Drug Delivery Capsules with external intelligence
A system for administering a medicament includes a plurality of capsules, a capsule dispenser, and a capsule activator. Each of the capsules includes a reservoir containing a medicament and an outlet in communication with the reservoir through which the medicament exits the capsule. The capsule dispenser releasably contains the ingestible capsules and is adapted to dispense the capsules to a user in accordance with a predetermined schedule. The capsule activator activates the dispensed capsules prior to administration to the user.
1. A system for administering a medicament comprising:
a plurality of capsules, each capsule comprising:
a reservoir containing a medicament, and an outlet through which the medicament is released from the reservoir,
a switch selectively activatable to change the capsule between a passive state and an active state,
each capsule being configurable in the active state in which a triggering event results in release of the medicament from the reservoir and the passive state in which the triggering event does not result in release of the medicament from the reservoir; and
a capsule dispenser comprising:
a receptacle releasably containing the plurality of capsules each of the plurality of capsules being in the passive state in the receptacle,
a capsule activator configured to activate the switch of the capsule by changing the capsule from the passive state to the active state, and an access opening through which the user accesses at least one of the plurality of capsules, wherein the at least one of the plurality of capsules is activated by the capsule activator prior to the capsule being placed at the access opening or while located at the access opening.
2. The system of claim 1 , each of the plurality of capsules further comprising an actuator for expelling the medicament through the outlet.
3. The system of claim 2 , each of the plurality of capsules further comprising a power source.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the capsule activator comprises a charger for charging the power source.
5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the actuator comprises a spring.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the spring is maintained in a compressed state until the triggering event and moves to an extended position after the triggering event to release the medicament.
7. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a destructible filament maintaining the spring in the compressed state prior to the triggering event.
8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the triggering event comprises at least one of a sensed condition at the capsule or expiration of a predetermined time period.
9. The system of claim 2 , wherein the actuator is a
movable covering disposed over the outlet until the triggering event, at which time the covering is removed from the outlet.
10. The system of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of capsules further comprises an actuator control switch for activating the actuator after detecting the triggering event.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the actuator control switch comprises a fixed electrode and a flexible electrode movable relative to the fixed electrode.
12. The system of claim 2 , wherein the actuator expels the medicament through the outlet after the triggering event.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the triggering event is at least one of a sensed condition at the capsule, a change in state of the capsule, expiration of a predetermined time period, and activation of a switch.
14. The system of claim 1 , each of the plurality of capsules further comprising a sensor for sensing a condition in the user.
15. The system of claim 1 , the capsule dispenser and the capsule activator being integrated into a single unit.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the capsule activator comprises an activation port positioned to receive a dispensed capsule and adapted to activate the capsule.
17. The system of claim 1 , the capsule dispenser comprising a controller programmed to dispense capsules according to a dosing schedule.
18. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a transmitter in the capsule for transmitting information to an external unit.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the transmitted information is measured by a sensor at the capsule.
20. A method of administering a medicament to a subject, comprising:
storing a plurality of capsules in a storage unit in a passive state, each of the capsules including a reservoir containing the medicament and an outlet through which the medicament is released from the reservoir, each of the capsules comprising a switch selectively activatable to change the capsule between the passive state and an active state, and each capsule being configurable in the active state in which a triggering event results in release of the medicament from the reservoir and the passive state in which the triggering event does not result in release of the medicament from the reservoir;
activating a first capsule by changing the first capsule from the passive state to the active state by activating the switch, and
placing the activated first capsule at an access opening of the storage unit.
21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising triggering release of the medicament.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the triggering comprises sensing a condition at the first capsule.
23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the triggering comprises expiration of a predetermined time period.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the predetermined time period commences at one of activating the first capsule or administering the first capsule to the user.
25. The method of claim 20 , further comprising dispensing the medicament according to a dosing schedule.
26. The method of claim 20 wherein the activating the first capsule step-comprises charging a power source on the first capsule.
27. The method of claim 20 further comprising monitoring release of the medicament from the capsule.