Disclosed herein are advantageous drug delivery assemblies, and related methods of fabrication and use thereof. The present disclosure provides improved drug delivery assemblies for extended drug delivery (e.g., via passive diffusion) and/or tunability, and improved systems/methods for utilizing and fabricating the drug delivery assemblies. More particularly, the present disclosure provides single or dual compartment, and dual porous membrane based (e.g., porous zinc membrane based) drug delivery assemblies for extended drug delivery (e.g., via passive diffusion) and/or tunability. The present disclosure also provides for a method for utilizing a drug delivery assembly. The assemblies can be utilized for the extended drug delivery of pharmaceuticals or the like, such as biologics, for the sustained release of medication for greater than six months to overcome difficulties with daily dosing regimes.

An illustrative drug delivery system implantable in a recipient may include a connection assembly, a source catheter, and a microcatheter. A proximal end portion of the source catheter may be configured to be fluidically connected to a fluid source configured to provide a fluid (e.g., a neurotherapeutic drug). A distal end portion of the source catheter may be configured to be fluidically connected to the connection assembly. The microcatheter may include a proximal end portion configured to be fluidically connected to the connection assembly and a distal end portion comprising an elution opening configured to elute the fluid to a target location (e.g., a brain) within a recipient. The fluid source may be configured to provide the fluid to the target location by way of the source catheter, the connection assembly, and the microcatheter.

Techniques for modeling therapy fields for therapy delivered by medical devices are described. Each therapy field model is based on a set of therapy parameters and represents where therapy will propagate from the therapy system delivering therapy according to the set of therapy parameters. Therapy field models may be useful in guiding the modification of therapy parameters. As one example, a processor compares an algorithmic model of a therapy field to a reference therapy field and adjusts at least one therapy parameter based on the comparison. As another example, a processor adjusts at least one therapy parameter to increase an operating efficiency of the therapy system while substantially maintaining the modeled therapy field.

Methods for programming an implantable drug delivery device using a mobile computing device that include establishing a connection with a telemetry unit configured for wireless communication with the implantable drug delivery device, displaying user-selectable drug delivery settings for the implantable drug delivery device, receiving at least one selection of a drug delivery setting, translating the received selection into a signal format readable by the telemetry unit, and sending the translated signal to the telemetry unit to program the implantable drug delivery device. Further embodiments include telemetry units for communication with an implantable drug delivery device, and patient programmers and a method for patient modification to a programmed drug delivery regimen.

This invention relates to isolated polypeptides that are glucagon-receptor selective analogs and peptide derivatives thereof. These analogs are selective for human glucagon receptor with improved solubility, thermal stability, and physicochemical properties as compared to native endogenous glucagon. This invention also relates to methods of using such polypeptides in a variety of therapeutic and diagnostic indications, as well as methods of producing such polypeptides. These analogs are useful, alone or in combination with other therapeutic peptides, in methods of treating obesity, diabetes, metabolic disorders, and other disorders or disease.

The present invention discloses a pump for measuring a pressure of fluid to be transferred, a fluid transport system using the same, and a method for operating the system. The pump includes a pumping portion alternately generating a positive pressure and a negative pressure; a first diaphragm which is provided on one side of the pumping portion and of which a shape is changed as the positive pressure and the negative pressure are alternately generated; a transport chamber which sucks and discharges a transport target fluid corresponding to the deformation of the first diaphragm; a second diaphragm which is provided on the other side of the pumping portion; a monitoring chamber which is provided on one side of the second diaphragm and of which a pressure changes corresponding to the deformation of the second diaphragm; and a pressure measuring portion measuring a pressure change of the monitoring chamber.

A system for refilling a multi-chamber implantable infusion device is presented. The infusion device has a refill chamber which is accessible through an external septum of a refill port. The refill chamber is divided by an inner septum into an upper reservoir and a lower reservoir. The lower refill chamber is refilled with lower reservoir needles having a needle opening axially placed to align with the lower reservoir. The upper reservoir is refilled with an upper reservoir needle having an opening aligned with the upper reservoir. Magnetic portions are provided in the needles to localize and identify the needle. A processor within the infusion device is connected to magnetic field sensors which sense magnetic portions of the needle and recognize information encoded magnetically within the needle.

An implantable pump system is provided, suitable for use as a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) system, having an implantable pump, a battery, a controller, and a programmer. The implantable pump includes a flexible membrane coupled to an actuator assembly via a skirt that extends toward the inlet of the pump and curves to guide blood toward the outlet. The actuator assembly is magnetically engageable with electromagnetic coils, so that when the electromagnetic coils are energized, the actuator assembly causes wavelike undulations to propagate along the flexible membrane to propel blood from the inlet, across the skirt, and through the outlet of the implantable pump. The controller may be programmed by a programmer to operate at frequencies and duty cycles that mimic physiologic flow rates and pulsatility while operating in an efficient manner that avoids thrombus formation, hemolysis and/or platelet activation.

An implantable drug delivery device and method for delivering a drug to a living body. The device includes a housing having at least one opening, a reservoir within the housing adapted to contain a drug, a temporary seal closing the opening of the housing, and a heating element in thermal contact with the temporary seal. The heating element is adapted to generate heat in response to a magnetic field to melt the temporary seal and release a drug within the reservoir through the opening of the housing.

Embodiments provide devices, preparations and methods for delivering therapeutic agents (TAs) such as clotting factors (CFs, e.g., Factor 8) within the GI tract. Many embodiments provide a swallowable device e.g., a capsule for delivering TAs into the intestinal wall (IW). Embodiments also provide TA preparations configured to be contained within the capsule, advanced from the capsule into the IW and/or surrounding tissue (ST) and degrade to release the TA into the bloodstream to produce a therapeutic effect (e.g., improved clotting). The preparation can be operably coupled to delivery means having a first configuration where the preparation is contained in the capsule and a second configuration where the preparation is advanced out of the capsule into the IW or ST (e.g., the peritoneal cavity). Embodiments are particularly useful for delivery of CFs for treatment of clotting disorders (e.g., hemophilia) where such CFs are poorly absorbed and/or degraded within the GI tract.