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Controlled release micropump for insulin administration

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Abstract

A novel controlled release micropump has been developed for the administration of insulin at both basal and postprandial delivery rates. Transport through a hydrophilic polyurethane foam (Hypol) provides the basal delivery, while repeated compression of the foam by the core of a solenoid augments the delivery as needed. The pump contains only one moving part, and is without any valves. It consumes power only during the postprandial delivery phase, which is a small fraction of the total delivery. Using both amaranth and insulin, the effects of pressure drop, foam length, and power input on the performance of the pump were evaluated. Although the degree of augmentation increased with decreasing basal delivery rate suggesting a stroke volume independent of basal rate, calculations based on a simple model showed that the stroke volume increased with increasing basal rate. The successful development of this delivery system will enable biomedical investigators to evaluate the relationship between metabolic regulation of glucose level and the genesis of diabetic sequelae and to assess the value of this pump in a new form of insulin therapy.

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Abbreviations

A:

membrane area

Cf :

feed concentration

C, Ct :

concentration in downstream reservoir at time t

Co :

concentration in downstream reservoir at t=0

f:

frequency of compression

K:

Darcy's law permeability

L:

membrane length or thickness

ΔP:

pressure difference across membrane

Q:

volumetric delivery rate

Qo :

basal delivery rate

R:

solenoid coil resistance

t:

time

Vs :

stroke volume

Vo :

volume of solute free solvent added to downstream reseroir prior to initiation of experiment

∈:

porosity

μ:

viscosity

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, M5S 1A4, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Michael V. Sefton, Harris M. Lusher, Selwyn R. Firth & Mikhel U. Waher

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  1. Michael V. Sefton
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  2. Harris M. Lusher
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  3. Selwyn R. Firth
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  4. Mikhel U. Waher
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Sefton, M.V., Lusher, H.M., Firth, S.R. et al. Controlled release micropump for insulin administration. Ann Biomed Eng 7, 329–343 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02364120

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