Systems for dispensing a medicament to a subject and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10758673-B2
Application number	US-201615068461-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2016
Priority date	Mar 11, 2016
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to systems and methods of dispensing one or more medicaments to a subject. The systems and methods utilize at least one flexible compression garment having one or more medicament dispensers therein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for dispensing one or more medicaments to a subject, the system comprising:
at least one flexible compression garment configured to be worn by the subject;
at least one medicament dispenser disposed on or in the at least one flexible compression garment, the at least one medicament dispenser including the one or more medicaments therein and one or more actuators configured to selectively deliver the one or more medicaments the subject when the at least one flexible compression garment is worn by the subject;
a controller operably coupled to the one or more actuators, the controller configured to direct the one or more actuators to manage delivery of the one or more medicaments from the at least one medicament dispenser; and
one or more sensors operably coupled to the controller, the one or more sensors being configured to sense physiological data of the subject, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more of an accelerometer, a pedometer, a tension sensor, a pressure sensor, an electromyographical sensor, a mechanomyographic sensor, a kinematic sensor, a kinetic sensor, a pulse sensor, a chemical sensor, an oximeter, an optical sensor, an acoustic sensor, or a temperature sensor;
wherein the controller is configured to direct the one or more actuators to selectively deliver the one or more medicaments to the subject responsive to the sensed physiological data of the subject.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors are located in the at least one flexible compression garment.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is separately located from the at least one flexible compression garment.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect one or more of nerve activity of a body part of the subject, one or more body fluids of the subject, one or more chemicals in a body fluid of the subject, temperature in a body part of the subject, heart rate of the subject, pulse in a body part of the subject, oxygenation of a body part of the subject, acoustic emission from at least one joint or muscle of the subject, or swelling in a body part of the subject.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect one or more of a change in motion of travel of the subject, a load applied to the one or more sensors by a body part of the subject, pressure applied to the one or more sensors by a body part of the subject, tension applied to the one or more sensors by a body part of the subject, torque applied to the one or more sensors by a body part of the subject, velocity of at least a body part of the subject, acceleration of at least a body part of the subject, location of the subject, gait of the subject, or pace at which the subject moves.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect one or more of a load on a body part of the subject, pressure on a body part of the subject, tension on a body part of the subject, location of the subject, distance that the subject has traveled, or temperature of the subject.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors are operably coupled to the controller via a wireless connection.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one flexible compression garment is formed at least partially from at least one of neoprene, nylon, synthetic rubber, or fabric.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one flexible compression garment is substantially tubular and configured to generally conform to at least one body part of the subject.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one body part includes at least a portion of an arm, at least a portion of an elbow, at least a portion of a forearm, at least a portion of a wrist, at least a portion of a hand, at least a portion of a thigh, at least a portion of a knee, at least a portion of a lower leg, at least a portion of an ankle, at least a portion of a foot, at least a portion of a neck, at least a portion of an abdomen, at least a portion of a back, at least a portion of a hip, at least a portion of a gluteus maximus, at least a portion of a waist, or at least a portion of a chest.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one flexible compression garment includes an article of clothing.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more actuators include at least one of one or more electroactive polymer actuators, one or more electroactive metallic actuators, one or more thermally active polymer actuators, one or more motors, one or more hydraulic actuators, one or more plungers, one or more pneumatic actuators, or one or more piezoelectric actuators.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more motors include one or more micro-electro-mechanical motors.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more actuators include a gear system.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more actuators include a constriction actuator positioned and configured to at least one of increase or decrease an interior space of at least a portion of the flexible compression garment.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more actuators include at least one fluid displacement actuator.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one fluid displacement actuator includes one or more piezoelectric actuators, one or more springs, one or more solenoids, one or more magnets, one or more motors, one or more micromotors, or one or more compressed gas actuators.

18. The system of claim 1 , further including a power source operably coupled to at least one of the one or more actuators or the controller.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one medicament dispenser is configured to provide one or more of a topical, a transdermal, or an intramuscular delivery of the one or more medicaments to soft tissue of the subject.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one medicament dispenser includes one or more of a plurality of pores, one or more needles, one or more micro-protrusions, one or more micro-jets, one or more electrodes, one or more energy source, an iontophoretic device, one or more medicament patches, or one or more tubes.

21. The system of claim 1 , wherein,
the at least one medicament dispenser includes at least one reservoir, one or more output apertures, and one or more conduits therebetween; and
the controller is configured to direct the one or more actuators to manage delivery of the one or more medicaments from the at least one reservoir and through the one or more output apertures.

22. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more output apertures are disposed in a region of the at least one flexible compression garment.

23. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one medicament dispenser includes a plurality of micro-protrusions disposed in a region of the at least one flexible garment, the plurality of micro-protrusions configured to transdermally deliver the one or more medicament to a region of the subject adjacent thereto.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein,
the one or more micro-protrusions incorporate the one or more medicaments; and
the controller is configured to direct the one or more actuators to manage delivery of the one or more medicaments by introducing the one or more micro-protrusions into dermal tissue of the subject.

25. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Kare Jordin T
• Mankin Max N
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Pan Tony S
• Petroski Robert C
• Sweeney Elizabeth A
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Touran Nicholas W
• Urzhumov Yaroslav A
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Wood Victoria Y H

Classifications

• A61B7/00 Primary

  Instruments for auscultation · CPC title

• A61F13/00

  Bandages or dressings (radioactive dressings {A61N5/1029}); Absorbent pads · CPC title

• A61M37/0015

  by using microneedles · CPC title

• A61B5/6805

  Vests, e.g. shirts or gowns · CPC title

• A61M5/14

  Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor · CPC title