| abstract |
A medication dispensing device for implantation into an animal or human body, comprises a plurality of compartments each containing a dose of medicine to be dispensed and having a delivery opening permitting delivery of the medicine; a rupturable membrane sealing the delivery opening of each compartment, the membrane having a predetermined elastic deformation limit and a predetermined rupture point; and a membrane rupturing system associated with each compartment for rupturing the membrane thereof in response to an electrical signal. The membrane rupturing system includes a stress-inducing member maintaining the membrane stressed to substantially the elastic deformation limit thereof, and a piezoelectric transducer responsive to the electrical signal for applying to the membrane additional stress sufficient to exceed the rupture point of the membrane, thereby causing the membrane to rupture and allowing body fluids to enter into the compartment for mixing with the medicine contained therein so that the medicine is released in admixture with the body fluids through the delivery opening into the animal or human body. The medication dispensing device of the invention further comprises a control circuit connected to a power source for supplying the electrical signal to a respective piezoelectric transducer of each membrane rupturing system to activate the respective piezoelectric transducer. |