Implantable Drug Delivery System With In-plane Micropump

A MEMS based Implantable Drug Delivery System (IDDS) is discussed. The heart of the system is an in-plane MEMS micropump enables us to make a compact, inexpensive system. A conceptual IDDS design is proposed. This design consists of an implantable unit which houses the micropump, electronic and power circuitry. This implantable unit is connected to a subcutaneous port via a silicone catheter. The subcutaneous port acts as a refillable reservoir. This leads to a reduction in unit volume and makes the system customizable. The IDDS pumps drug into surrounding tissue with the help of a MEMS-based micropump. The force generated by the MEMS actuator and the displacement of the tip is determined with the help of FEM simulations using ANSYS. The results from the displacement were verified experimentally. A lumped parameter model was made to estimate the flow rate through the outlet of the IDDS. Microfluidic interconnects to the micropump were fabricated and packaged. Packaging of interconnects uses processes like anodic bonding, microdrilling and fibre alignment. Future work will be focused on refining the IDDS model, conducting experiments to measure tip-force of pump actuators, experimental measurement of the flow generated, and implementation of electronic, RF and power components of the IDDS.