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Updated: Aug 13, 2025

Autonomous and Rechargeable Microneurostimulator Endoscopically Implantable into the Submucosa
Published on: September 27, 2018
Implantable device actuated by manual button clicks for noninvasive self-drug administration
Cho Rim Kim1, Yong Chan Cho1, Seung Ho Lee2
1Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, College of Engineering Seoul National University Seoul South Korea.
Abstract:
Self-injectable therapy has several advantages in the treatment of metabolic disorders. However, frequent injections with needles impair patient compliance and medication adherence. Therefore, we develop a fully implantable device capable of on-demand administration of self-injection drugs via noninvasive manual button clicks on the outer skin. The device is designed to infuse the drug only at the moment of click actuation, which allows for an accurate and reproducible drug infusion, and also prevents unwanted drug leakage. Using a mechanical means of drug infusion, this implantable device does not contain any electronic compartments or batteries, making it compact, and semi-permanent. When tested in animals, the device can achieve subcutaneous injection-like pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects for self-injection drugs such as exenatide, insulin, and glucagon.
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