Microchip substance delivery devices having low-power electromechanical release mechanisms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016074323-A1
Application number	US-201414483278-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 11, 2014
Priority date	Sep 11, 2014
Publication date	Mar 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Electromechanical substance delivery devices are provided which implement low-power electromechanical release mechanisms for controlled delivery of substances such as drugs and medication. For example, an electromechanical device includes a substrate having a cavity formed in a surface of the substrate, a membrane disposed on the surface of the substrate covering an opening of the cavity, and a seal disposed between the membrane and the surface of the substrate. The seal surrounds the opening of the cavity, and the seal and membrane are configured to enclose the cavity and retain a substance within the cavity. An electrode structure is configured to locally heat a portion of the membrane in response to a control voltage applied to the electrode structure, and create a stress that causes a rupture in the locally heated portion of the membrane to release the substance from within the cavity.

First claim

We claim:

1 . An electromechanical device, comprising:
a substrate comprising a cavity formed in a surface of the substrate; a membrane disposed on the surface of the substrate covering an opening of the cavity; a seal disposed between the membrane and the surface of the substrate, wherein the seal surrounds the opening of the cavity, and wherein the seal and membrane are configured to enclose the cavity and retain a substance within the cavity; and an electrode structure configured to locally heat a portion of the membrane in response to a control voltage applied to the electrode structure, and create a stress that causes a rupture in the locally heated portion of the membrane to release the substance from within the cavity.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the substance comprises medication.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the locally heated portion of the membrane has a lateral dimension that is less than about two times a thickness of the membrane.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the electrode structure comprises a V-shaped electrode, wherein an apex portion of the V-shaped electrode has a width that is less than a width of a remaining portion of the V-shaped electrode, and wherein the apex portion is configured to provide said localized heating of the portion of the membrane.

5 . The device of claim 4 , wherein the V-shaped electrode is formed with an angle of about 108 degrees to about 120 degrees.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises a plurality of voids formed within the membrane, wherein the plurality of voids are configured to reduce a strength of the locally heated portion of the membrane and facilitate rupturing of the locally heated portion of the membrane.

7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the membrane is formed in a tensile-stressed state, such that a portion of the membrane is configured to peel back away from a ruptured portion of the membrane.

8 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a stress layer disposed on the membrane, wherein the stress layer is configured to apply a tensile stress to the membrane and cause a portion of the membrane to peel back away from a ruptured portion of the membrane.

9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the membrane is formed of an insulating material.

10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the locally heated portion of the membrane comprises a metallic material that is configured to melt due to said localized heating thereof.

11 . An electromechanical device, comprising:
a substrate comprising a cavity formed in a surface of the substrate; a seal disposed on the surface of the substrate surrounding an opening of the cavity; a membrane disposed on the surface of the substrate covering the opening of the cavity, wherein the seal and membrane are configured to enclose the cavity and retain a substance within the cavity; an electrode structure comprising a first contact, a second contact, and a plurality of filaments arranged adjacent to each other, wherein the plurality of filaments are electrically connected in parallel to the first and second contacts of the electrode structure, wherein the filaments are configured to melt in succession in response to a control voltage applied to the first and second contacts, and cause a rupture in a portion of the membrane adjacent to the plurality of filaments to release the substance from within the cavity.

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of filaments include parallel filaments disposed between the first and second contacts, wherein each filament includes a fuse portion that is configured to melt, wherein a centrally disposed one of the filaments has a width that is greater than widths of the other filament structures, and wherein the widths the other filaments disposed on each side of the centrally disposed filament are made successively smaller.

13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the fuse portions of the filaments are arranged along a V-shaped line, wherein a fuse portion of the centrally disposed filament is aligned to an apex of the V-shaped line.

14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein membrane comprises a plurality of voids formed within the membrane along the V-shaped line, wherein the plurality of voids are configured to reduce a strength of the membrane and facilitate rupturing a portion of the membrane adjacent to the fuse portions of the filaments.

15 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of filaments include circular filament structures that are concentrically arranged and connected to the first and second contacts.

16 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the membrane comprises a plurality of voids formed within the membrane along one or more radial lines that radially extend from a center point within an innermost circular filament.

17 . An electromechanical device, comprising:
a substrate comprising a cavity formed in a surface of the substrate; a membrane disposed on the surface of the substrate covering an opening of the cavity, wherein the membrane comprises a plurality of voids formed within the membrane, wherein the plurality of voids are configured to reduce a strength of the portion of the membrane within which the voids are formed; a seal disposed between the membrane and the surface of the substrate, wherein the seal surrounds the opening of the cavity, wherein the seal and membrane are configured to enclose the cavity and retain a substance within the cavity; and an electrode structure configured to thermally expand in response to a control voltage applied to the electrode structure and apply a tensile stress to the portion of the membrane within which the voids are formed and cause a rupture in said portion of the membrane to release the substance from within the cavity.

18 . The device of claim 17 , wherein a portion of the electrode structure comprises a V-shaped electrode, and wherein the plurality of voids are formed within the membrane along a V-shaped line adjacent to an inner edge of the V-shaped electrode.

19 . The device of claim 17 , wherein a portion of the electrode structure comprises a semi-circular electrode, and wherein the plurality of voids are formed within the membrane along a semi-circular line adjacent to an inner edge of the semi-circular electrode.

20 . The device of claim 17 , wherein the membrane is formed in a tensile-stressed state, such that a portion of the membrane is configured to peel back away from a ruptured portion of the membrane.

21 . The device of claim 17 , wherein the membrane comprises an expansion groove to enable stretching of the membrane due to thermal expansion of the electrode structure.

22 . An electromechanical device, comprising:
a substrate comprising a cavity formed in a surface of the substrate; a metallic membrane disposed on the surface of the substrate covering an opening of the cavity; a seal disposed between the metallic membrane and the surface of the substrate, wherein the seal surrounds the opening of the cavity, and wherein the seal and metallic membrane are configured to enclose the cavity and retain a substance within the cavity; and an electrode structure configured to locally heat a portion of the metallic membrane in response to a control voltage applied to the electrode structure, and cause melting of the locally heated portion of the metallic membrane to release the substance from within the cavity.

23 . An electromechanical device, comprising:
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Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Chey S Jay
• Dang Bing
• Knickerbocker John U
• Latzko Kenneth F
• Branquinho Teresa Maria Joana Sofia
• Turlapati Lavanya
• Webb Bucknell C
• Wright Steven L

Classifications

• A61M31/002

  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 title

• A61M5/44

  having means for cooling or heating the devices or media · CPC title

• A61M2202/0007

  introduced into the body · CPC title

• A61M5/14276

  specially adapted for implantation · CPC title

• A61M2205/3303

  Using a biosensor · CPC title