Abstract: Disclosed is a pump-less light-based biomedical apparatus and method for dispensing drug formulations and compounds to simulate the operation of a human pancreas without the drawbacks of an electromechanical pump-based design. Drug formulations dispensable by the method contain at least one photoswitchable molecular switch compound (such as azobenzene) whose structure and amounts of dosage released are controllable by light wavelength and intensity. Drug formulations are dispensed based on light generated by a set of LED arrays that includes blue LED's as directed by a closed-loop feedback control system within a control computer. The control system monitors multiple sensors, including a continuous blood glucose monitoring sensor, and performs control-system calculations based on sensor inputs.

Abstract: Disclosed is a light-based artificial pancreas system for dispensing drug formulations to a diabetic patient that monitors the status of the patient to ensure that blood glucose levels remain within a customizable range. Drug formulations dispensable by the system contain at least one photoswitchable compound, including insulin, whose dosage amounts are controllable by light energy and based on both light wavelength and light intensity. The system dispenses drug formulations based on light generated by a set of LED arrays that includes blue or violet LED's; the light is detected by photoreceivers within a drug reservoir that contains the drug formulations. The system is designed such that multiple drug formulations used simultaneously are each controlled by a separate LED array and by separate photoreceivers operating at separate wavelengths such that the drug formulations, LED arrays, photoreceivers and wavelengths do not interfere with each other.

Abstract: Disclosed is a light-based method for dispensing drug formulations that simulates the operation of a human pancreas. Drug formulations dispensable by the method contain at least one synthetic molecular switch compound whose structure and dosage amounts are controllable by light energy and based on both light wavelength and light intensity. The method dispenses drug formulations based on light generated by a set of LED arrays that includes blue LED's; the light is detected by photoreceivers within a drug depot matrix port that contains the drug formulations. The method is designed such that multiple drug formulations used simultaneously are each controlled by a separate LED array and by separate photoreceivers operating at separate wavelengths such that the drug formulations, LED arrays, photoreceivers and wavelengths do not interfere with each other.

Abstract: Disclosed is a light-based system for dispensing drug formulations that simulates the operation of a human pancreas. Drug formulations dispensable by the system contain at least one synthetic molecular switch compound whose structure and dosage amounts are controllable by light energy and based on both light wavelength and light intensity. The system dispenses drug formulations based on light generated by a set of LED arrays that includes blue LED's; the light is detected by photoreceivers within a drug depot matrix port that contains the drug formulations. The system is designed such that multiple drug formulations used simultaneously are each controlled by a separate LED array and by separate photoreceivers operating at separate wavelengths such that the drug formulations, LED arrays, photoreceivers and wavelengths do not interfere with each other.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system that monitors changes in the health of a patient by use of a computer program that generates both a hierarchy of software alert levels and a hierarchy of software alert urgencies to notify stakeholders in a patient's medical condition of unusual changes in the patient's condition. In the specific case of diabetes, such a system may create and manage alerts through a hierarchy that relates to a patient's blood sugar level, his weight, and/or the amount of medication delivered by a pump at any one time or over a given time period. The present invention therefore provides improvement to a patient's long-term health and reduced costs of a patient's treatment regimen.