SteadyMed Limited, an Israeli startup, has successfully started work on the PatchPump - a subcutaneous medication delivery button in which the company describes as a “light and inexpensive patch-sized miniature infusion pump.” In layman’s terms, that probably means it is capable of injecting both basal rates and user-initiated boluses of medication when and where necessary without the need to find a vein or anything of that sort. According to SteadyMed, the PatchPump functions by utilizing a “novel solid-state battery cell which gradually expands in a stable manner under electronic control.”
This tiny device that could is made possible largely in part to the ECell within - it merges both the power source and motor (the two major components of disposable pumps) into a single, minuscule device, making it possible to fabricate it into a flat and simple device. Some of the key advantages of using this technology include:
- Rock-steady drug-delivery using non-gassing mechanism
- Self-powered as battery cell expands as it is depleted
- Unaffected by changes in temperature or pressure
- Very low cost
- Lightweight
- No MEMS or other exotic manufacturing technologies required
- The expanding battery cell will be produced on a battery production line
All in all, the PatchPump is said to enable the following:
- Delivery of basal and bolus combinations as required
- A range of drug volumes: 5cc, 3cc, 2cc, 1cc, 0.5cc
- Typical operation time 48 hours to 7 days
- Penetration methods include SubQ, IV and microneedles
- Integration of soft cannula insertion mechanism into the device
- No MEMS or other exotic manufacturing technologies required
- Varying levels of sophistication of electronic controller, from simple and disposable to re-usable and sophisticated
No idea on when the PatchPump will be available on a commercial basis though, but it ought to be an obvious choice for many people who tend to forget when to take their meds.
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