Self-Powered Pulse Generator for Drug Delivery

University of Pittsburgh researchers have developed a self-powered pulse generator that uses clickable mechanical force to produce controlled high-voltage electrical pulses to topically deliver genes and drugs to the skin eliminating the need for powered electroporation.

Description

Non-viral gene/drug delivery face fundamental barriers; topical treatments have minimal skin penetration, systemic therapies require high doses with significant side effects, but one positive technology is the use of electroporators – a fundamental technique in biotechnology where an electric field is applied to tissue/cells to briefly increase the permeability of the cell membrane. Currently available electroporators used for drug and gene delivery rely on heavy batteries or external wall power, making them impractical for portable clinical use. Also, used electroporators generate long electrical pulses that risk damaging tissue. There is a clear need for a lightweight, battery-free, portable system that generates short, precise electrical pulses for safe and effective drug delivery without external power sources.

Applications

- Gene therapy
- Drug delivery
- Tissue regeneration and stimulation

Advantages

This clickable self-powered pulse generator converts mechanical force into high-voltage electrical pulses (1 V to 50,000 V) with precise control, eliminating the need for batteries. Weighing less than 10 grams and manually operated, the device is portable and easy to use. A piezoelectric crystal compresses when mechanical force is applied, generating electrical pulses that can be precisely tuned by material selection. Interchangeable microchips loaded with drugs, DNA, or RNA, deliver cargo through hollow channels or microneedles when activated by these electrical pulses. Optional heating and ultrasound modules may enhance drug delivery. The reusable housing with disposable chips reduces treatment costs while enabling versatile multi-modal therapy.

Invention Readiness

Fully functional prototypes have been constructed and successfully tested, producing reliable electrical pulses across the target voltage and pulse width ranges. Piezoelectric materials have been optimized and microchips with integrated reservoirs and delivery channels have been validated. The system may operate via manual trigger or external control (Bluetooth, RF, NFC). Current readiness: Preclinical; prototypes have validated mechanical and electrical performance and are ready for animal studies and clinical development.

IP Status

Patent pending

Related Publication(s)

Xuan, Y. et al (2023) Tissue Nanotransfection Silicon Chip and Related Electroporation-Based Technologies for In Vivo Tissue Reprogramming. Nanomaterials 19;14(2):217 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10820803/

Xuan, Y., Ghatak, S., Clark, A., Li, Z., Khanna, S., Pak, D., Agarwal, M., Roy, S., Duda, P., & Sen, C. K. (2021). Fabrication and use of silicon hollow-needle arrays to achieve tissue nanotransfection in mouse tissue in vivo. Nature Protocols, 16(12), 5707–5738. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41596-021-00631-0