Loading…

Batteryless implantable device with built-in mechanical clock for automated and precisely timed drug administration

Adherence to medication plays a crucial role in the effective management of chronic diseases. However, patients often miss their scheduled drug administrations, resulting in suboptimal disease control. Therefore, we propose an implantable device enabled with automated and precisely timed drug admini...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2023-12, Vol.120 (51), p.e2315824120
Main Authors: Kim, Min Ji, Kim, Cho Rim, Park, Chan Soon, Kang, Hyejeong, Cho, Ye Seul, Yeom, Da-Hae, Kim, Myoung Ju, Han, Jae Hoon, Ji, Han Bi, Cho, Yong Chan, Min, Chang Hee, Kim, Do Yeon, Lee, Ji Won, Lee, Cheol, Lee, Seung-Pyo, Choy, Young Bin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Adherence to medication plays a crucial role in the effective management of chronic diseases. However, patients often miss their scheduled drug administrations, resulting in suboptimal disease control. Therefore, we propose an implantable device enabled with automated and precisely timed drug administration. Our device incorporates a built-in mechanical clock movement to utilize a clockwork mechanism, i.e., a periodic turn of the hour axis, enabling automatic drug infusion at precise 12-h intervals. The actuation principle relies on the sophisticated design of the device, where the rotational movement of the hour axis is converted into potential mechanical energy and is abruptly released at the exact moment for drug administration. The clock movement can be charged either automatically by mechanical agitations or manually by winding the crown, while the device remains implanted, thereby enabling the device to be used permanently without the need for batteries. When tested using metoprolol, an antihypertensive drug, in a spontaneously hypertensive animal model, the implanted device can deliver drug automatically at precise 12-h intervals without the need for further attention, leading to similarly effective blood pressure control and ultimately, prevention of ventricular hypertrophy as compared with scheduled drug administrations. These findings suggest that our device is a promising alternative to conventional methods for complex drug administration.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.2315824120