Delivery Device Including Reactive Material For Programmable Discrete Delivery Of A Substance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017119960-A1
Application number	US-201514928508-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Oct 30, 2015
Publication date	May 4, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A digital biomedical device includes a substrate forming a cavity, a seal formed around the cavity, a lid coupled to the substrate by the seal, a reactive metal structure comprising a plurality of metal layers, wherein the reactive metal structure is a component of at least one of the substrate and the lid, a metal trace configured to initiate a self-propagating reaction between the plurality of metal layers of the reactive metal structure and release contents of the cavity, and a power supply configured to apply an electric current to the metal trace

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A digital biomedical device comprising:
a substrate forming a cavity; a seal formed around the cavity; a lid coupled to the substrate by the seal; a reactive metal structure comprising a plurality of metal layers, wherein the reactive metal structure is a component of at least one of the substrate and the lid; a metal trace configured to initiate a self-propagating reaction between the plurality of metal layers of the reactive metal structure and release contents of the cavity; and a power supply configured to apply an electric current to the metal trace.

2 . The digital biomedical device of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of each of the plurality of metal layers is between about 5 nanometers and about 50 nanometers.

3 . The digital biomedical device of claim 1 , wherein the reactive metal structure comprises a first layer of aluminum (Al) and a second layer of palladium (Pd).

4 . The digital biomedical device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the lid comprises the reactive metal structure.

5 . The digital biomedical device of claim 1 , wherein the metal trace is a heater electrode.

6 . The digital biomedical device of claim 1 , wherein the self-propagating reaction of the reactive metal structure is initiated by passing electrical current through the reactive metal structure via the metal trace.

7 . The digital biomedical device of claim 1 , wherein the reactive metal structure is configured to fracture upon the application of the electric current to the metal trace.

8 . The digital biomedical device of claim 1 , wherein the reactive metal structure is configured to compromise the seal upon the application of the electric current to the metal trace.

9 . The digital biomedical device of claim 1 , wherein the lid is a composite structure containing at least a portion of the reactive metal structure and a non-reactive support structure, and wherein the reactive metal structure is a sacrificial material, removed during the self-propagating reaction.

10 . The digital biomedical device of claim 9 , wherein the composite structure is configured to become a porous structure upon the application of the electric current to the metal trace.

11 . The digital biomedical device of claim 9 , wherein a baffle structure is disposed outside the composite structure, and is configured to block the reactive metal material from exiting the digital biomedical device.

12 . The digital biomedical device of claim 1 , wherein the membrane is mechanically stressed and configured to peel upon the application of the electric current to the metal trace.

13 . The digital biomedical device of claim 1 , wherein the reactive metal structure is disposed on the substrate, adjacent to the seal.

14 . The digital biomedical device of claim 13 , wherein the self-propagating reaction is initiated by a heater electrode.

15 . The digital biomedical device of claim 13 , wherein the self-propagating reaction is initiated by passing the electrical current through the reactive metal structure via the metal trace.

16 . The digital biomedical device of claim 1 , wherein the reactive metal structure is configured to melt upon initiation of the self-propagating reaction.

17 . The digital biomedical device of claim 13 , wherein the reactive metal structure is configured to compromise the seal upon initiation of the self-propagating reaction.

18 . A method of activating a digital biomedical device comprising a substrate forming a cavity, a seal formed around the cavity, and a lid coupled to the substrate by the seal, the method comprising:
initialing a self-propagating reaction in a reactive metal structure by applying an electric current to the reactive metal structure comprising a plurality of metal layers, wherein the reactive metal structure is a component of at least one of the substrate and the lid; and exposing contents of the cavity to an exterior of the digital biomedical device upon the self-propagating reaction of the reactive metal structure.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein exposing the contents includes releasing at least a portion of the lid from the substrate.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein exposing the contents includes forming openings in a portion of the lid formed of the reactive metal structure.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Dang Bing
• Fritz Gregory M
• Lewandowski Eric P
• Maria Joana S B T
• Webb Bucknell C
• Wright Steven L

Classifications

• A61M5/14

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

• A61M2205/0277

  Chemo-active materials · CPC title

• A61M2205/0244

  Micromachined materials, e.g. made from silicon wafers, microelectromechanical systems [MEMS] or comprising nanotechnology · CPC title

• A61M2205/04

  implanted · CPC title

• A61M5/14276 Primary

  specially adapted for implantation · CPC title