Miniature wireless drug implant to revolutionise medication delivery

21 February 2008

Patients who need regular medication could have it delivered by a microscopic implant controlled by wireless technology, according to research published in the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Nanobiotechnology journal.

The IET publishes 20 internationally renowned research journals. The journals contain both original and review papers relating to all disciplines in electrical, electronics, computing, control and communications technologies. Contributions are received from a worldwide authorship base and subject to exacting peer review.

This new technology, as published, is being researched by the University of Edinburgh who are developing a device that could be permanently implanted into the body and would be capable of delivering daily doses of a drug for up to one year.

The drug release implant is powered and controlled by the patient via a wireless link. The device has a number of micro sealed silicon reservoirs containing the required drug. The system uses an electrochemical reaction to remove a gold cap on the reservoir containing one dose of a drug. Wireless power transfer means there is no need for a battery.

The entire system can be contained in a package only a few millimetres across. This enables it to be implanted into a wide range of locations within the body, such as the vitreous cavity of the eye, where it could release drugs to control chronic diseases such as glaucoma. The device may also have applications in cancer treatment to release chemotherapy drugs close to the site of a tumour.

One of the authors of the research paper, Stewart Smith, Research Fellow in the University of Edinburgh’s Institute of Integrated Micro and Nano Systems, said “A low power, micro-scale drug delivery system such as this could have many potential benefits in the future for delivering medication to a localised area. Being able to develop such technology, which is wireless, will mean that the implants can be created on a minute scale without the need for bulky batteries.”

Robin McGill, IET Chief Executive, said, “Research and development at this level is something which is fundamental to the IET and its members. However, we need to consider the future. Education is the key to creating a well informed technologically aware society and making life-changing research, such as this, possible. “

Dr Bal Dhillon, of NHS Lothian and the Universities of Edinburgh and Heriot Watt, said: “We were looking for a more effective way of delivering drugs directly to the eye. For example in treating macular degeneration, we want to deliver a drug to the very back of the eye. At present we have to inject the drugs every month, a daunting and uncomfortable procedure. The device we have been working on could be implanted into the eye and contain a range of drugs that can be remotely released. As well as being less invasive, better targeting of the drugs will lessen the risks from side effects and make treatment more cost-effective.”

The work has been funded by the Japanese company Senju Pharmaceuticals.

One of the main benefits of the system is that it is releasing a drug in a controlled manner at a required site, which can reduce the negative side affects associated with medication administered orally or by injection into the entire system of the body.

The device also enables a highly concentrated dose of the drug to be delivered to the disease location, which could be damaging to the body if delivered in a traditional form. Further research is being undertaken to upgrade the packaging technology used as well as to increase the density of the drug reservoirs. This will be published in the IET journals in the autumn of this year.

ENDS

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