1. An implantable medical device for the controlled release of drug molecules comprising:
a substrate; at least two reservoirs in the substrate;
release system disposed in the reservoirs, the release system comprising drug molecules for release; and
discrete metal reservoir caps positioned over or within openings in the reservoirs, wherein release of the drug molecules from the device is activated by disintegration of the reservoir cap and the disintegration of the reservoir cap is actively controlled.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is comprised of two or more substrate portions bonded together.
3. The device of claim 2, wherein the substrate comprises an upper substrate portion adjacent the reservoir cap and a lower substrate portion distal the reservoir cap.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein a reservoir section in the upper substrate portion is in communication with a reservoir section in the lower substrate portion, the two reservoir sections forming a single reservoir.
5. The device of claim 3, wherein the reservoir section in the lower substrate portion has a volume that is greater than the volume of the reservoir section in the upper substrate portion.
6. The device of claim 3, wherein the lower substrate portion is provided with an internal reservoir cap interposed between a reservoir section of the upper substrate portion and a reservoir section of the lower substrate portion, wherein release of the molecules from the reservoir section in the lower substrate portion is controlled by diffusion through or disintegration of the internal reservoir cap.
7. The device of claim 6, wherein the internal reservoir cap is disintegratable, so that the two reservoir sections become a single reservoir upon disintegration of the internal reservoir cap.
8. The device of claim 6, wherein the reservoir section of the lower substrate portion contains molecules different in quantity, type, or both quantity and type, from the molecules contained in the reservoir section of the upper substrate portion.
9. The device of claim 1, wherein disintegration of the reservoir cap is activated by application of electrical energy through the reservoir cap.
10. The device of claim 9, wherein at least one reservoir cap is an anode, and the device further comprises a cathode, a power source, and electrical circuitry means for application of an electric potential between the cathode and anode effective to disintegrate the reservoir cap.
11. The device of claim 1, wherein the release system further comprises at least one matrix material, excipient, or combination thereof.
12. The device of claim 1, wherein the release system further comprises at least one biodegradable or bioerodible polymeric material.
13. The device of claim 1, wherein the drug molecules comprise anesthetics, vaccines, chemotherapeutic agents, metabotites, immunomodutators, antioxidants, antibiotics, and ion channel regulators, or hormones.
14. The device of claim 1, wherein the disintegration of at least one of the reservoir caps is controlled by a signal from a biosensor or by a preprogrammed microprocessor.
15. A microchip device for the controlled release of drug molecules comprising:
a substrate;
at least two reservoirs in the substrate, wherein each reservoir has at least one opening defined in the substrate;
release system disposed in the reservoirs, the release system comprising drug molecules for release; and at least two discrete electrically conductive reservoir caps, each reservoir cap closing off the opening defined by a respective reservoir,
wherein release of the drug molecules from the device is activated by disintegration of the reservoir cap by direct application of an electrical potential through the reservoir cap.
16. The device of claim 15, wherein the substrate is comprised of two or more substrate portions bonded together.
17. The device of claim 16, wherein the drug molecules comprise anesthetics, vaccines, chemotherapeutic agents, metabolites, immunomodulators, antioxidants, antibiotics, and ion channel regulators, or hormones.
18. The device of claim 15, wherein at least one reservoir cap is an anode, and the device further comprises a cathode, a power source, and electrical circuitry means for application of an electric potential between the cathode and anode effective to disintegrate the reservoir cap.
19. The device of claim 15, wherein the release system in at least one of the reservoirs differs in quantity, type, or both quantity and type, from the release system in at least one other of the reservoirs.
20. The device of claim 15, wherein the release system further comprises at least one matrix material, excipient, or combination thereof.
21. The device of claim 15, wherein the release system further comprises at least one biodegradable or bioerodible polymeric material.
22. The device of claim 15, wherein the reservoir caps are formed of a metal film.
23. A medical device comprising: a substrate;
at least two discrete reservoirs provided in spaced positions across at least one surface of the substrate;
discrete reservoir caps covering the at least two reservoirs; and
control circuitry for selectively disintegrating the reservoir caps to open the reservoirs; wherein the reservoir caps comprise a metal film.
24. A device for use in medical diagnostics comprising: a substrate;
at least two discrete reservoirs provided in spaced positions across at least one surface of the substrate;
a diagnostic reagent disposed in the reservoirs; discrete reservoir caps covering the at least two reservoirs; and control circuitry for selectively disintegrating the reservoir caps to open the reservoirs; wherein the reservoir caps comprise a metal film.
25. A medical device comprising: a substrate;
at least two discrete reservoirs provided in spaced positions across at least one surface of the substrate;
discrete reservoir caps covering the at least two reservoirs; and
control circuitry for selectively disintegrating the reservoir caps to open the reservoirs,
wherein the reservoir cap disintegration comprises dissolving into solution, or forming soluble ions or oxidation compounds, upon application of an electric potential generated by the control circuitry.
26. The medical device of claim 25, wherein the control circuitry comprises a cathode and a power source, wherein at least one reservoir cap is an anode, and wherein application of an electric potential between the cathode and anode causes at least one of the reservoir caps to disintegrate.
27. The device of claim 25, wherein the reservoirs comprise molecules useful in medical diagnostics.
28. The device of claim 27, wherein the molecules comprise a diagnostic reagent.
29. The device of claim 25, wherein the reservoirs comprise drug molecules.
30. The device of claim 25, wherein the reservoirs are microfabricated, at least one of the reservoirs contains drug or diagnostic molecules, and the device is adapted for implantation into a patient.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A communication network comprising:
a processing system configured to process one of a Signaling System #7 (SS7) signaling message and a Q.931 signaling message for a call to select packet routing information for the call and to transfer a control message indicating packet routing information; and
a communication system configured to receive a user communication for the call and the control message, and in response, convert the user communication into a packet format including the packet routing information selected by the processing system and transfer the user communication in the packet format to a packet system that routes the user communication based on the packet routing information selected by the processing system.
2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the packet routing information comprises an address.
3. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the packet routing information indicates a virtual connection.
4. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the packet routing information comprises a network code representing a network element to egress the call from the packet system.
5. The communication system of claim 1 wherein:
the processing system is configured to process another one of an SS7 signaling message and a Q.931 signaling message for the call to transfer another control message indicating call termination; and
the communication system is configured to receive the other control message and responsively terminate the call.
6. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the processing system is configured to access a Service Control Point (SCP) based on the signaling message to select the packet routing information.
7. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the processing system is configured to generate and transfer billing information for the call.
8. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the communication system is configured to receive the user communication for the call in a Time Division Multiplex (TDM) format.
9. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the communication system is configured to receive the user communication for the call in a DS0 format.
10. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the processing system is external to the communication system.
11. A method of operating a communication network, the method comprising:
in a processing system, processing one of a Signaling System #7 (SS7) signaling message and a Q.931 signaling message for a call to select packet routing information for the call and transferring a control message indicating packet routing information; and
in a communication system, receiving a user communication for the call and the control message, and in response, converting the user communication into a packet format including the packet routing information selected by the processing system and transferring the user communication in the packet format to a packet system that routes the user communication based on the packet routing information selected by the processing system.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the packet routing information comprises an address.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein the packet routing information indicates a virtual connection.
14. The method of claim 11 wherein the packet routing information comprises a network code representing a network element to egress the call from the packet system.
15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
in the processing system, processing another one of an SS7 signaling message and a Q.931 signaling message for the call and responsively transferring another control message indicating call termination; and
in the communication system, receiving the other control message and responsively terminating the call.
16. The method of claim 11 further comprising, in the processing system, accessing a Service Control Point (SCP) based on the signaling message to select the packet routing information.
17. The method of claim 11 further comprising, in the processing system, generating and transferring billing information for the call.
18. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving the user communication for the call comprises receiving the user communication in a Time Division Multiplex (TDM) format.
19. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving the user communication for the call comprises receiving the user communication in a DS0 format.
20. The method of claim 11 wherein the processing system is external to the communication system.