SBIR Phase I: Wirelessly Operated Implantable Micropump for On-demand Drug Administration in Laboratory Animals

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的重点是一种遥控植入式药物输液泵的技术可行性，该泵被小型化到标准药丸的形状。技术挑战包括开发低功率电感驱动泵致动器，将10倍泵小型化到前所未有的小尺寸，用于微创植入，以及实现对大量植入泵的远程可编程控制。其研究策略和竞争优势在于基于新型微技术的泵部件和无线感应电源与控制技术的创新。具有外部硬件/软件控制器模块的远程控制植入式输液泵系统的成功演示将启用新的给药方案，为急性和慢性研究提供更可重复的精确的临时控制给药，并使药物治疗的新方法成为可能。按照可编程的药物方案进行远程控制给药将大大简化和加快实验研究。这些新型泵也可以适应或扩大规模来治疗人类疾病，特别是对于目前商业泵无法提供的高级药物方案。该项目的广泛影响/商业潜力将通过改善科学和药物发现的结果来独特地促进药物开发，从而降低开发过程早期的成本。该系统包括几项重要的首次上市能力，包括在自然环境中自由移动、不拴绳的动物中进行慢性给药研究，以及通过自动化一次对许多新药进行快速评估。重要的是，泵系统使研究能够以一种有助于将治疗方法从动物转化为人类的方式进行。我们的技术将首先用于满足临床前制药、医疗和动物研究市场的关键需求，其次是兽医市场的动物护理提供者。长期目标是将这项技术应用于临床使用的植入式药物输注，这是一个快速增长的市场，预计到2013年将达到160亿美元。这套软件和硬件技术适用于多个市场，并有可能影响多个领域的医疗保健。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project focuses on technical feasibility of a remotely-controlled implantable drug infusion pump miniaturized to a standard pill form factor. Technical challenges include the development of a low-power inductively-powered pump actuator, ten-fold pump miniaturization to an unprecedented small form factor for minimally invasive implantation, and implementation of remote programmable control of a large number of implanted pumps. The research strategy and competitive edge lies in the innovation of novel microtechnology-based pump components and wireless inductive power and control technologies. Successful demonstration of the remotely-controlled implantable infusion pump system with external hardware/software controller modules will enable new dosing schemes, provide precise temporally controlled dosing for more reproducible results from acute and chronic studies, and enable new approaches to drug therapy that would not otherwise be possible. Remotely-controlled dosing following a programmable drug regimen would dramatically simplify and expedite experimental studies. These novel pumps can also be adapted or scaled up to treat human disease, especially for advanced drug regimens not available with current commercial pumps.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will uniquely facilitate drug development by improving outcomes in scientific and drug discovery, thereby reducing costs early in the development process. The system includes several significant first-to-market capabilities including chronic dosing studies in freely-moving, tether-free animals in naturalistic environments and rapid evaluation of many new drugs at once which are enabled by automation. Importantly, the pump system enables studies that are performed in a manner that will facilitate translation of therapies from animal to human. Our technology will first be deployed to meet critical needs of preclinical pharmaceutical, medical and animal research markets followed by animal care providers in the veterinary market. The long term goal is to apply this technology to implantable drug infusion for clinical use, a rapidly growing market estimated to reach $16B by 2013. The suite of software and hardware technologies is applicable to multiple markets and has the potential to impact healthcare in multiple areas.