Implantable batteryless device for on-demand and pulsatile insulin administration

Seung Ho Lee,Young Bin Lee,Chun Gwon Park,Byung Hwi Kim,Se-Na Kim,Cheol Lee,Yong-Chan Cho,Young Bin Choy,Young Min Cho

doi:10.1038/ncomms15032

Abstract

Many implantable systems have been designed for long-term, pulsatile delivery of insulin, but the lifetime of these devices is limited by the need for battery replacement and consequent replacement surgery. Here we propose a batteryless, fully implantable insulin pump that can be actuated by a magnetic field. The pump is prepared by simple-assembly of magnets and constituent units and comprises a drug reservoir and actuator equipped with a plunger and barrel, each assembled with a magnet. The plunger moves to noninvasively infuse insulin only when a magnetic field is applied on the exterior surface of the body. Here we show that the dose is easily controlled by varying the number of magnet applications. Also, pump implantation in diabetic rats results in profiles of insulin concentration and decreased blood glucose levels similar to those observed in rats treated with conventional subcutaneous insulin injections.

Highlights

Many implantable systems have been designed for long-term, pulsatile delivery of insulin, but the lifetime of these devices is limited by the need for battery replacement and consequent replacement surgery
Our findings show that after implantation of MDP in diabetic rats, the profiles of plasma insulin concentration and blood glucose levels were similar to those treated with conventional subcutaneous (s.c.) insulin injection
Compared to previous implantable systems for insulin delivery[11,14,26], our MDP is advantageous due to its batteryless operation by infusing insulin based on actuation via a magnetic field

Summary

Introduction

Many implantable systems have been designed for long-term, pulsatile delivery of insulin, but the lifetime of these devices is limited by the need for battery replacement and consequent replacement surgery. After one-time implantation (or injection), such a system must permit pulsatile insulin release to mimic physiological secretion following food intake[5]. This release pattern must be controlled in a patient-driven, on-demand manner from outside the body without invasive multiple skin punctures[6]. The plunger in the actuator moves to release an accurate amount of insulin stored in the reservoir only when a magnetic field is applied outside the body. Our findings show that after implantation of MDP in diabetic rats, the profiles of plasma insulin concentration and blood glucose levels were similar to those treated with conventional subcutaneous (s.c.) insulin injection

Methods

Results

Conclusion