Ingestible, electrical device for oral delivery of a substance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016263016-A1
Application number	US-201415031418-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 23, 2014
Priority date	Oct 24, 2013
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one aspect, an ingestible, electrical device, comprises a substrate comprising a reservoir that is configured to hold one or more substances; a first film covering the reservoir, wherein the first film is at least partially metallic; a charge storage system connected to the first film, the charge storage system configured to deliver a transient electrochemical potential to the first film; wherein the first film is configured to prevent exposure of the substance to an aqueous environment in an organism, while the charge storage system delivers the transient electrochemical potential to the first film; and wherein the first film is configured for dissolution to expose the one or more substances to the aqueous environment in the organism, after the charge storage system stops delivering the transient electrochemical potential to the first film.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An ingestible, electrical device, comprising:
a substrate comprising a reservoir that is configured to hold one or more substances; a first film covering the reservoir, wherein the first film is at least partially metallic; a charge storage system connected to the first film, the charge storage system configured to deliver a transient electrochemical potential to the first film; wherein the first film is configured to prevent exposure of the substance to an aqueous environment in an organism, while the charge storage system delivers the transient electrochemical potential to the first film; and wherein the first film is configured for dissolution to expose the one or more substances to the aqueous environment in the organism, after the charge storage system stops delivering the transient electrochemical potential to the first film.

2 . The ingestible, electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a bioexcretable copolymer.

3 . The ingestible, electrical device of claim 2 , wherein the bioexcretable copolymer comprises at least one of polyester, polyanhydride, polyamide, polyether, polyphosphoester, polyorthoester, poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG).

4 . The ingestible, electrical device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second film serving as a counter electrode to the first film, wherein the second film is at least partially metallic, wherein each of the first film and the second film comprises at least one of iron, copper, gold, silver, or manganese, and wherein the first film dissolves at an increased rate, relative to a rate of dissolution of the second film.

5 . The ingestible, electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the first film prevents exposure of the substance to the aqueous environment for an amount of time that is based on a thickness of the first film and an amount of charge stored in the charge storage device.

6 . The ingestible, electrical device of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the first film is less than 150 microns.

7 . The ingestible, electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the charge storage system is configured to deliver the transient electrochemical potential in reverse bias to the first film.

8 . The ingestible, electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the charge storage system is configured to deliver the transient electrochemical potential to the first film for a predetermined amount of time based on an amount of charge stored in the charge storage system.

9 . The ingestible, electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the first film is configured for dissolution to expose the substance to the aqueous environment in the organism in a bolus release manner.

10 . The ingestible, electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the charge storage system comprises a water-activated battery comprising one or more non-toxic biocompatible materials.

11 . The ingestible, electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the charge storage system comprises a capacitor comprising one or more non-toxic biocompatible materials.

12 . The ingestible, electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the charge storage system is configured to deliver a transient electrochemical potential greater than 0.5 volts to the first film for at least two hours.

13 . The ingestible, electrical device of claim 1 , wherein:
the substrate comprises another reservoir configured to hold one or more additional substances; a second film substantially covers the other reservoir; the second film is configured to prevent exposure of the one or more additional substances to the aqueous environment in the organism, while the charge storage system delivers the transient electrochemical potential to the first film and the second film; and the second film is configured for dissolution to expose the other substance to the aqueous environment in the organism, after the charge storage system stops delivering the transient electrochemical potential to the first film and the second film.

14 . The ingestible, electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the charge storage system is connected to the first film using a physical connection.

15 . A method performed by an ingestible, electrical device that comprises a reservoir for holding a substance, the method comprising:
activating, based on exposure to an aqueous environment in an organism, a charge storage system of the ingestible, electrical device, the charge storage system being connected to a first film in the ingestible, electrical device, with the reservoir being covered by the first film, wherein the first film is at least partially metallic; following activation of the charge storage system, delivering a transient electrochemical potential from the charge storage system to the first film; while delivering the transient electrochemical potential from the charge storage system to the first film,
preventing dissolution of the first film and exposure of the substance to the aqueous environment in the organism;
ceasing to deliver the transient electrochemical potential from the charge storage system to the first film after a predetermined time; and following a cease in delivery of the transient electrochemical potential from the charge storage system to the first film, allowing the first film for dissolution to expose the substance to the aqueous environment in the organism.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein a substrate comprises the reservoir, wherein the substrate comprises a bioexcretable copolymer.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the bioexcretable copolymer comprises at least one of polyester, polyanhydride, polyamide, polyether, polyphosphoester, polyorthoester, poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG).

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the charge storage system of the ingestible, electrical device is connected to a second film in the ingestible, electrical device that serves as a counter electrode to the first film, wherein the second film is at least partially metallic,
wherein each of the first film and the second film comprises at least one of iron, copper, gold, silver, or manganese, and wherein the first film dissolves at an increased rate, relative to a rate of dissolution of the second film.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first film prevents exposure of the substance to the aqueous environment for a specified amount of time that is based on a thickness of the first film and an amount of charge stored in the charge storage device.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein a thickness of the first film is less than 150 microns.

21 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the transient electrochemical potential is delivered in reverse bias to the first film.

22 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the predetermined amount of time corresponds to an amount of charge stored in the charge storage system.

23 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first film is configured for dissolution to expose the substance to the aqueous environment in the organism in a bolus release manner.

24 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the charge storage system comprises a water-activated battery comprising one or more non-toxic biocompatible materials.

25 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the charge storage system comprises a capacitor comprising one or more non-toxic biocompatible materials.

26 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the transient electroc

Assignees

• Univ Carnegie Mellon

Inventors

• Bettinger Christopher J

Classifications

• H01M6/04

  Cells with aqueous electrolyte · CPC title

• H01G9/14

  Structural combinations {or circuits} for modifying, or compensating for, electric characteristics of electrolytic capacitors · CPC title

• A61K9/5031

  obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds, e.g. polyethylene glycol, poly(lactide-co-glycolide) · CPC title

• H01M6/32

  activated through external addition of electrolyte or of electrolyte components · CPC title

• A61K35/74

  Bacteria (therapeutic use of a bacterial protein A61K38/00) · CPC title