I-Corps: Establishing an innovation ecosystem for technology transition of MEMS-based drug infusion pumps

University Of Southern California, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

The pump proposed in this I-Corps effort addresses critical unmet needs by providing a miniaturized mouse-compatible form factor, wireless power and remote control features, and fully-customizable dosing capability for chronic drug administration studies. The team addresses the immediate need from academia and industry for pumps in both laboratory animal research for scientific discovery and preclinical drug studies. Applying the pump technology at the earliest stage of preclinical validation may improve the development of new drugs and enable new treatment paradigms. The scalability of the technology also has the potential to extends the addressable market beyond laboratory animal research to human patient care, The long-term goal is to leverage this technology in combination with novel therapeutics that cannot be delivered by other means to provide patient-specific dosing profiles in humans in a manner that maximizes therapeutic benefit while minimizing side effects. This I-Corps effort will result in a plan to transition the proposed innovation to the marketplace, fabrication of prototypes, and technology demonstration. This project seeks to transition innovative technology, a miniature implantable infusion pump, for drug development and treatment. The pump specifically addresses limitations of current technologies and offers accurate and customizable dosing in a compact form factor. The technology incorporates next generation capability through the integration of wireless communication and information technology. These advanced delivery systems and novel therapeutics present a fertile opportunity for advancing not only research but technology commercialization and health care outcomes.