US researchers have created a microchip that will birth control. The new system assumes that drug delivery device can be remotely on or off and each implant will be able to work 16 years.
A photo from open sources
Dimensions of an innovative device designed for implantation under the skin of the buttocks, shoulder or abdomen, are 20x20x7 millimeters. Every day, the device enters the carrier with 30 micrograms levonorgestrel – a hormone that is already used in several types of contraceptives.
According to a survey prepared by experts from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, preclinical trials a device manufactured by MicroCHIPS of Lexington, will begin in the USA next year. The goal is to bring the device to the market by 2018, the report says.
“Accurate and long-term drug delivery can be achieved.” using sealed micro reservoirs from which they released by a microchip, “the press release said. published by the manufacturer.
This creates the opportunity for more accurate dosing, reducing costs and excludes the human factor, since the patient is no longer will have to take care not to forget to take the drug. Due to the combination of these factors, as the manufacturer notes, development will improve treatment outcomes.
A sixteen-year-old hormone stock is housed in tiny 1.5 micrometer wide microchip tanks. In production The circuit board of the chip uses titanium and platinum. Skipping discharge of electric current coming from the internal battery, leads to the fact that a small dose of the hormone released every day.
“The idea of using a thin membrane as an electric fuse was the hardest problem we had decide, “said company president Robert Farrah.
The device can be implanted and removed using local anesthesia. The company has already tested an innovative system. drug delivery in patients with osteoporosis. Surveys of volunteers who participated in the study, testify that the device did not cause them any inconvenience and all without exception patients said they were ready to repeat the implantation procedure.
“Each procedure lasted no more than 30 minutes, – quotes the words Surgeon George Jensen Mail Online. Patients were able to independently leave the operating room and get home unaccompanied. ”
