Osmotic pump with remotely controlled osmotic pressure generation
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An osmotic pump system comprising:
- a body structure configured for placement in an environment;
a delivery reservoir configured to contain a delivery fluid to be delivered into the environment;
an osmotic chamber;
an osmotic pressure-generating material contained within the osmotic chamber, the generation of osmotic pressure by the osmotic pressure-generating material controllable by an electromagnetic field control signal;
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; and
a plurality of interaction sites for the osmotic pressure-generating material within the osmotic chamber, the likelihood of interaction of the osmotic pressure-generating material with the interaction sites controllable by the electromagnetic field control signal, wherein interaction of the osmotic pressure-generating material with the interaction sites causes a change in osmotic pressure within the osmotic chamber.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
263 Citations
26 Claims
-
1. An osmotic pump system comprising:
-
a body structure configured for placement in an environment; a delivery reservoir configured to contain a delivery fluid to be delivered into the environment; an osmotic chamber; an osmotic pressure-generating material contained within the osmotic chamber, the generation of osmotic pressure by the osmotic pressure-generating material controllable by an electromagnetic field control signal; 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; and a plurality of interaction sites for the osmotic pressure-generating material within the osmotic chamber, the likelihood of interaction of the osmotic pressure-generating material with the interaction sites controllable by the electromagnetic field control signal, wherein interaction of the osmotic pressure-generating material with the interaction sites causes a change in osmotic pressure within the osmotic chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
4. An osmotic pump system, comprising:
-
a body structure configured for placement in an environment; a delivery reservoir configured to contain a delivery fluid to be delivered into the environment; an osmotic chamber; an osmotic pressure-generating material contained within the osmotic chamber, the generation of osmotic pressure by the osmotic pressure-generating material controllable by an electromagnetic field control signal; 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; and a secondary material within the osmotic chamber, the secondary material having at least one characteristic modifiable by the electromagnetic field control signal, wherein the concentration of the osmotic pressure-generating material is modifiable by a change in the at least one characteristic of the secondary material.
-
-
5. A remote controller for an osmotic pump device, comprising:
-
an electromagnetic signal generator configured to produce an electromagnetic signal sufficient to activate a remotely activatable control element of an osmotic pump device located in an environment to change a concentration of an osmotic pressure-generating material within an osmotic chamber of the osmotic pump device; an electromagnetic signal transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the electromagnetic signal to the remotely activatable control element; and a signal input adapted for receiving a feedback signal from the osmotic pump device, wherein the electromagnetic signal is produced based at least in part upon the feedback signal sensed from the osmotic pump device. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
6. A remote controller for an osmotic pump device, comprising:
-
an electromagnetic signal generator configured to produce an electromagnetic signal sufficient to activate a remotely activatable control element of an osmotic pump device located in an environment to change a concentration of an osmotic pressure-generating material within an osmotic chamber of the osmotic pump device; an electromagnetic signal transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the electromagnetic signal to the remotely activatable control element; and a signal input adapted for receiving a feedback signal sensed from the environment, wherein the electromagnetic signal is produced based at least in part upon the feedback signal sensed from the environment. - View Dependent Claims (19)
-
-
26. An osmotic pump system comprising:
-
a body structure configured for placement in an environment; a delivery reservoir configured to contain a delivery fluid to be delivered into the environment; an osmotic chamber; an osmotic pressure-generating material contained within the osmotic chamber, the generation of osmotic pressure by the osmotic pressure-generating material controllable by an electromagnetic field control signal; 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 remotely activatable valve element coupled to the delivery reservoir, the remotely activatable valve element responsive to the electromagnetic field control signal to regulate flow of fluid out of delivery reservoir; and 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.
-
Specification