Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Assignees
Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc
Member
DraperDraper is an independent nonprofit engineering innovation company with a legacy spanning over 90 years, dedicated to delivering transformative solutions for national security, prosperity, and global challenges. Renowned for its pioneering work in guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) systems, Draper partners with government, industry, and academia to engineer advanced technologies in space, defense, biotechnology, and electronic systems. The company leverages multidisciplinary expertise, digital engineering, and a collaborative approach to provide field-ready prototypes, mission-critical systems, and innovative research. Draper’s mission is to ensure the nation's security and prosperity by delivering sustainable, cutting-edge solutions that address the toughest problems of today and tomorrow, while fostering an inclusive and diverse workforce. Draper also invests in the next generation of innovators through robust educational programs, including internships, co-ops, and the Draper Scholars Program, integrating academic research with real-world problem-solving.
Draper is an independent nonprofit engineering innovation company with a legacy spanning over 90 years, dedicated to delivering transformative solutions for national security, prosperity, and global challenges. Renowned for its pioneering work in guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) systems, Draper partners with government, industry, and academia to engineer advanced technologies in space, defense, biotechnology, and electronic systems. The company leverages multidisciplinary expertise, digital engineering, and a collaborative approach to provide field-ready prototypes, mission-critical systems, and innovative research. Draper’s mission is to ensure the nation's security and prosperity by delivering sustainable, cutting-edge solutions that address the toughest problems of today and tomorrow, while fostering an inclusive and diverse workforce. Draper also invests in the next generation of innovators through robust educational programs, including internships, co-ops, and the Draper Scholars Program, integrating academic research with real-world problem-solving.
Publication Number
US-12296126-B2
Publication Date
2025-05-13
Expiration Date
Abstract
The present disclosure describes a system for the delivery of therapeutic substances to the cavities of a patient. The system can include a wearable micropump that is fluidically coupled with a handpiece. The handpiece can be inserted, for example, into the middle ear via a surgical tympanotomy approach. The system can enable a controlled injection of a therapeutic substance directly into the patient's cavity.
Core Innovation
The present disclosure describes a system for the delivery of therapeutic substances to the cavities of a patient that includes a wearable micropump fluidically coupled with a handpiece. The handpiece can be inserted, for example, into the middle ear via a surgical tympanotomy approach, and the system can enable a controlled injection of a therapeutic substance directly into the patient's cavity.
Delivery of therapeutics to the human inner ear can be challenging because relying on diffusion across the round and oval window membranes can introduce a lack of precision in dose delivery, limit the size and characteristics of therapeutic substances, and be affected by variable membrane permeability. The handpiece of the present disclosure can overcome these challenges by delivering a therapeutic substance directly to the inner ear using a wearable micropump that is configured to flow fluid from a reservoir through tubing and a microfluidic channel to an outlet projected into a patient's cavity.
Claims Coverage
One independent claim is identified and five main inventive features are extracted from that claim.
Fluidic coupling between wearable micropump and handpiece
establishing a fluidic coupling between a wearable micropump and a handpiece tool via a tubing connected between a port of the wearable micropump and an end of a shaft of the handpiece tool having a microfluidic channel
Wearable micropump with reservoir and pump
wearing, by a wearer, the wearable micropump comprising a reservoir configured to hold a fluid and a pump configured to flow the fluid from the reservoir through the port
Insertion of handpiece tip into patient cavity
inserting, by the wearer, a tip of the shaft of the handpiece tool into a cavity of a patient
Stabilizer operation coupled with housing
operating a stabilizer comprising at least one of an accelerometer or a gyroscope, the stabilizer coupled with the housing
Delivery of fluid through microfluidic channel to cavity while worn
delivering, via the wearable micropump responsive to the pump and while being worn by the wearer, fluid from the reservoir through the tubing through the microfluidic channel of the handpiece tool through an outlet of the tip of the handpiece tool to the cavity of the patient
The independent claim covers a wearable micropump and handpiece system comprising fluidic coupling via tubing, a reservoir-and-pump wearable unit, a handpiece tip inserted into a patient cavity, a housing-coupled stabilizer, and delivery of fluid through a microfluidic channel to the cavity while the micropump is worn.
Stated Advantages
Improves precision of drug penetration and drug diffusion by bringing the micropump close to the point of insertion.
Reduces dead volume between the pump and the handpiece and reduces fluid resistance along the injection path.
Decreases chance of failure by enabling operation under lower pressure due to reduced fluid resistance.
Enables higher control and ergonomic use of the handpiece compared to a handpiece with a built-in pump, and leaves the user's hands free during injection.
Enables direct delivery of a precise amount of therapeutic substance to the inner ear and is not subject to limitations on molecule size or inconsistent diffusion rates across membranes.
Documented Applications
Delivery of drugs to the inner ear (cochlea) via direct injection through the round window membrane.
Injection of drugs into an ocular cavity, including delivery into the vitreous cavity.
Delivery of drugs into a spinal cavity, including the epidural space via interlaminar, caudal, or transforaminal approaches.
Injection of fluids into a rectal cavity to reach the rectal mucosa and nearby pathological tissue.
Injection of drugs into the nasal cavity, including into the bilateral maxillary sinus near the olfactory epithelium.
Injection of fluids into the vaginal or cervix cavity to deliver fluids adjacent to cancerous tissue before or after resection.
Delivery to other natural cavities including oral cavity, anal cavity, and urinary cavity.
Interested in licensing this patent?