Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.

Novo Nordisk A/s

Ester Caffarel Salvador

Carlo Giovanni Traverso

Robert Samuel Langer

Alex G Abramson

Taylor Bensel

Minsoo Khang

Niclas Roxhed

Morten Revsgaard Frederiksen

Brian Jensen

Jorrit Jeroen Water

Mikkel Oliver Jespersen

Mette Poulsen

Peter Herskind

Bo Uldall Kristiansen

Michael Scott Williams

Robert S Langer, Jr

David Dellal

Simo Pajovic

Jason Siu Wei Li

Sahab Babaee

Jacob Coffey

Christoph Winfried Johannes Steiger

Miguel Jimenez

Self-actuating articles including, for example, self-actuating needles and/or self-actuating biopsy punches, are generally provided. Advantageously, the self-actuating articles described herein may be useful as a general platform for delivery of a wide variety of pharmaceutical drugs that are typically delivered via injection directly into tissue due to degradation in the GI tract. The self-actuating articles described herein may also be used to deliver sensors and/or take biopsies without the need for an endoscopy. In some embodiments, the article comprises a spring (e.g., a coil spring, a beam, a material having particular mechanical recovery characteristics). Those of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the term spring is not intended to be limited to coil springs, but generally encompass any reversibly compressive material and/or component which, after releasing an applied compressive force on the material/component, the material/component substantially returns to an uncompressed length of the material/component (e.g., the within 95% of the length of the material/component prior to compression).

Self-actuating articles

Systems and methods related to reconfigurable medical devices are described. In some embodiments, a reconfigurable medical device may include a central core and a plurality of arms. The arms may be rotatably coupled to the central core such that the plurality of arms may rotate outwards away from the central core to selectively reconfigure the reconfigurable device between a retracted configuration and an expanded configuration. In an initial state, the arms may be biased outwards away from the central core into the expanded configuration. When the reconfigurable device is exposed to a temperature greater than a threshold temperature, the arms may be biased towards the central core into the retracted configuration. In some embodiments, a reconfigurable medical device may include therapeutic compound-loaded needles coupled to distal portions of the arms.

Thermally controlled reconfigurable medical devices

Components with relatively high loading of active pharmaceutical ingredients (e.g., drugs), are generally provided. In some embodiments, the component (e.g., a tissue interfacing component) comprises a solid therapeutic agent (e.g., a solid API) and a supporting material (e.g., a binder such as a polymer) such that the solid therapeutic agent is present in the component in an amount of greater than or equal to 10 wt % versus the total weight of the tissue interfacing component. Such tissue-interfacing components may be useful for delivery of API doses e.g., to a subject. Advantageously, in some embodiments, the reduction of volume required to deliver the required API dose as compared to a liquid formulation permits the creation of solid needle delivery systems for a wide variety of drugs in a variety of places/tissues (e.g., tongue, GI mucosal tissue, skin) and/or reduces and/or eliminates the application of an external force in order to inject a drug solution through the small opening in the needle. In some cases, a physiologically relevant dose may be present in a single tissue interfacing component (e.g., having a relatively high API loading).

Components with high API loading

Self-righting articles, such as self-righting capsules for administration to a subject, are generally provided. In some embodiments, the self-righting article may be configured such that the article may orient itself relative to a surface (e.g., a surface of a tissue of a subject). The self-righting articles described herein may comprise one or more tissue engaging surfaces configured to engage (e.g., interface with, inject into, anchor) with a surface (e.g., a surface of a tissue of a subject). In some embodiments, the self-righting article may have a particular shape and/or distribution of density (or mass) which, for example, enables the self-righting behavior of the article. In some embodiments, the self-righting article may comprise a tissue interfacing component and/or a pharmaceutical agent (e.g., for delivery of the active pharmaceutical agent to a location internal of the subject). In some cases, upon contact of the tissue with the tissue engaging surface of the article, the self-righting article may be configured to release one or more tissue interfacing components. In some cases, the tissue interfacing component is associated with a self-actuating component. For example, the self-righting article may comprise a self-actuating component configured, upon exposure to a fluid, to release the tissue interfacing component from the self-righting article. In some cases, the tissue interfacing component may comprise and/or be associated with the pharmaceutical agent (e.g., for delivery to a location internal to a subject).

Self-righting systems and related components and methods

Self-righting systems, methods, and related components

A platform technology has been designed to provide a means for controlled delivery of single or multiple doses of therapeutic, prophylactic, diagnostic or identifying agents to livestock. The delivery system is based on a livestock ear tag that releases therapeutic and/or prophylactic agent when applied to the ear or other desired anatomical target of the animal. The agent to be delivered is encapsulated in or on microneedles and or microparticles and or nanoparticles or combination thereof on a surface thereon of the male or female part of the tag, which is pressed into the skin so that the microneedles penetrate into the epidermis and dermis layers of the skin. The agent is then released into the animal from the microneedles and or microparticles and or nanoparticles or combination thereof at the site of contact into the epidermis and dermis layers of the skin.

Single or multi-dose delivery platform for veterinary applications

Components with relatively high loading of active pharmaceutical ingredients are generally provided. In some embodiments, the component (e.g., a tissue interfacing component) comprises a solid therapeutic agent and a supporting material such that the solid therapeutic agent is present in the component in an amount of greater than or equal to 10 wt % versus the total weight of the tissue interfacing component. Such tissue-interfacing components may be useful for delivery of API doses e.g., to a subject. Advantageously, in some embodiments, the reduction of volume required to deliver the required API dose as compared to a liquid formulation permits the creation of solid needle delivery systems for a wide variety of drugs in a variety of places/tissues (e.g., tongue, GI mucosal tissue, skin) and/or reduces and/or eliminates the application of an external force in order to inject a drug solution through the small opening in the needle. In some cases, a physiologically relevant dose may be present in a single tissue interfacing component.

Tissue anchoring articles

Self-righting articles

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Ester Caffarel Salvador