| WARF: P04240US |  |
| Microfluidic Device for Drug Delivery |
| INVENTORS | • | David Beebe, Michael MacDonald, David Eddington, Glennys Mensing |
OVERVIEW
Oral ingestion of pharmaceuticals is considered the safest, most convenient,
and most economical method of administering drugs. However, many pharmaceuticals
cannot be delivered orally because they are too large or too electrically
charged to pass through the small intestine into the bloodstream, or because
they are unable to withstand the environment of the digestive tract. As an
alternative to oral administration, this invention provides a microfluidic
device for delivering a steady infusion of a drug through the skin. The
device may take the form of a thin, transcutaneous patch
that can be worn for extended periods of time. The device includes a
reservoir for storing the drug, and a valve that connects the reservoir to an
output needle inserted into the patient’s skin. A pressure source causes the
drug to flow from the reservoir to the needle. The key advantage of this
design is that the valve can move between the open and closed positions in
response to a predetermined condition in the patient’s physiological fluids,
providing autonomous control of drug flow.
KEY BENEFITS
- Delivers a steady infusion of pharmaceuticals to a patient as needed
- Delivery is autonomously controlled
- Allows closed loop regulation based on physiological signals
- Neither under-medicates nor over-medicates the individual
- Simple to use
- Inexpensive to manufacture
- Useful in the treatment of diseases such as diabetes
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Intellectual Property Status
Tech Fields
Medical Devices - Drug delivery
Micro & Nanotech - Microfluidics
CONTACT INFORMATION
For current licensing status, please contact our team at
licensing@warf.org
or phone 608.262.4924. (Clicking this link will open a contact form in a popup window. If you have problems viewing the form, try disabling your popup blocker software.)
Since its founding in 1925 as the patenting and licensing organization for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, WARF has been working with business and industry to transform university research into products that benefit society. WARF intellectual property managers and licensing staff members are leaders in the field of university-based technology transfer. They are familiar with the intricacies of patenting, have worked with researchers in relevant disciplines, understand industries and markets, and have negotiated innovative licensing strategies to meet the individual needs of business clients.
