Microchips as Controlled Drug-Delivery Devices

Controlled‐release systems are common in a number of product areas, including foods, cosmetics, pesticides, and paper. Microencapsulated systems, for example, are used for the release of flavors and vitamins in foods, fragrances in perfumes, and inks in carbonless copy paper. Controlled‐release systems for drug delivery first appeared in the 1960s and 1970s. In the past three decades, the number and variety of controlled release systems for drug‐delivery applications has increased dramatically. Many of these use polymers having particular physical or chemical characteristics such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, or responsiveness to pH or temperature changes. However, recent advances in the field of microfabrication have created the possibility of a new class of controlled‐release systems for drug delivery, namely, that of small, programmable devices. Their small size, potential for integration with microelectronics, and ability to store and release chemicals on demand could make controlled‐release microchips useful in a number of areas, including medical diagnostics, analytical chemistry, chemical detection, industrial process monitoring and control, combinatorial chemistry, microbiology, and fragrance delivery. More importantly, drug‐delivery microchips resulting from this convergence of controlled release and microfabrication technologies may provide new treatment options to clinicians in their fight against disease. Combining microfabrication with controlled release enables the creation of novel, microsized chemical‐delivery devices. In these controlled‐release microchips (see schematic diagram), the chemical‐filled reservoirs can be individually opened. Multiple chemical substances can thus be stored and released in a controlled way (see graph, t in days). Application of this technology to drug delivery could eventually lead to a “pharmacy‐on‐a‐chip” or other “smart” drug‐delivery devices.