| abstract |
Embodiments of this invention include implantable pumps for delivery of solutions containing drags into the bodies of patients suffering from disorders for which controlled delivery of the drug is desirable for therapeutic purposes. Pumps include power supplies, processors, memory storage devices, a motor, position and pressure sensors to monitor the state of the pump, and novel linear actuators. Linear actuators include a series of two or more nested, coaxial screws threaded in such a fashion that when a motor rotates, a piston-type plunger is moved linearly inside a reservoir and urges the solution out of the pump, through a catheter located at a pre¬ determined location within the patient, and into a portion of the patient's body to be treated. Embodiments of software system of this invention are energy efficient because most of the time, the pump is in standby mode. Only upon receiving external instructions or internal signals is the pump activated. Thus, pumps can be maintained internally for long periods of time, and are suitable for delivery of drugs to patients with chronic conditions such as those useful for treating neurodegenerative conditions. |