Researchers developing implantable device to deliver drugs through the ear

For years researchers have been working on ways to develop better and more effective methods to deliver drugs. From oral medication to intravenous and a bit of robotic medication, we’ve seen the evolution unfold, and now we may be in for Flexible Microsystems that’ll deliver drugs through the ear.

in ear drug delivery system

The innovative drug delivery device is under development by Jeffrey T. Borenstein of the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory in Cambridge and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) in Boston. The implantable device is scheduled to be about the volume of an AA battery, which when in the ear will hold enough medication to last for a year.

Embedded with microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and microfluidics to control drug delivery, the soft and stretchable implantable system also has flow sensor to monitor the flow of drugs to the inner ear, so nothing goes wrong. The system has already been tested in guinea pigs and results have been successful, showing that the device can deliver medication precisely to the inner ear without damaging hearing in any way.

Via: Spectrum IEEE/MedGadget