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Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Using Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems MEMS to Develop Diagnostic Tools
Published on: October 1, 2007
CONTROLLED DELIVERY OF ANTIANGIOGENIC DRUG TO HUMAN EYE TISSUE USING A MEMS DEVICE
Fatemeh Nazly Pirmoradi1, Kevin Ou2, John K Jackson3
1Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center, University of California, Berkeley, USA.
Abstract:
We demonstrate an implantable MEMS drug delivery device to conduct controlled and on-demand, ex vivo drug transport to human eye tissue. Remotely operated drug delivery to human post-mortem eyes was performed via a MEMS device. The developed curved packaging cover conforms to the eyeball thereby preventing the eye tissue from contacting the actuating membrane. By pulsed operation of the device, using an externally applied magnetic field, the drug released from the device accumulates in a cavity adjacent to the tissue. As such, docetaxel (DTX), an antiangiogenic drug, diffuses through the eye tissue, from sclera and choroid to retina. DTX uptake by sclera and choroid were measured to be 1.93±0.66 and 7.24±0.37 microg/g tissue, respectively, after two hours in pulsed operation mode (10 s on/off cycles) at 23°C. During this period, a total amount of 192 ng DTX diffused into the exposed tissue. This MEMS device shows great potential for the treatment of ocular posterior segment diseases such as diabetic retinopathy by introducing a novel way of drug administration to the eye.
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