| The manner in which a drug is delivered to the body plays a major role in its efficacy. There are several implantable pump technologies for chronic drug administration in humans and large animals. However, development of new drug therapies generally involves initial evaluation via human disease models in small animals such as mice. The technology for chronic drug administration in mice is currently limited to constant flow rates determined at the time of pump manufacture. With the emerging demand for personalized medicine, there is a need for drug administration technology at the early stages of drug development that offers flexibility in dosing schedules. Such a technology would create new opportunities in drug research that is not possible with currently available tools.;This dissertation describes the development of a wireless implantable micropump system for mice that allows flexible dosing to be performed post-implantation. The first chapter begins with a review of the current state-of-the-art drug administration technology for rodents and its limitations. It then introduces the wireless micropump system, its advantages over current technology, and an application in anti-cancer drug delivery that drove its design. The second chapter elaborates the details of the specific needs of the anti-cancer drug and demonstrates a wired micropump prototype that utilizes electrochemical actuation. The preliminary benchtop tests and in vivo studies with the first generation system elucidate the need for better packaging, valve control, and wireless power to enable chronic drug delivery. The third chapter presents the second generation system, which addresses packaging concerns and valve selection and evaluation. It concludes with a demonstration of the micropump with a wireless power source. The fourth chapter presents the mechanical characterization of the bellows component of the actuator and its effect on the overall system configuration and design. The fifth chapter brings together the advancements from the first two generations into a fully integrated and wirelessly powered implantable system. Characterization of this third generation system shows its ability to perform the intended drug dosing schedule reliably in the environmental conditions that would occur in vivo. |
