Bring 'drugstore' in person

American experts are about to test a tiny 'drugstore' that can be implanted in a patient's body.

Photo: Thanh Nien Online

As a student, John Santini practiced at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Laboratory (MIT) with bio-engineering expert Robert Langer. In 1993, Mr. Langer came up with an interesting idea: Why not use semiconductor manufacturing equipment to make tiny 'pharmacies' that can be implanted into a patient's body?

Enthralled by the idea, Santini signed up for a PhD program at MIT to make it a reality. But making a tool that is usable is much more difficult than Santini had imagined. Then after 17 years of researching with tens of millions of dollars, Santini's effort was compensated by a device that MicroChips - the company founded by Santini and Langer in 1999 - will test in This year in patients with osteoporosis.

MicroChips titanium-coated device is the size of a pager, with a flat antenna on one side that can transmit and receive radio signals at a distance of several kilometers outside the body. The silicon wafer inside the body contains 100 small 'reservoirs' , each of 1 / 3,000 ml size, able to store and release drugs electronically.

The first MicroChips trial will evaluate whether their device, which can be implanted in a patient during a simple outpatient surgery, is capable of replacing one year of good parathyroid hormone injections. is not. Scientists have made available hormone preparations, packaged in equipment and released drugs when ordered, thereby eliminating injections.

The potential use of the technology does not stop there. Similar devices can be implanted near the tumor to perform the treatment, as well as being designed according to the type of disease. The patient will not have to travel far to a weekly cancer treatment center to administer the medicine. With the new device, the drug is delivered directly to the tumor with a higher dose if desired.

Photo: PhysOrg

Besides, MicroChips technology can also help better monitor blood sugar levels of diabetics. Existing glucose monitoring devices often lose the ability to measure blood sugar for 1 week when body fluids contaminate the chemicals inside. The device created by MicroChips consists of sensors that are sealed under an extremely thin platinum film. When a string is broken, another string opens, allowing the device to operate longer.