| Abstract |
IntelliDrug is aimed at developing an intelligent micro- and nano- system to provide an alternative approach for the treatment of addiction and chronic diseases. Chronic diseases and Drug addiction are among the most severe human problems, the latter being a major motive of crime and social instability. The continuous and endless efforts required from treating personnel and the afflicted persons further compromise the quality of life and give rise to severe compliance problems with therapy. In addition, limited effectiveness and adverse side effects are the result of the currently used medication administration methods. The proposed project IntelliDrug is aimed at obviating these problems. The proposed innovation will be reached by developing an intraoral micro-system, which contains a medication replacement reservoir and releases the medication in a controlled, intelligent manner according to the patient needs, in periods lasting days, weeks or months. The device will be reloaded in a simple non-invasive way. The micro-system comprises a medication release mechanism, a built-in intelligence, micro-sensors and micro-actuators, and a remote control. This project explores the application potential of micro-nano technology and investigates the integration technologies required to establish the nano to macro interface and to have 'nano' interact with the ambient. IntelliDrug deals with research and development of key technologies, such as biosensors and secure communication, low volume controlled drug handling, and the component integration into wearable systems, to manage health status. The resulting micro-system will help afflicted persons to put an end to their personal misery, to run a life as close as possible to normal and even to turn into a productive member of our society. It also will contribute to strengthen European research, cooperation and industry.
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