Medical or veterinary digestive tract utilization systems and methods

• US 8,303,573 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2007
• 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: Boyden, Edward S., Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Kare, Jordin T., Langer, Robert, Rivet, Dennis J., Smith, Michael A., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y. H., Leuthardt, Eric C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sirmons, Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bosworth, Kami A
• Application Number:
  US11/998,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20090105694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,804 Days
• Field of Search: 604/175, 604/257, 604/258, 604/516, 604/890.1, 604/891.1, 604/77, 604/79, 604/270, 604/514, 604/910, 424/422, 424/434, 128/897, 128/898, 128/899
• US Class Current: 604/890.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/42 Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the gastrointestinal, the endocrine or the exocrine systems A61B1/00, A61B5/4857, A61B5/486, A61B5/4866, A61B5/4869 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61D 7/00 Devices or methods for introducing solid, liquid, or gaseous remedies or other materials into or onto the bodies of animals for reproduction or fertilisation A61D19/00 ; devices for implanting pellets, radon seeds or the like A61M37/0069
• 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: A61P 29/00 Non-central analgesic, antipyretic or antiinflammatory agents, e.g. antirheumatic agents; Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs [NSAID]
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 31/04 Antibacterial agents

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for implementing or deploying medical or veterinary utility modules (a) operable for mooring at least partly within a digestive tract, (b) small enough to pass through the tract per vias naturales and including a wireless-control component, (c) having one or more attachment protrusions positionable adjacent to a mucous membrane, (d) configured to facilitate redundant modes of attachment, (e) facilitating a “primary” material supply deployable within a stomach for an extended and/or controllable period, (f) moored by one or more adaptable extender modules supported by a subject'"'"'s head or neck, and/or (g) configured to facilitate supporting at least a sensor within a subject'"'"'s body lumen for up to a day or more.

Claims

1. A medical or veterinary system comprising:

at least one module including at least one primary material supply and at least a portion operable to support the at least one primary material supply in an oral cavity directly or indirectly;

one or more conduits operable to guide a first material from the primary material supply and to extend from the at least one module to at least one of a digestive site or respiratory site other than an oral cavity; and

the first material, wherein the first material comprises an active ingredient in a fluid carrier sufficiently viscous to permit continuous dispensation through at least one of the one or more conduits throughout an extended period.

2. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the primary material supply comprises:

at least a first dose of and a second dose of the material.

3. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the primary material supply comprises:

the material, including at least a nutrient.

4. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the primary material supply comprises:

the material, including at least an antimicrobial agent.

5. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the primary material supply comprises:

the material, including at least an anti-inflammatory agent.

6. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the primary material supply comprises:

the material, including at least a fluid in a reservoir having a higher-than-ambient pressure.

7. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the primary material supply comprises:

the material configured for continuous dispensation through at least one of the one or more conduits throughout a period of more than an hour.

8. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the primary material supply comprises:

the material configured for continuous dispensation through at least one of the one or more conduits throughout a period of about a day or more.

9. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the primary material supply comprises:

the material configured for continuous dispensation through at least one of the one or more conduits throughout a period of about a month or more.

10. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the primary material supply comprises:

at least about 10 milligrams of an active ingredient of the material.

11. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the primary material supply comprises:

at least about 10 grams of an active ingredient of the material.

12. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the one or more conduits operable to guide a first material from the primary material supply comprise:

at least one of the one or more conduits, operable to guide at least the material from at least the primary material supply continuously throughout a period of about 4 hours or more.

13. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the one or more conduits operable to guide a first material from the primary material supply comprise:

at least one of the one or more conduits, operable to guide at least the material from at least the primary material supply continuously for more than 4 days.

14. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the one or more conduits operable to guide a first material from the primary material supply comprise:

at least one of the one or more conduits, operable to guide at least the material from at least the primary material supply continuously for more than 4 months.

15. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more secondary supplies operable for dispensing via an esophagus adjacent to the stomach.

16. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more secondary supplies operable for dispensing via an intestine adjacent to the stomach.

17. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more dispensers containing another material and operable for placement within the stomach, at least one of the one or more dispensers having one or more ports operable for releasing at least the another material directly into the stomach.

18. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the primary material supply comprises:

a first dispenser containing the first material, the first material including at least about 100 grams of an active ingredient comprising one or more of an anti-inflammatory agent or an antimicrobial agent.

19. The medical or veterinary system of claim 18, further comprising:

a second dispenser operable for placement within the stomach and for dispensing a second material to a mucous membrane via an esophagus adjacent to the stomach; and

a third dispenser operable for placement within the stomach, the third dispenser having one or more ports operable for releasing at least a third material directly into the stomach.

20. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the primary material supply comprises:

the material, including at least a first dose of and a second dose of the material, including at least about 10 grams of an active ingredient of the material, the active ingredient including at least one of a nutrient, an antimicrobial agent, and an anti-inflammatory agent; and

the material configured for continuous dispensation through at least one of the one or more conduits throughout a period of about a day or more.

21. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the primary material supply comprises:

the material, including a fluid having a higher-than-ambient pressure, the material including at least about 10 milligrams of an active ingredient of the material, the material configured for continuous dispensation through at least one of the one or more conduits throughout a period of about a month or more.

22. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, in which the one or more conduits operable to guide a first material from the primary material supply comprise:

at least one of the one or more conduits, operable to guide at least the material from at least the primary material supply continuously for more than 4 months and at least partway through a digestive tract portion adjacent the stomach.

23. The medical or veterinary system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more dispensers operable to be positioned sublingually to dispense the first material via at least one of the one or more conduits operable to guide the first material from the primary material supply.