STTR Phase I: Dendritic Hydrogel Actuators for a Liquid Drug Delivery Patch

这个小型技术转移研究（STTR）第一阶段项目基于Medipacs数字泵平台开发了一种小型、价格合理、重量轻的液体给药贴片。一种安全、系统集成、轻便、坚固的流体泵平台的可用性，可以实现体液化学取样、诊断、随后的化学调整、混合和药物制剂的流体输送，这将为医疗保健提供重大突破，在疼痛管理、静脉注射治疗、药物和流体输送以及胰岛素治疗方面具有重大的商业化潜力。Medipacs将展示低成本、安全的药物输送贴片的可行性，首先针对胰岛素输送，然后是更复杂的药物，使用电活性聚合物（EAP）水凝胶致动器。这些致动器在泵送流体的蠕动过程中起到活塞的作用。本STTR项目要解决的研究问题是：(1)水解不稳定性；(2)驱动的再现性不足；(3)目前正在开发的执行器材料的低响应，以研究Medipacs技术的可行性。研究计划是：(1)将树突大分子作为化学交联剂加入到聚乙二醇（PEG）基EAP水凝胶驱动器中；(2)改变水凝胶中PEG组分的分子量；(3)研究水凝胶的不同交联化学性质。优化后的材料将被小型化成组件，以整合到贴片原型泵中。Medipacs的PACS架构是一种平台技术，将使下一代人工器官和生物反应器成为可能。

This Small Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Phase I project develops a small, affordable, lightweight, Liquid Drug Delivery Patch based on the Medipacs Digital Pump platform. The availability of a safe, system integrated, lightweight, and robust fluid pump platform that enables body fluids chemistry sampling, diagnostics, subsequent chemistry adjustment, mixing, and fluid delivery of pharmacologic agents would provide a significant breakthrough in medical care with significant commercialization potential for military and civilian healthcare in pain management, IV therapy, drug and fluid delivery, and insulin therapy. Medipacs will demonstrate the feasibility of low-cost, safe Drug Delivery Patch targeted first for Insulin delivery, and then for more complex drugs, that uses Electro Active Polymer (EAP) hydrogel actuators. These actuators act as pistons in a peristaltic action to pump fluids. The research problem to be addressed in this STTR project is the (1) hydrolytic instability; (2) insufficient reproducibility of actuation; and (3) low response of actuator materials currently under development to investigate the feasibility of Medipacs technology. The research plan is to (1) incorporate dendritic macromolecules as chemical cross linking agents into the poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based EAP hydrogel actuators; (2) vary the molecular weight of the PEG component of the hydrogel; and (3) investigate different crosslinking chemistry for the hydrogels. Optimized materials will be miniaturized into components for incorporation into a patch prototype pump. The Medipacs PACS architecture is a platform technology that will enable the next generation of artificial organs and bioreactors.