Advances in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and miniaturization technologies have enabled the creation of biomedical microdevices intended for use in the treatment of various chronic and acute illnesses. The ability to create very precisely defined micrometer and nanometer features allows for the production of a new generation of biomedical devices that can be implanted using minimally invasive procedures to provide controlled therapeutic drug delivery. We believe that there is a wide variety of pharmacological therapies in which these novel drug-delivery systems could be implemented, including treatments for cancer and trauma.
Drug delivery microdevices based on MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems) represent the next generation of active implantable drug delivery systems. MEMS technology has enabled the scaling down of current delivery modalities to the micrometer and millimeter size. The complementary use of biocompatible materials makes this technology potentially viable for a wide variety of clinical applications. Conditions such as brain tumors, chronic pain syndromes, and infectious abscess represent specialized clinical diseases that will likely benefit most from such drug delivery microdevices. Designing MEMS microdevices poses considerable technical and clinical challenges as devices need to be constructed from biocompatible materials that are harmless to human tissue. Devices must also be miniaturized and capable of delivering adequate pharmacologic payload. Balancing these competing needs will likely lead to the successful application of MEMS drug delivery devices to various medical conditions. This work reviews the various factors that must be considered in optimizing MEMS microdevices for their appropriate and successful application to medical disease.
This review focuses on the current drug-delivery modalities in R&D, as well as commercially available. Intelligent drug-delivery systems are described as novel technological innovations and clinical approaches to improve conventional treatments. These systems differ in methodology of therapeutic administration, intricacy, materials and patient compliance to address numerous clinical conditions that require various pharmacological therapies. These systems have been primarily described as active and passive microelectrical mechanical system devices, injectors and nanoparticle-based therapies, optimized to tailor specific pharmacokinetic profiles. The most critical considerations for the design of these intelligent delivery systems include the controlled release, target specificity, on-demand dosage adjustment, mass transfer and stability of the pharmacological agents. Drug-delivery systems continue to be developed and enhanced to provide better and more sophisticated treatments, promising an improvement in quality of life and extension of life expectancy.
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