbable by an electromagnetically responsive control element including a shape memory metal.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal including frequency components absorbable by an electromagnetically responsive control element of a remotely controllable valve include instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal including frequency components absorbable by an electromagnetically responsive control element including a shape memory polymer.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal including frequency components absorbable by an electromagnetically responsive control element of a remotely controllable valve include instructions for generating an electromagnetic control signal including frequency components absorbable by an electromagnetically responsive control element including a ferroelectric material.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal-bearing medium includes a CD-ROM.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal-bearing medium includes a computer memory.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal-bearing medium includes a transmission medium.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for remotely transmitting the electromagnetic control signal to the osmotic pump device in an environment with signal characteristics sufficient to produce mechanical, thermal or chemical activation of the electromagnetically responsive control element in the remotely controllable valve of the osmotic pump device to control the pumping rate of the osmotic pump device, include instructions for remotely transmitting the electromagnetic control signal with signal characteristics sufficient to produce heating of the electromagnetically responsive control element.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for remotely transmitting the electromagnetic control signal to the osmotic pump device in an environment with signal characteristics sufficient to produce mechanical, thermal or chemical activation of the electromagnetically responsive control element in the remotely controllable valve of the osmotic pump device to control the pumping rate of the osmotic pump device, include instructions for remotely transmitting the electromagnetic control signal with signal characteristics sufficient to produce expansion of the electromagnetically responsive control element.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for remotely transmitting the electromagnetic control signal to the osmotic pump device in an environment with signal characteristics sufficient to produce mechanical, thermal or chemical activation of the electromagnetically responsive control element in the remotely controllable valve of the osmotic pump device to control the pumping rate of the osmotic pump device, include instructions for remotely transmitting the electromagnetic control signal with signal characteristics sufficient to produce change in shape of the electromagnetically responsive control element.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for remotely transmitting the electromagnetic control signal to the osmotic pump device in an environment with signal characteristics sufficient to produce mechanical, thermal or chemical activation of the electromagnetically responsive control element in the remotely controllable valve of the osmotic pump device to control the pumping rate of the osmotic pump device, include instructions for remotely transmitting the electromagnetic control signal with signal characteristics sufficient to produce change in configuration of the electromagnetically responsive control element.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for remotely transmitting the electromagnetic control signal to the osmotic pump device in an environment with signal characteristics sufficient to produce mechanical, thermal or chemical activation of the electromagnetically responsive control element in the remotely controllable valve of the osmotic pump device to control the pumping rate of the osmotic pump device, include instructions for remotely transmitting the electromagnetic control signal with signal amplitude sufficient to produce mechanical, thermal or chemical activation of the electromagnetically responsive control element.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for remotely transmitting the electromagnetic control signal to the osmotic pump device in an environment with signal characteristics sufficient to produce mechanical, thermal or chemical activation of the electromagnetically responsive control element in the remotely controllable valve of the osmotic pump device to control the pumping rate of the osmotic pump device, include instructions for remotely transmitting the electromagnetic control signal with signal waveform sufficient to produce mechanical, thermal or chemical activation of the electromagnetically responsive control element.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for remotely transmitting the electromagnetic control signal to the osmotic pump device in an environment with signal characteristics sufficient to produce mechanical, thermal or chemical activation of the electromagnetically responsive control element in the remotely controllable valve of the osmotic pump device to control the pumping rate of the osmotic pump device, include instructions for remotely transmitting the electromagnetic control signal with signal polarization sufficient to produce mechanical, thermal or chemical activation of the electromagnetically responsive control element.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for remotely transmitting the electromagnetic control signal to the osmotic pump device in an environment with signal characteristics sufficient to produce mechanical, thermal or chemical activation of the electromagnetically responsive control element in the remotely controllable valve of the osmotic pump device to control the pumping rate of the osmotic pump device, include instructions for remotely transmitting the electromagnetic control signal with signal duration sufficient to produce mechanical, thermal or chemical activation of the electromagnetically responsive control element.