EU research develops smart tooth implant to dispense medicine
Forgetting to take medicine is a common problem among the elderly and chronically ill patients. To help solve the issue, the EU funded IntelliDrug project has developed an innovative smart device the size of a tooth that can dispense medicine as and when the patient needs it. Aimed at people suffering from chronic diseases and drug addiction, the project addresses the need for new, less invasive and better controlled drug delivery systems. The intelligent device is designed as a dental prosthesis consisting of a drug-filled reservoir, a valve, two sensors and several electronic components, including micro-actuators. 'Saliva enters the reservoir via a membrane, dissolves part of the solid drug and flows through a small duct into the mouth cavity, where it is absorbed by the mucous membranes in the patient's cheeks,' explained Dr Oliver Scholz from the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT in Germany, one of the partners in the project. The duct is fitted with two sensors. One that monitors the amount of medicine being released into the body, while the other measures the concentration of the agent contained in the liquid. Based on the measurement results, the electronic circuit either opens or closes a valve at the end of the duct to control the dosage. When the agent has been used up, the electronic system alerts the patient via a remote control. This kind of control allows for the wireless operation of IntelliDrug, which can then be used by the patient or the doctor to set the required dosage. The device could contain up to two weeks of medication. Dr Scholz says that when the patient needs to have the agent refilled, it 'could be done using a deposit system whereby the patient swaps the empty prosthesis for a newly refilled one. At the same time, the battery could be replaced and the device could be serviced.' IntelliDrug, which stands for 'Intelligent intra-oral medicine delivery micro-system to treat addiction and chronic diseases', is funded under the information society technologies (IST) priority of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). The researchers presented a prototype for the first time at the MedTec trade fair in Stuttgart in February. Now, IntelliDrug will undergo clinical trials on patients, filled with a drug called Naltrexon, which is taken by drug addicts undergoing withdrawal therapy. If the human trials prove successful, the device could be available in 2010.