Articles, systems, and methods for rapid administration and active pharmaceutical compositions to subjects exposed to radiation and/or toxins are provided by this disclosure. There are currently few interventional technologies to protect against long-term morbidity and mortality from exposure to radiation and chemical warfare. Furthermore, as commercially available technologies such as additive manufacturing and small-scale chemical reactors have become more prevalent, the risk of misuse of such technologies by terrorists and rogue nation states to manufacture nuclear, radiologic, and chemical weapons continues to increase. Articles, systems, and methods described herein combine sensing technologies with drug release components, in order to provide an approach for rapid diagnosis of and response to exposure to radiation and toxic agents.

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.

There is provided with a method. A cardia and a pylorus of a stomach of a patient is blocked. The stomach is inflated. The stomach is secured within an abdominal cavity of the patient.

In a gastric calibration hose with an elongated flexible hollow body having an outer wall and a first and a second hose end, it is provided that the elongated flexible hollow body has at least two channels, each of which extend in the longitudinal direction of the hollow body, the first channel having at least one opening in the area of the second hose end, and the second channel being closed at the second hose end, at least one illuminant being arranged in the second channel in the area of the second hose end.

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).

The following describes various applications and uses for a controllably rigidizable flexible, device or sheath, Such rigidizing mechanisms can allow for a transition between a rigid state and a flexible state of a sheath. Rigidization can be applied along an entire length of a flexible sheath or along select portions of the sheath, and the rigidization can be of varying stiffness. Rigidization can be user controlled or automatically controlled using computer processes.

Systems and methods according to present principles meet the needs of the above in several ways, and in particular provide a product that can continuously monitor and remove air from the stomach without removing liquid from a premature neonate's stomach. The device works by providing suction pressure of, e.g., 10±0.1 mmHg through the feeding tube to continuously remove air from the stomach. In this way the device prevents the problem of gastric distension all together. The pressure may be regulated by using an electronic control valve.

Articles for rapid release of components including, for example, quick release capsules, are generally provided. Advantageously, in some embodiments, the articles described herein may be configured to prevent fluid from contacting a component h contained therein (e.g., tissue interfacing component) or payload contained therein until a desired time, e.g., the time at which the component is configured to release from the article to a location internal to a subject (e.g., localize to a tissue wall in the subject). In some embodiments, the article comprises a first compartment and a second compartment not in fluid communication with the first compartment. In some embodiments, the first compartment and second compartment are fluidically isolated. For example, in some cases, the first compartment comprises a mechanism for releasing a component contained within the article and the second compartment comprises the component.

An expandable intragastric device, configured for being positioned into the stomach by an endoscopic procedure is provided. The device is capable of assuming a minimum-encumbrance configuration for delivery into the stomach and an expanded configuration for use in situ. The device also includes a balloon structure, which is capable of assuming a deflated configuration for delivery into the stomach and an inflated configuration for occupying a part of the stomach inner space. The overall configuration of the device is such that, once it is delivered in the stomach, food passes into the inner lumen of the supporting tubular body and into the intestine.

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).