Design and simulation of MEMS-based insulin micro-pump with integrated micro-needle array

Abstract

One of the most effective treatments for diabetes type 1 and 2 is the administering Insulin. Single needle mechanical insulin pumps are heavy and painful. A generation of micro-needle-based MEMS-based drug delivery devices can be an excellent solution for insulin dosing. The stackable structure provides minimum dimensions and makes the final product to be patchable in any flat area of human skin and in combination with micro-needle array; it provides a safe, painless and robust injection application. In this study we address various aspects of design and simulation of a MEMS-based piezoelectric insulin micro-pump including PDMS micro-valves and micro-needle array. We investigate the micro-pump performance for different activating frequencies and different voltage at human skin interfacial pressure to match minimum to maximum deliver targets/requirements for total range of diabetic patients. COMSOL multiphysics is used to simulate and investigate the performance of a MEMS-based insulin micro-pump with a piezoelectric actuator pumping a viscous Newtonian fluid. The nature of this study is nonlinear therefore we use a fully coupled system with two-way boundary couplings. Fully coupling physics provide real time relationship between different parameters and pump’s outputs. Three simulation modules; Structural Mechanic, Piezoelectric Device and Fluid-Structure Interaction are used to study the 2-D/3-D models of this MEMS based concept. Post processing and ODE also are used to create different required outputs.