title: Polypyrrole-Based Implantable Electroactive Pump for Controlled Drug Microinjection.
abstract: Implantable devices for long-lasting controlled insulin microinjection are of great value to diabetic patients. To address this need, we develop a flexible electroactive pump based on a biocompatible polypyrrole composite film that comprises a polypyrrole matrix and a macromolecular dopant of polycaprolactone-block-polytetrahydrofuran-block-polycaprolactone. Using phosphate-buffered saline as the electrolyte, this film demonstrates much higher electroactivity and reproducibility than conventional Cl--doped polypyrrole, making it an excellent actuator for driving an implantable pump. At a driving current density of 1 mA/cm2, the pump demonstrates a consistent output capacity of 10.5 at 0.35 μL/s over 20 cycles. This work paves the way for the development of an implantable electroactive pump to improve the quality of life of diabetics.
authors.forename: Bingxi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Boyi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Forest
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kunecke
authors.affiliation: ‡Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004566:Electrodes; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D015918:Infusion Pumps, Implantable; D055617:Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008845:Microinjections / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D011758:Pyrroles; C067635:polypyrrole
keywords: controlled drug delivery; diabetes; electroactuator; implantable; polypyrrole