NZ621455B2

NZ621455B2 - Decomposable apparatus and methods for fabricating same

Info

Publication number: NZ621455B2
Application number: NZ621455A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Xuedong Du; Chris C Yu
Original assignee: Anpac Bio Medical Science Co Ltd; Anpac Biomedical Science Co Ltd
Priority date: 2011-08-02
Filing date: 2012-08-02
Publication date: 2016-05-27

Abstract

Disclosed is a medical apparatus. The medical apparatus comprises a fist sub-component, a second sub-component and an activation device or a reagent to produce an activation signal. The first sub-component is implantable or ingestible in a body. The first sub-component comprises a drug, a medical kit, a micro-disease detection system, or an auto-navigation system. The second sub-component comprises a decomposable material (0201) that is integrated with the first sub-component. The decomposition of the decomposable material (0201) of the second sub-component causes breaking up of the whole apparatus. The second sub-component comprises at least first portions of a first type of material (0201) and second portions of a second type of material (0202, 0203), the first (0201) and second portions (0202, 0203) being arranged in a pattern in an interlaced structure of the first (0201) and second portions (0202, 0203), at least the first type of material being decomposable material (0201). The decomposition of the material of the second sub-component is triggered by application of the activation signal to the second sub-component. t, a micro-disease detection system, or an auto-navigation system. The second sub-component comprises a decomposable material (0201) that is integrated with the first sub-component. The decomposition of the decomposable material (0201) of the second sub-component causes breaking up of the whole apparatus. The second sub-component comprises at least first portions of a first type of material (0201) and second portions of a second type of material (0202, 0203), the first (0201) and second portions (0202, 0203) being arranged in a pattern in an interlaced structure of the first (0201) and second portions (0202, 0203), at least the first type of material being decomposable material (0201). The decomposition of the material of the second sub-component is triggered by application of the activation signal to the second sub-component.

Description

DECOMPOSABLE APPARATUS AND S FOR FABRICATING SAME Cross-Reference to Related Application This application claims priority of US. Application No. 13/196,622, ﬁled on August 2, 2011, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their ties.

Background of the Invention Many current and future medical applications involve or will involve utilization of various types of medical tus or devices inside body (in viva). Such medical apparatus or devices e but are not limited to equipments for disease detection, drug carriers for delivering medicines, medical instruments for surgeries, and special devices for integrated treatments. It is often ble for such medical apparatus or devices to disintegrate, decompose, or be dispelled after their use in vivo.

A common ch so far has been using a single biodegradable or biocompatible polymer (either natural occurring and then modiﬁed, or purely synthetic) as the basis for such apparatus or devices. Many of these biodegradable limit the types of original materials that one can use. Metal and inorganic materials are often not used in these apparatus or devices because of their chemical stability. As a result, where desired, inorganic or metal material’s mechanical stability or strength has not been utilized.

On the other hand, sometimes, medical apparatus or devices for in vivo medical ations can be as large as several millimeters in size (or l cubic millimeters in volume). It is most desirable for a relatively large apparatus to decompose to the molecular level. However, many materials cannot be egrated to molecular level (e. g., a few angstroms in size) in viva. It is very difficult for all materials used in an ed, fully functional medical apparatus with optimum performance to completely decompose into the molecular level, even though some materials may be decompose to small molecular level.

While some materials disintegrate in certain ﬂuids inside the body when they are used tely, but they cannot be disintegrated when being used as part of a medical apparatus.

Further, it is not easy to dispel a medical tus even if it is in miniaturized size.

Therefore, as the need for microscopic operations and associated miniaturized l apparatus and devices arise, how to remove or decompose such medical apparatus and devices has become increasingly important and presented a major challenge.

For instance, when detecting and/or curing diseases, under specific circumstances, medical apparatus and devices need to be disintegrated and decompose in vivo in human beings to continue the treatment. Traditional medical therapies use medicine which is expected to provide a relatively long-term, controllable and proportional dose releasing function to treat the diseases. Some therapies use decomposing materials when fabricating a l device for in vivo treatment. r, there are limited options of materials that are capable of osing. Some als, for example, glasses or cs, cannot be used during fabrication due to the fact that they are not decomposable materials.

There are some newly developed therapies aiming at achieving the same purpose. Targeted therapy treats diseases by ering with specific targeted molecules needed for cancer or tumor growth. Micro-surgical robot is capable of being injected into human bodies and treating diseases at the targeted area.

Detection apparatus may also be needed to be placed into the human body for carrying out various detection tests.

However, both traditional and newly developed ion ches and therapies face the difficulties in disintegrating after using various types of medical apparatus in vivo, or difficulties in removing the side products of the therapies, i.e., medicine carrier or micro robot, and difficulties in controlling the release of the medicine in a timely manner. Sometimes, it is difficult to remove a medical apparatus such as a miniaturized ion apparatus out of a human body. These drawbacks call for novel decomposing apparatus which not only overcomes ng issues, but also bring enhanced accuracy, safety, and specificity in medical detection, drug release, and surgeries. [8A] Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general dge in the field relevant to the present sure as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.

Summary of the Invention The present invention in general relates to a class of tive decomposable apparatus which utilizes building blocks and/or sub-components integrated with decomposable als using the state-of-the-art micro-electronics technologies and processes.

In one aspect, this invention provides medical devices, micro-devices, medical instruments, or drug carriers (together “apparatus”) that se building blocks at least one of which ses a material that can decompose and result in egration of the ng blocks (or the apparatus) into much smaller pieces or molecules (for example, as small as 0.1 micron in size). Because the surface area is increased greatly, the disintegrated micro or nano particles exhibits quite different al or physical properties with respect to the same macro object, and they are much more chemically ve and prone to be degradable.

For example, a building block of a size of 100 microns x 100 microns can decompose into smaller pieces of 0.1 micron x 0.1 micron. The decomposition of the building blocks (or disintegration of the apparatus) can be triggered or activated, e.g., by being in contact with a solution, gas, or solid of a particular property (e.g., acidity or presume or ion th), by an extemal signal (e.g., a chemical, mechanical, physical, or magnetic signal), by an agent or an energy stored in the apparatus, or by a chemical reaction with a surrounding nce (e.g., blood or h acid). With this disclosed, innovative approach, many tive, miniaturized medical apparatus can be more effectively and broadly utilized in existing and future in viva medical applications, enabling more design options, treatment capabilities, and more materials for such in Viva medical applications.

The apparatus of this invention and those fabricated by the methods of this invention may have a wide range of designs, structures, functionalities, and features. Specific examples of the above described apparatus with decomposition and disintegration features include, but are not limited to, voltage comparators, four-point probes, calculators, logic circuitries, memory units, micro-cutters, micro-hammers, micro-shields, micro-dyes, micro-pins, micro-knives, micro-needles, micro-thread holders, micro-tweezers, optical absorbers, micro-mirrors, micro-Wheelers, micro-filters, micro-choppers, micro-shredders, micro-pumps, micro-absorbers, micro-signal detectors, micro-drillers, micro-suckers, micro-testers, micro-containers, micro-inj ectors, signal transmitters, signal generators, friction sensors, electrical charge sensors, temperature sensors, hardness detectors, ic wave tors, optical wave generators, micro-heaters, heat tors, micro-refrigerators, and charge generators. In addition to the s of this invention, these apparatus can also be fabricated by other methods as known in the art or described elsewhere, e.g., in PCT/USZOIO/049298, PCT/USZOll/024672, US 12/416,280, PCT/USZOll/042637, and PCT/USZOIO/041001, the ts of all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

In some embodiments of these medical tus, at least one of the ngs comprises a non-decomposable material. Examples of such material include non-degradable polymer which comprises polytetraﬂuoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylchloride (PVC), ides (PA, Nylons), polyethylenes (PE), polysulfones, polyethersulphone, polypropylenes (PP), silicon rubbers, polystyrenes, polycarbonates, polyesters, polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyimides, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyvinylacetate (PVAc), polyphenylene oxide, cellulose and its derivatives, polypropylene oxide (PPO), polyvinylidene ﬂuoride (PVDF), tylene, and mixtures f., metal or metallic compounds(e.g., compounds or alloys containing calcium or magnesium or aluminum, copper, tungsten, silver), non-degradable inorganic salts or compounds (e.g., silicon, oxide, silicon, phosphate compounds or salts, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, silicon oxynitride, oxides,), ceramics (e.g., a m ate ceramic), glass, an organic material, a biological material, or a composite thereof. Although these materials are not decomposable, Applicants nevertheless surprisingly found out that their inclusion into the medical apparatus of this invention enhances these tus’ mechanical stability or strength and thus has made them le for applications where the current medical apparatus that are completely made of degradable materials are not suitable. In fact, it is believed that the present invention introduces for the very first time of such non-decomposable material into medical apparatus that are expected to decompose in viva. Further, use of such materials has greatly increased the choices of materials used for manufacturing the decomposable and disintegrating medical apparatus which, for in Viva medical applications, have generally been made of degradable or osable materials entirely (and thus may not have completely satisfactory physical properties such as mechanical stability or strength).

Some embodiments of this invention include medical apparatus fabricated with building blocks of at least two materials with at least one of them decomposable, Where decomposition of one material will result in disintegration of the ng block, thereby enabling such apparatus e of decomposing into smaller pieces or molecular levels.

In some embodiments, the invention provides decomposing apparatus, each comprising a fist sub-component and a first micro device sing a decomposable material, wherein the sub-component ses a drug, a medical kit, a micro-disease detection system, or an auto-navigation system.

In some embodiments, the decomposable material comprises poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), poly(lactide) (PLA), poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA), poly(D,L-lactic acid) (PDLLA), polyglycolic acid (PGA), polyanhydrides, poly(ortho ethers), polyamino acids, engineered artiﬁcial proteins, natural proteins, biopolymers, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene oxide, polymethacrylic acid (PMAA), polyacrylic acid, polyethylene glycol, alginate, collagen, gelatin, hyaluronic acid, a magnesium metal, a magnesium alloy, a calcium phosphate ceramic, glass, a calcium nd, a phosphate compound, an oxide, a silicon, a licon, a silicon nitride, a silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide, aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper, tungsten, silver, an c material, a biological material, or a ite thereof. In some other ments, the decomposable material comprises poly(lactide-co-glycolide), poly(lactide), poly(L-lactic acid), poly(D,L-lactic acid), polyglycolic acid, hydride, poly(ortho ether), polyamino acid, engineered cial protein, natural n, biopolymer, polyvinyl alcohol, hylene oxide, polymethacrylic acid, polyacrylic acid, polyethylene glycol, alginate, collagen, gelatin, hyaluronic acid, an organic material, a biological material, or a composite thereof.

In some embodiments, the decomposable materials are combinations of decomposable materials and other micronized materials that are not capable of decomposing.

The other als (e.g., glasses or ceramics) are ated into sizes. In such combined materials, the decomposition of the decomposable material resulted in the disintegration of the combined material, mobilizing the micronized materials. The micronized materials with such sizes, even though not capable of degradation, can harmlessly exit human bodies through the waste system once they serve their purpose.

In some embodiments, the osable material can be activated to ose by an external . The signal can comprise an ical, magnetic, electromagnetic, thermal, optical, acoustical, biological, chemical, electro-mechanical, o-chemical, electro-optical, electro-thermal, o-chemical-mechanical, bio-chemical, bio-mechanical, bio-optical, bio-thermal, bio-physical, bio-electro-mechanical, bio-electro-chemical, ectro-optical, bio-electro-thermal, bio-mechanical-optical, bio-mechanical thermal, bio-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-optical, bio-electro-mechanical-optical, bio-electro-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-mechanical, al or ical signal, or a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the electrical property is surface charge, surface potential, resting potential, electrical current, electrical field distribution, electrical , electrical quadruple, three-dimensional electrical or charge cloud distribution, electrical properties at telomere of DNA and chromosome, capacitance, or impedance; the thermal ty is temperature or vibrational frequency; the optical property is optical absorption, l transmission, l reﬂection, optical-electrical ty, brightness, or ﬂuorescent on; the chemical property is pH value, chemical reaction, bio-chemical reaction, bio-electro-chemical reaction, reaction speed, reaction energy, speed of reaction, oxygen concentration, oxygen consumption rate, oxygen bonding site, oxygen bonding strength, local charge density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule ties and locations, local ionic density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule properties and locations, local electric field density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule properties and locations, ionic strength, catalytic behavior, chemical additives to trigger enhanced signal response, bio-chemical additives to trigger enhanced signal response, biological additives to trigger enhanced signal response, chemicals to enhance detection sensitivity, bio-chemicals to enhance detection sensitivity, biological additives to enhance detection sensitivity, or bonding strength; the al property is density, shape, volume, or surface area; the biological property is surface shape, surface area, surface charge, surface biological property, surface chemical property, pH, electrolyte, ionic strength, resistivity, cell concentration, property relating to a bio-marker, or biological, electrical, physical or chemical property of solution; the acoustic property is frequency, speed of acoustic waves, acoustic ncy and intensity spectrum distribution, acoustic intensity, acoustical absorption, or acoustical resonance; the mechanical property is intemal pressure, hardness, ﬂow rate, ity, shear strength, elongation strength, fracture stress, adhesion, ical nce frequency, elasticity, plasticity, or compressibility, n the above stated properties can be static or dynamic and ng.

In some ments, the decomposable material decomposes in a desired period of time. For instance, the desired period of time can range from one second to a couple weeks (e.g., from 5 seconds to 10 days, from 30 seconds to 1 week, from 2 minutes to 4 days, from minutes to 3 days, from an hour to 3 days).

In some embodiments, the de-composition of a osable material occurs when it t with a desired substance, e.g., a ﬂuid such as blood or bile acid or a low-pH body ﬂuid, a gas such as a ring gas, or a solid with sufficient acidicity. Such substance is usually quite effective in inducing the chemical decomposition of the decomposable material.

In some embodiments, the first sub-component is integrated inside the first micro ; or the first sub-component is attached onto the surface of the first micro device.

In some embodiments, the first sub-component comprises a drug.

In some embodiments, the decomposable material can decompose in the in Viva environment of a human being.

In some embodiments, the apparatus each further comprises at least one more micro device comprising a decomposable material. In some of such embodiments, the sub-component can be oned (e.g., sandwiched) in between two micro devices.

In another aspect, the invention provides nano-drug delivery apparatus, each comprising a rug and a micro device comprising a decomposable material.

In some embodiments, the decomposable material comprises poly(lactide-co-glycolide), poly(lactide), poly(L-lactic acid), poly(D,L-lactic acid), ycolic acid, polyanhydride, poly(ortho ether), polyamino acid, engineered artificial protein, natural protein, biopolymer, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene oxide, polymethacrylic acid, polyacrylic acid, polyethylene glycol, alginate, collagen, n, hyaluronic acid, a magnesium metal, a magnesium alloy, a calcium phosphate ceramic, glass, a calcium compound, a phosphate compound, an oxide, a silicon, a polysilicon, a silicon nitride, a silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide, aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper, tungsten, silver, an c material, a biological material, or a composite thereof.

In some embodiments, the decomposable materials are combinations of decomposable materials and other micronized als that are not capable of decomposing.

The other materials, for example, glasses, or ceramics are fabricated into micro-sizes. The materials with such sizes, even though are not capable of degradation, can be removed from the human bodies .

In some embodiments, the decomposable material is activated to decompose when an extemal signal is applied to it. The signal can se an electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, thermal, optical, acoustical, biological, al, electro-mechanical, electro-chemical, electro-optical, electro-thermal, electro-chemical-mechanical, bio-chemical, bio-mechanical, bio-optical, bio-thermal, bio-physical, bio-electro-mechanical, ectro-chemical, bio-electro-optical, bio-electro-thermal, bio-mechanical-optical, bio-mechanical thermal, bio-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-optical, bio-electro-mechanical-optical, bio-electro-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-mechanical, physical or mechanical , or a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the electrical property is surface , surface potential, resting ial, electrical current, electrical field distribution, ical dipole, electrical quadruple, three-dimensional electrical or charge cloud distribution, electrical properties at telomere of DNA and chromosome, tance, or impedance; the thermal property is temperature or vibrational frequency; the optical property is optical absorption, optical transmission, optical reﬂection, optical-electrical property, brightness, or ﬂuorescent emission; the chemical property is pH value, chemical on, bio-chemical reaction, bio-electro-chemical reaction, on speed, reaction energy, speed of reaction, oxygen tration, oxygen consumption rate, oxygen bonding site, oxygen bonding strength, local charge density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule ties and locations, local ionic density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule properties and locations, local electric field y due to oxygen atom and/or molecule properties and locations, ionic strength, catalytic behavior, chemical additives to trigger enhanced signal response, bio-chemical additives to trigger ed signal response, biological additives to trigger enhanced signal response, chemicals to enhance ion sensitivity, bio-chemicals to enhance detection sensitivity, biological additives to enhance detection ivity, or bonding strength; the physical ty is density, shape, volume, or surface area; the biological property is surface shape, surface area, e charge, surface biological property, e chemical property, pH, electrolyte, ionic strength, resistivity, cell concentration, property relating to a bio-marker, or biological, electrical, physical or chemical property of solution; the ic property is frequency, speed of acoustic waves, acoustic frequency and intensity um distribution, ic intensity, acoustical absorption, or acoustical resonance; the mechanical property is intemal pressure, hardness, ﬂow rate, viscosity, shear strength, elongation strength, fracture stress, on, mechanical resonance ncy, elasticity, city, or compressibility, wherein the above stated properties can be static or dynamic and changing.

In some embodiments, the decomposing material decomposes in a desired or pre-determined period of time which can range, e.g., from one seconds to a few weeks (e.g., from 1 seconds to 2 weeks, from 5 seconds to 1 week; from 1 minute to 4 days; from 20 minutes to 1 week, or from 3 hours to 10 days).

In some embodiments, the nano-drug is integrated into the micro device.

In some embodiments, the apparatus each further comprises at least one more nano drug.

In some embodiments, the apparatus each further comprises at least one more micro device comprising a decomposable material.

In some embodiments, at least two nano-drugs are integrated in at least two ent micro devices.

In some embodiments, the apparatus each further comprises a medical kit, a micro-disease detection system, or an auto-navigation system.

For ce, the micro-disease detection system detects a disease, and sends an extemal signal to the decomposable material to trigger the decomposition. The signal may comprise an ical, magnetic, electromagnetic, thermal, optical, acoustical, biological, chemical, electro-mechanical, electro-chemical, electro-optical, electro-thermal, electro-chemical-mechanical, bio-chemical, bio-mechanical, tical, bio-thermal, bio-physical, ectro-mechanical, bio-electro-chemical, bio-electro-optical, bio-electro-thermal, bio-mechanical-optical, bio-mechanical thermal, bio-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-optical, bio-electro-mechanical-optical, bio-electro-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-mechanical, physical or mechanical signal, or a ation thereof.

In some embodiments, the electrical ty is surface , surface potential, g potential, electrical current, electrical field distribution, electrical , ical quadruple, three-dimensional electrical or charge cloud distribution, electrical properties at telomere of DNA and chromosome, tance, or impedance; the thermal property is temperature or vibrational frequency; the optical property is optical absorption, optical transmission, optical reﬂection, l-electrical property, brightness, or ﬂuorescent on; the chemical property is pH value, chemical reaction, bio-chemical reaction, bio-electro-chemical reaction, reaction speed, reaction energy, speed of reaction, oxygen tration, oxygen consumption rate, oxygen bonding site, oxygen bonding strength, local charge density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule properties and locations, local ionic density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule properties and locations, local ic field density due to oxygen atom and/or le properties and locations, ionic strength, catalytic behavior, chemical additives to trigger enhanced signal response, bio-chemical additives to trigger enhanced signal response, biological additives to trigger enhanced signal response, chemicals to enhance detection sensitivity, bio-chemicals to enhance detection sensitivity, biological additives to enhance detection sensitivity, or bonding strength; the physical property is density, shape, volume, or surface area; the biological property is surface shape, surface area, surface charge, surface biological property, surface chemical property, pH, electrolyte, ionic strength, resistivity, cell concentration, property relating to a bio-marker, or biological, ical, physical or chemical property of solution; the acoustic property is frequency, speed of acoustic waves, acoustic frequency and intensity spectrum distribution, acoustic intensity, ical absorption, or acoustical resonance; the ical property is intemal pressure, hardness, ﬂow rate, viscosity, shear strength, elongation strength, fracture stress, adhesion, mechanical resonance frequency, elasticity, plasticity, or compressibility, wherein the above stated properties can be static or dynamic and changing.

In some embodiments, the auto-navigating system navigates the apparatus to a lesion and the apparatus performs a treatment at the lesion.

In yet r aspect, the invention provides apparatus for carrying drugs, each apparatus sing a first drug, an inner micro device comprising a first osable material packaging the first drug, a second drug, and an outer micro device comprising a second decomposable material packaging the second drug, wherein the first drug is inside the inner micro device, and the second drug is positioned between the inner micro device and the outer micro .

In some embodiments, the first drug and the second drug are the same.

In some embodiments, the first or second decomposable material comprises poly(lactide-co-glycolide), poly(lactide), -lactic acid), poly(D,L-lactic acid), polyglycolic acid, polyanhydride, poly(ortho ether), polyamino acid, engineered artificial protein, natural protein, biopolymer, nyl alcohol, hylene oxide, polymethacrylic acid, polyacrylic acid, hylene glycol, alginate, collagen, gelatin, hyaluronic acid, a magnesium metal, a magnesium alloy, a m phosphate ceramic, glass, a m compound, a phosphate compound, an oxide, a silicon, a polysilicon, a silicon e, a silicon oxynitride, silicon e, aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper, tungsten, silver, an organic material, a biological material, or a composite thereof In some embodiments, the decomposable als are combinations of decomposable materials and other micronized materials that are not capable of decomposing. The other materials, for example, glasses, or ceramics are fabricated into micro-sizes. The materials with such sizes, even though not capable of degradation, can be removed from the human bodies easily.

In some embodiments, the decomposable material in the outer micro device or the inner micro device is activated to decompose when an external signal is applied to it. The signal may comprise an electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, thermal, optical, acoustical, biological, chemical, electro-mechanical, electro-chemical, o-optical, electro-thermal, electro-chemical-mechanical, bio-chemical, bio-mechanical, bio-optical, bio-thermal, bio-physical, bio-electro-mechanical, bio-electro-chemical, bio-electro-optical, ectro-thermal, chanical-optical, bio-mechanical thermal, bio-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-optical, bio-electro-mechanical-optical, bio-electro-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-mechanical, physical or mechanical signal, or a ation thereof For instance, the electrical property is surface charge, surface potential, resting ial, electrical current, electrical field distribution, electrical dipole, electrical quadruple, three-dimensional electrical or charge cloud distribution, electrical ties at telomere of DNA and chromosome, capacitance, or impedance; the thermal property is temperature or vibrational frequency; the optical property is optical absorption, optical transmission, optical reﬂection, optical-electrical ty, brightness, or ﬂuorescent emission; the chemical property is pH value, al reaction, bio-chemical reaction, bio-electro-chemical reaction, reaction speed, reaction energy, speed of reaction, oxygen concentration, oxygen consumption rate, oxygen bonding site, oxygen bonding strength, local charge density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule properties and locations, local ionic density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule properties and locations, local electric field density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule properties and locations, ionic strength, catalytic behavior, chemical ves to trigger enhanced signal response, bio-chemical additives to trigger enhanced signal response, biological additives to trigger enhanced signal response, chemicals to enhance detection sensitivity, bio-chemicals to enhance detection sensitivity, biological additives to enhance detection sensitivity, or bonding strength; the al property is density, shape, volume, or surface area; the biological ty is e shape, surface area, surface charge, surface biological property, surface chemical ty, pH, electrolyte, ionic strength, resistivity, cell concentration, property relating to a bio-marker, or biological, electrical, physical or chemical ty of solution; the acoustic property is frequency, speed of acoustic waves, ic frequency and ity spectrum distribution, acoustic intensity, ical absorption, or acoustical resonance; the mechanical property is internal pressure, hardness, ﬂow rate, viscosity, shear strength, elongation strength, fracture stress, adhesion, mechanical resonance frequency, elasticity, plasticity, or compressibility, wherein the above stated ties can be static or dynamic and ng.

In some embodiments, the decomposable material decompose in a desired period of time, e.g., from a couple seconds to a couple weeks.

In some embodiments, the materials in the outer and inner micro devices decompose at a same time or different times.

In some embodiments, the tus each further comprises a medical kit, a micro-disease detection system, or an auto-navigation system, which is integrated in the inner micro device or the outer micro device. The micro-disease detection system detects a disease and sends an external signal to the inner or outer micro device. The signal comprises an electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, thermal, optical, acoustical, biological, chemical, electro-mechanical, electro-chemical, electro-optical, electro-thermal, electro-chemical-mechanical, bio-chemical, bio-mechanical, bio-optical, bio-thermal, bio-physical, bio-electro-mechanical, bio-electro-chemical, bio-electro-optical, bio-electro-thermal, bio-mechanical-optical, bio-mechanical l, bio-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-optical, bio-electro-mechanical-optical, bio-electro-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-mechanical, physical or mechanical signal, or a combination f For instance, the electrical property is surface , surface potential, resting potential, electrical current, electrical field bution, electrical dipole, ical quadruple, dimensional electrical or charge cloud distribution, electrical ties at telomere of DNA and chromosome, capacitance, or impedance; the thermal ty is ature or vibrational frequency; the optical property is optical absorption, optical transmission, optical reﬂection, optical-electrical property, brightness, or ﬂuorescent emission; the chemical property is pH value, chemical reaction, bio-chemical reaction, bio-electro-chemical reaction, reaction speed, reaction energy, speed of reaction, oxygen concentration, oxygen consumption rate, oxygen bonding site, oxygen bonding strength, local charge density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule properties and locations, local ionic density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule properties and locations, local electric field density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule properties and locations, ionic th, catalytic or, chemical additives to trigger enhanced signal se, bio-chemical additives to r enhanced signal response, biological additives to trigger enhanced signal response, chemicals to enhance detection sensitivity, bio-chemicals to enhance ion sensitivity, biological additives to enhance detection ivity, or bonding strength; the physical property is density, shape, volume, or surface area; the biological property is surface shape, surface area, surface , surface biological property, surface al property, pH, electrolyte, ionic strength, resistivity, cell concentration, property relating to a bio-marker, or ical, electrical, physical or chemical property of solution; the acoustic ty is frequency, speed of acoustic waves, acoustic frequency and intensity spectrum distribution, acoustic intensity, acoustical absorption, or acoustical resonance; the mechanical property is internal pressure, hardness, ﬂow rate, viscosity, shear strength, tion strength, fracture stress, adhesion, mechanical resonance frequency, city, plasticity, or compressibility, wherein the above stated properties can be static or dynamic and changing.

In some embodiment of the apparatus, the material in the inner or outer micro device is ted to decompose when the micro device receives the signal from the micro-disease detection system.

In some other embodiments of this invention, the auto-navigating system navigates the apparatus to a lesion and the apparatus performs a treatment in the lesion.

Another aspect of this invention relates to methods for fabricating a decomposable apparatus. Each method includes the following steps: providing a substrate; optionally depositing a liner material; depositing a first material onto the substrate, n the first material is decomposable; patterning the first material to create recessed areas in the layer of the first material; ting a second material onto the first material and the substrate, wherein the second material is different from the first material; planarizing or etch back the second al to stop on the layer of the first material; optionally repeating the above processes of forming a layer with at least two materials with at least one material decomposable to form le components; and removing the substrate.

Still another aspect of this invention relates to methods for fabricating a decomposable apparatus. Each method includes the following steps: providing a substrate; ally depositing a liner al; depositing a ﬁrst material onto the substrate, wherein the ﬁrst al is decomposable; depositing a photoresist onto the ﬁrst material; subjecting the photoresist to a UV light, visible light, an electromagnetic wave, electron, or an ion beam and developing the photoresist to a desired shape; etching the ﬁrst material using the remaining photoresist as a mask, to form a desired shape, and removing the remaining photoresist; depositing a second al onto the ﬁrst material and the substrate, wherein the second material is different from the ﬁrst material; planarizing or etch back the second material to stop on the layer of the ﬁrst material; ing the above processes to form additional layer or ures comprising of at least two materials with at least one of them decomposable; and removing the substrate.

In some embodiments, the substrate ses silicon, oxide, polysilicon, sapphire, a phosphate compound, a zirconium compound, or a calcium compound.

In some embodiments, the photoresist comprises methacryl, acryl, oc—(triﬂuoromethyl)—acryl, norbomene, vinyl, or styrene monomers with ﬂuoroalcohol.

In some embodiments, the ﬁrst material ses of silicon nitride, silicon e, n oxynitride, aluminum oxide, a metal (aluminum aluminum alloy, copper, copper alloy, and tungsten), and a semiconductor.

In some embodiments, the light with a desired wave length is e or invisible.

In some embodiments, the second material is also decomposable.

In some embodiments, the ﬁrst osable material comprises poly(lactide-co-glycolide), poly(lactide), poly(L-lactic acid), poly(D,L-lactic acid), polyglycolic acid, polyanhydride, poly(ortho ether), polyamino acid, engineered artiﬁcial protein, natural protein, biopolymer, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene oxide, polymethacrylic acid, polyacrylic acid, polyethylene glycol, alginate, collagen, gelatin, hyaluronic acid, a magnesium metal, a magnesium alloy, a calcium phosphate ceramic, glass, a calcium compound, a phosphate compound, an oxide, a silicon, a polysilicon, a n nitride, a silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide, aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper, tungsten, silver, an organic material, a biological material, or a composite thereof.

In some embodiments, the osable materials are combinations of decomposable materials and other micronized als that are not capable of osing.

The other materials, for e, glasses, or ceramics are fabricated into micro-sizes. The materials with such sizes, even though not capable of degradation, can be d from the human bodies easily.

In some embodiments, the second decomposable material comprises poly(lactide-co-glycolide), poly(lactide), poly(L-lactic acid), poly(D,L-lactic acid), polyglycolic acid, polyanhydride, poly(ortho ether), polyamino acid, engineered artificial n, natural protein, ymer, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene oxide, polymethacrylic acid, polyacrylic acid, polyethylene glycol, alginate, collagen, gelatin, hyaluronic acid, a magnesium metal, a magnesium alloy, a calcium phosphate ceramic, glass, a calcium compound, a phosphate compound, an oxide, a n, a polysilicon, a silicon nitride, a silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide, aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper, tungsten, silver, an organic material, a biological material, or a composite thereof.

In some embodiments, the decomposable materials are combinations of decomposable als and other micronized materials that are not capable of decomposing.

The other materials, for example, glasses, or ceramics are fabricated into micro-sizes. The materials with such sizes, even though not capable of degradation, can be removed from the human bodies easily.

In some ments, the decomposable material is activated to decompose when an extemal signal is applied to it. The signal can comprise, e.g., an electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, l, l, acoustical, biological, chemical, electro-mechanical, electro-chemical, o-optical, electro-thermal, electro-chemical-mechanical, bio-chemical, bio-mechanical, bio-optical, bio-thermal, bio-physical, bio-electro-mechanical, bio-electro-chemical, bio-electro-optical, bio-electro-thermal, chanical-optical, bio-mechanical l, bio-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-optical, bio-electro-mechanical-optical, bio-electro-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-mechanical, al or mechanical signal, or a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the electrical property is surface charge, surface potential, resting potential, electrical current, electrical field distribution, electrical dipole, electrical quadruple, three-dimensional electrical or charge cloud distribution, electrical properties at telomere of DNA and some, capacitance, or nce; the thermal property is temperature or vibrational frequency; the optical property is optical absorption, optical transmission, optical reﬂection, optical-electrical property, brightness, or ﬂuorescent emission; the chemical property is pH value, chemical reaction, bio-chemical reaction, bio-electro-chemical reaction, reaction speed, reaction , speed of reaction, oxygen tration, oxygen consumption rate, oxygen bonding site, oxygen bonding strength, local charge density due to oxygen atom and/or le properties and locations, local ionic y due to oxygen atom and/or le properties and locations, local electric field density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule properties and locations, ionic strength, catalytic behavior, chemical additives to trigger enhanced signal response, bio-chemical additives to trigger enhanced signal response, biological additives to trigger enhanced signal response, chemicals to enhance detection sensitivity, bio-chemicals to enhance detection sensitivity, biological additives to enhance detection sensitivity, or bonding strength; the physical property is y, shape, volume, or surface area; the biological property is surface shape, surface area, surface charge, surface ical property, e chemical property, pH, electrolyte, ionic strength, resistivity, cell concentration, property ng to a bio-marker, or biological, electrical, physical or chemical property of solution; the acoustic ty is frequency, speed of acoustic waves, acoustic frequency and intensity um distribution, acoustic intensity, acoustical absorption, or acoustical nce; the mechanical property is intemal pressure, hardness, ﬂow rate, viscosity, shear strength, elongation strength, fracture stress, adhesion, mechanical resonance frequency, elasticity, plasticity, or compressibility, wherein the above stated ties can be static or dynamic and changing.

In some embodiments, the decomposing material decomposes in a desired period of time, e.g., from a couple seconds to a couple weeks.

In some embodiments, the second material is planarized by al polishing, mechanical polishing, or chemical-mechanical polishing.

In some embodiments, etching ses wet etching, dry etching, or vapor etching.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises repeating the steps of etching an existing material, depositing another material, and planarizing the further deposited material to result in a decomposable apparatus comprising at least two layers.

Still another aspect of this invention provides methods for fabricating a osable apparatus, each sing the steps of: providing a substrate; optionally ting a thin layer of material which can be removed later to separate the apparatus thus fabricated from the ate; depositing a first material onto the substrate, wherein the first material is decomposable; patterning the first material with microelectronic technologies to form a ed area in the first al; depositing a second material onto the first material and the substrate, wherein the second al is different from the first material; planarizing the second material to remove the second material from the top of the first material and stopping on the layer of the first material; optionally repeating the patterning, depositing, and planarizing steps set forth above with one or more additional materials to give rise to the apparatus, wherein each of the one or more additional materials is different from the al deposited right before this one onal material; ally fabricating one or more onal components on the same substrate by repeating the depositing a new first material, patterning the new first material, depositing a new second material, or planarizing the new second material as describe above; and removing the optional thin layer from the substrate to separate the apparatus and optional additional components from the substrate.

Still another aspect of this invention provides methods for fabricating a decomposable apparatus, each comprising: providing a substrate; optionally depositing a thin layer of material which can be removed later to separate a material stack to be fabricated from the ate; ting a first material onto the substrate, wherein the first material is decomposable; patteming the first material with lithography and etch processes to form a ed area in the first material; depositing a second material onto the first material and the substrate, wherein the second material is different from the first material; planarizing the second material from the top of the first material and stopping on the layer of the first material; optionally repeating the patteming, depositing, and planarizing steps set forth above with one or more additional materials to build additional features (e.g., one or more even more complicated structures or functional units, such as a circuit including transistor, wiring, and interconnects), thus giving rise to the decomposable apparatus, wherein each of the one or more additional materials is different from the material deposited right before this one additional material; optionally repeating the depositing, patterning, depositing, or planarizing to fabricate one or more onal components which may or may not be connected to the apparatus; and removing the optional thin layer to separate the apparatus and optional additional components from the substrate.

Microelectronics technologies as bed in PCT/USZOll/042637 can also be used for the fabricating methods bed above.

As used herein, “a osable material” refers to a material that breaks down in Viva of a biological subject (e.g., a human being). It generally can be replaced with the term “a degradable al.” As used herein, a “component” or “sub-component” or “micro device” or “micro-device” typically refers to a device fabricated by microelectronics processes or technologies from one or more materials. Usually, the more complicated or functional a component or subcomponent is, the more types of materials will be used in fabricating them. es of the ent or sub-component or micro device include, but are not limited to, comparators, four-point probes, calculators, logic tries, memory units, micro-cutters, micro-hammers, micro-shields, micro-dyes, micro-pins, micro-knives, micro-needles, micro-thread holders, tweezers, micro-optical absorbers, micro-mirrors, micro-Wheelers, micro-filters, micro-choppers, micro-shredders, micro-pumps, micro-absorbers, micro-signal detectors, micro-drillers, micro-suckers, micro-testers, micro-containers, micro-inj , signal transmitters, signal generators, friction sensors, ical charge sensors, temperature sensors, hardness detectors, acoustic wave generators, optical wave generators, micro-heaters, heat tors, micro-refrigerators, and charge generators.

As used herein, “photoresist” refers to a light-sensitive material used to form a pattemed coating on a surface. For example, it can be used as a hard mask during etching 1310065565.

As used herein, the term “drug” refers to a chemical or ical element that has therapeutic or ceutical effect and is effective in reducing the severity of or eliminating a disease or disorder. Examples of the drug include, but are not limited to, both small molecule drugs and big molecular drugs such as proteins.

As used herein, the term “nano-drug” or “nano drug” refers to a nano-sized or nano-scale chemical or biological element that has therapeutic or pharmaceutical effect and is effective in reducing the severity of or eliminating a disease or disorder.

As used herein, the term “medical kit” refers to a kit that can be used to perform a medical procedure including, but not limited to, ne administration, surgery, disease detection, medical device tation, and cleaning, in a biological t.

As used herein, the term “apparatus” refers to an ment which typically comprises of at least one component, and can be used to perform l functions in a biological subject.

As used herein, the term “micro-device” refers to a device fabricated by microelectronics or semiconductor processes which typically has integrated, multiple components, and can be used to perform a wide range of tasks in a biological subject.

As used herein, the term “a micro-disease detection system” refers to a system that can detect disease based on a property at the microscopic level of a biological subject.

As used , the term “auto-navigation system” refers to a system that can automatically navigate , either with a demand pre-entered into it or with a demand that is icated to it in situ.

As used herein, the term “interlaced ure” refers to a structure constructed by at least two basic types of geometrical units, with one type of unit surrounded by the other types of units (for example, one cube of unit type A is surrounded by six cubes of unit type B).

Geometrically, the two types of basic units can be the same (for example, both are cubes of the same size and shape). But they may have different properties (for example, comprising different materials, different thermal expansion coefficients, different optical tion properties, different melting points, etc.). One unique feature of this “interlaced structure” is that when one of the two types of basic units shrinks, melts, evaporates, or dissolves or otherwise change its geometric parameter (e.g., size or volume or shape), the whole structure is interrupted and decomposed into smaller pieces, with the t size after the decomposition equal to the size of the largest basic unit, resulting in the disintegration of the structure. For example, if an interlaced cube structure of 1 mmx 1 mmx 1 mm in size is made of two types of basic cube units of 1 micron x 1 micron x 1 micron in size, after one of the basic type of cubes shrinks (in size), it will decompose into smaller pieces with size no larger than 1 micronx 1 micronx 1 micron.

As used herein, the term “decomposition” or “decompose,” either by itself or as part of a combined word (e.g., “decomposable”), unless otherwise speciﬁed in more detail (for example, decomposed at the lar level), refers to the partial or complete degradation or breakdown of the material into smaller piece or ng blocks or components or molecules.

Or, in other words, the term “decomposition” or “decompose” or “decomposable” as used herein, unless otherwise speciﬁed in more detail (e.g., decomposing at the molecular level), generally means that an original matter (e.g., an apparatus of a size on the order of 1 mmx 1 mx 1 mm) is separated into smaller pieces (e.g., into pieces of 1/100 of its original linear size, 10 microns x 10 microns x 10 microns). Speciﬁcally, there are at least two levels of decomposition. At the ﬁrst level, a material can be decomposed at or to the molecular level at a desired environment such as in a d gas, a desired solution, a desired temperature, or a desired optical energy. As an example of the decomposition at the molecular level, a silicon dioxide material can be dissolved in a hydroﬂuoric acid (HF) solution, decomposing (dissolving) at the molecular level. Such decomposition to the lar level does not require that the material decompose to the smallest le possible, rather, decomposition to a molecule of a lower molecular weight (or a r chain of a r molecule) would also sufﬁce. At the second level, a material, e.g., a composite material or structure fabricated by the methods described , can be decomposed from its ally relatively large size (for example, millimeter in size) into a much smaller size (for example, 0.1 micron in size). One such example is a composite block of 1 micron (in thickness) by 500 microns (in width) by 1000 microns (in ) ting of silicon dioxide and polysilicon in alternating cubes (1 micron x 1 micron x 1 micron in dimension) fabricated using the semiconductor processes disclosed in this application. When this composite block is ged in an HF solution, with silicon dioxide ved in the solution, the 1 micron x 500 micron x 1000 micron composite block is decomposed into many 1 micron x 1 micron x 1 micron polysilicon pieces, which are much smaller than that of the original composite block. The advantages of this second approach (to which this invention particularly relates to) include: (1) many useful materials which cannot be used for in vivo medical applications due to their inability to decompose now can be utilized, (2) the composite materials can be stronger (for example, mechanically stronger), more stable (e.g., chemically), and more ile than the currently used biological materials or biodegradable or biocompatible materials, and (3) with sed choices for materials, more functionality and higher performance for in viva medical ations can be achieved with the composite materials using for the apparatus of this ion or for the fabrication methods disclosed herein.

For the decomposable apparatus of this invention, decomposition can be triggered by one method or a combination of the two or more methods which include but are not limited to: (a) decomposition in a desired environment which is often inside a biological system (i.e., in WW) and which can a gas, a solid, a liquid such as a blood steam, a low pH ﬂuid (e.g., a ﬂuid in a human stomach), an urine, or a mucus) and in which the apparatus is placed or moved to, (b) an al signal which will in turn trigger an event to decompose the apparatus ( for example, the signal can trigger the launch of an acoustic wave, a heat pulse, a laser team, or ical pulse to decompose the apparatus), and (c) release of an agent such as a gas, ﬂuid, or an energy which has been stored within the apparatus which is released at pre-programmed time, by remote control, or by an extemal signal.

The decomposable apparatus of this ion typically comprises blocks with (l) material(s) which can be decomposed at the molecular level; (2) at least two materials which form interlaced patterns, with at least one material which can be osed at molecular level; or (3) at least two materials which are fabricated to form interlaced pattems with at least one of them whose size can be reduced in a desired environment, by a triggering signal, or by a decomposing agent or decomposing means stored in the apparatus. [82A] In another aspect, this invention es a medical apparatus comprising: a first sub-component implantable or ingestible in a body, the first mponent comprising a drug, a l kit, a micro-disease detection system, or an auto-navigation system; a second sub-component, the second sub-component comprising a decomposable material that is integrated with the first sub-component, wherein decomposition of the decomposable al of the second sub-component causes breaking up of the whole apparatus, wherein the second sub-component comprises at least first ns of a first type of material and second portions of a second type of material, the first and second portions being arranged in a pattern in an interlaced structure of the first and second portions, at least the first type of material being decomposable material; an activation device or a reagent to produce an activation signal, wherein decomposition of the material of the second mponent is triggered by application of the activation signal to the second sub-component. [82B] Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the ion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

As used herein, the term “package” as in “packaging” refers to integrating (wherein the packaged t becomes part of the ing material) or enclosing (wherein the packaged element is inside or encircled by the packaging material).

As used herein, a “biological material” refers a material that is naturally ing and may or may not have been modified. Examples of such biological materials e protein, chitosan, rubber, or ne polymer.

As used herein, an “organic material” refers to a al that is largely based on carbon and hydrogen, optionally with other elements such as halo or nitrogen or . It contrasts with inorganic materials.

As used herein, the term “photoresist” refers to a light-sensitive material used in several industrial processes, such as photolithography and photoengraving to form a pattemed coating on a surface.

Brief Descriptions of the Figures Figure 1 shows a novel fabrication s of a decomposing apparatus, wherein micro-electronic technologies and processes are used during the fabrication.

Figure 2 shows a novel decomposing apparatus with two drugs integrated onto a decomposable material, wherein the decomposing apparatus dissolves and releases the two drugs in vivo in human bodies.

Figure 3 shows another novel decomposing apparatus with two drugs integrated with a decomposable material, wherein the two drugs are arranged in two layers.

Figure 4 shows yet another decomposing apparatus wherein three drugs are integrated onto a decomposable material and arranged in three layers.

Figure 5 shows a nano-drug delivery apparatus with nano-drug les integrated onto a decomposable al. The nano-drug particles will be released when the decomposable material dissolves.

Figure 6 shows yet another nano-drug delivery apparatus, wherein two drugs are integrated onto a osable material. The two drugs are released when the decomposable material dissolves.

Figure 7 shows a nano-drug delivery apparatus wherein two drugs are integrated onto a decomposable material in two layers. The drugs are released from the tus when the decomposable material dissolves.

Figure 8 shows an array of drug delivery apparatus with inner layers and outer layers of decomposable materials and at least two drugs. One of the drugs is packaged by the inner layer of decomposable material, while the second drug is sandwiched n the outer and inner layers of decomposable material. Such an arrangement enables the drugs being released at different times.

Figure 9 illustrates an apparatus of this invention n micro-disease detection apparatus are integrated into the inner and outer layers of decomposable materials. The micro-disease detection apparatus sends an extemal signal to the decomposable material and activates the decomposition. Consequently, the drug that has been packaged by the layer is released. The two drugs are released at different times.

Figure 10 illustrates a novel process ﬂow for ating a decomposable apparatus of this invention by utilizing microelectronics technologies and processes.

Figure 11 illustrates another method for fabricating a decomposable apparatus of this invention.

Figure 12 illustrates a process ﬂow for fabricating a decomposable apparatus of this invention with electrical MOS-FET —oxide—semiconductor field-effect transistor) functions.

Detailed Descriptions of the ion The present invention in general relates to a class of innovative decomposing apparatus which utilizes building blocks and/or sub-components integrated with decomposable als using the state-of-the-art micro-electronics technologies and ses. In this innovative approach, building blocks of medical apparatus, instruments, or drug carriers are comprised of at least two als where at least one material can be decomposed (or disintegrated) which will result in disintegration of the building block into much smaller pieces (for example, as small as 0.1 micron in size). For e, a building block (for example, a cube) of a size of 100 microns x 100 microns x 100 microns in volume can be decomposed into smaller pieces of 0.1 micron x 0.1 micron x 0.1 micron in volume.

Meanwhile, because the surface area is increased greatly, the disintegrated micro or nano particles exhibits quite different chemical / physical properties with respect to the same macro object, and they are much more chemically reactive and prone to be degradable. The osition (or disintegration) can be triggered by ting with a desired solution, gas, or solid. A decomposition (or disintegration) can also be triggered by an al signal.

With this disclosed, innovative approach, many innovative, miniaturized medical devices, instruments, apparatus, and carriers can be more ively and y utilized in existing and future medical applications in vivo, enabling more design options, treatment capabilities, and more materials for in vivo medical applications.

One aspect of the present invention relates to decomposing or decomposable tus for the purpose of disintegrating and decomposing in viva (e.g., in a human being, an organ, or a tissue). Each apparatus includes at least one mponent and at least one decomposable material. The sub-component is a functional component which can be, for example but are not limited to, a drug, a medical kit, a micro-disease detection system, or an auto-navigation system. The decomposable material can be poly(lactide-co-glycolide), poly(lactide), poly(L-lactic acid), poly(D,L-lactic acid), polyglycolic acid, polyanhydride, poly(ortho ether), polyamino acid, engineered cial protein, natural n, biopolymer, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene oxide, polymethacrylic acid, polyacrylic acid, polyethylene glycol, alginate, collagen, n, hyaluronic acid, a magnesium metal, a magnesium alloy, a calcium phosphate ceramic, glass, a calcium compound, a phosphate compound, an oxide, a n, a polysilicon, a silicon nitride, a silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide, um, aluminum alloy, , tungsten, , an organic material, or a biological material.

The apparatus of this invention and those fabricated by the methods of this invention may have a wide range of designs, structures, functionalities, and features. ic examples of the above described apparatus with decomposition and disintegration features include, but are not limited to, voltage comparators, four-point probes, calculators, logic circuitries, memory units, micro-cutters, hammers, micro-shields, micro-dyes, micro-pins, micro-knives, micro-needles, micro-thread holders, micro-tweezers, micro-optical absorbers, micro-mirrors, micro-Wheelers, filters, micro-choppers, micro-shredders, micro-pumps, micro-absorbers, micro-signal ors, micro-drillers, micro-suckers, micro-testers, micro-containers, micro-injectors, signal transmitters, signal generators, friction sensors, electrical charge sensors, temperature sensors, hardness detectors, ic wave tors, optical wave generators, micro-heaters, heat generators, micro-refrigerators, and charge generators. In addition to the s of this invention, these apparatus can also be ated by other methods as known in the art or described elsewhere, e.g., in ZOIO/049298, PCT/USZOll/024672, US 12/416,280, PCT/USZOll/042637, and PCT/USZOlO/041001, the contents of all of Which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

The other materials, for example, glasses, or ceramics are fabricated into micro-sizes. The materials with such sizes, even though are not capable of degradation, can be removed from the human bodies easily.

As a key component of the apparatus, the decomposable material shall be capable of breaking down into smaller pieces or decomposing under given ions, e.g., in the presence of an external signal. Such an al signal can be, for instance, an electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, thermal, optical, ical, biological, chemical, electro-mechanical, electro-chemical, electro-optical, electro-thermal, electro-chemical-mechanical, bio-chemical, bio-mechanical, tical, bio-thermal, bio-physical, bio-electro-mechanical, bio-electro-chemical, bio-electro-optical, ectro-thermal, bio-mechanical-optical, bio-mechanical thermal, bio-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-optical, ectro-mechanical-optical, bio-electro-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-mechanical, physical or mechanical , or a combination thereof Examples of the electrical property include, but are not limited to, surface charge, surface potential, resting potential, action potential, electrical voltage, ical current, electrical field distribution, electrical charge distribution, electric dipole, electric quadruple, three-dimensional electrical or charge cloud distribution, electrical properties at telomere of DNA and chromosome, dynamic changes in electrical properties, dynamic changes in potential, dynamic changes in surface charge, c changes in current, c changes in electrical field, dynamic changes in electrical voltage, dynamic changes in electrical distribution, dynamic changes in electronic cloud distribution, or impedance. Examples of the thermal property include, but are not limited to, temperature or vibrational frequency. es of the optical property include, but are not limited to, optical absorption, l transmission, optical reﬂection, optical-electrical property, brightness, or cent on. Examples of the chemical property include, but are not limited to, pH value, al reaction, emical reaction, ectro-chemical reaction, reaction speed, reaction energy, oxygen concentration, oxygen consumption rate, ionic strength, catalytic behavior, or g strength. Examples of the physical property include, but are not limited to, density or geometric size; the acoustic property is frequency, speed of acoustic waves, ic frequency and intensity spectrum distribution, acoustic intensity, acoustical absorption, or acoustical resonance. Examples of the mechanical property include, but are not limited to, intemal pressure, hardness, shear strength, elongation strength, fracture stress, adhesion, mechanical resonance frequency, elasticity, city, or compressibility.

Consequently, the sub-component integrated onto the decomposable material is released from the apparatus in vivo (e.g., in a human body) to start the treatment. One example of such an apparatus comprises a drug integrated onto a decomposable material.

When the apparatus breaks down or the material degrades, the drug is ed from the apparatus for the treatment of a disease.

In some embodiments, the decomposable material decomposes in a controlled manner, e.g., over a desired period of time. There is no limitation of a m or maximum time period in current invention. The desired period of time depends on the demands in different surgeries or treatment. Some examples of such a time period include, for example, from a couple seconds to a couple weeks.

In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises a sub-component and a osable material, n they are integrated and arranged in one layer. When applying an extemal signal to the apparatus, the decomposable material breaks down and consequently releases the sub-component for further treatment. The geometric dimension of the drug is decided during ation process of such an apparatus.

Yet in some other embodiments, the current invention includes two sub-components and a decomposable material, n they are integrated and arranged into either one layer or two layers. The two mponents can be, for example, a drug, a medical kit, a micro-disease ion system, or an auto-navigation system, respectively. They can be both drugs of different kinds. When an external signal is applied to the decomposable material, the two sub-components release from the apparatus for ent of a disease, or detection of a disease.

One embodiment of such an apparatus ses at least one of the sub-components being a micro-disease detection system. The system can detect a e in Viva (e.g., in a human body) and send a signal to the apparatus. Consequently, the signal will activate the decomposition of the decomposable material and thus led to the result of breakdown of the tus.

In yet other embodiment of current invention, the apparatus comprises two layers of decomposable materials packaging two or more drugs within the layers. One example of such an invention comprises an inner layer of decomposable material which packaged a first drug inside of the layer, and an outer layer of decomposable material packaged a second drug between the outer layer and the inner layer of decomposable materials. The first and second drugs can be same or ent.

When receiving an external signal, i.e., an electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, thermal, optical, acoustical, biological, chemical, electro-mechanical, electro-chemical, electro-optical, electro-thermal, electro-chemical-mechanical, bio-chemical, bio-mechanical, bio-optical, bio-thermal, bio-physical, bio-electro-mechanical, bio-electro-chemical, ectro-optical, bio-electro-thermal, bio-mechanical-optical, chanical thermal, bio-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-optical, bio-electro-mechanical-optical, bio-electro-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-mechanical, physical or mechanical signal, or a combination thereof, the outer layer of decomposable material may break down and release the second drug for further treatment.

The inner layer of decomposable material will break down afterward when it also es an external signal as described above. The first drug packaged in the inner layer will then be released for further treatment.

Since the two layers are decomposed at different times, consequently, the two drugs are released at different times.

Yet another embodiment of current invention further comprises at least two apparatus as ned above integrated together, wherein at least four drugs are packaged within the tus. At least two drugs are packaged within inner layers of decomposable materials, and at least two drugs are ched between outer layers and inner layers of decomposable materials. The drugs packaged in the same layers can be same or different.

Still another embodiment of current provides an apparatus comprising two layers of decomposable als, two drugs packaged within each layer, and at least one sub-component integrated onto one or two layers of the decomposable materials. The sub-component can include, but are not d to, a micro-disease detection system, or an auto-navigation system. When the micro-disease detection system is integrated onto the inner or outer layer of the decomposable material, it will send an external signal to the layer and thus activate the decomposition. The corresponding layer then breaks down and thus es the drug being packaged.

One further aspect of current invention provides a fabricating process of a decomposing apparatus, comprising providing a substrate, depositing a first material onto the substrate, depositing a photoresist onto the first material. Examples of suitable photoresist includes, but are not limited to, ryl, acryl, iﬂuoromethyl)-acryl, norbomene, vinyl, styrene monomers with ﬂuoroalcohol.

The photoresist is further exposed to and ped using a light with a desired wave length, an electromagnetic wave, electron, or an ion beam.

Then the ﬁrst al is etched (e.g., by dry etch, wet etch, or vapor etch) using the remaining photoresist as a hard mask, to r the shape of the remaining photoresist to the ﬁrst al.

A second material can then be deposited onto the ﬁrst material and the substrate, and planarized (e.g., by chemical polishing, mechanical polishing, or chemical-mechanical polishing) to stop on the layer of the ﬁrst material. Alternatively, the second material can be etched back to the top of the ﬁrst material, with the second material remaining in the portions of the ed areas in the ﬁrst material.

Finally, the substrate is removed, giving rise to decomposable apparatus comprising the ﬁrst and second materials which may be altematively ed or conﬁgured.

The ﬁrst material may comprise a drug, a medical kit, a micro-disease detection system, or an auto-navigation system.

Sequentially, the photoresist is developed to remove portion of the photoresist, leaving the ing part of photoresist a desired shape. The photoresist is used as a hard mask during the planarization of the ﬁrst material to pass the desired shape to the ﬁrst material. And then the remaining photoresist is d.

The fabrication process may comprise repeating the above-described steps to form one or more layers of integrated sub-components and decomposable material.

The decomposable tus thus fabricated may be activated by an external signal and decompose. Examples of a suitable signal include an electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, thermal, optical, acoustical, ical, al, electro-mechanical, electro-chemical, electro-optical, electro-thermal, electro-chemical-mechanical, bio-chemical, bio-mechanical, bio-optical, bio-thermal, bio-physical, bio-electro-mechanical, bio-electro-chemical, bio-electro-optical, bio-electro-thermal, bio-mechanical-optical, bio-mechanical thermal, ermal-optical, ectro-chemical-optical, bio-electro-mechanical-optical, bio-electro-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-mechanical, physical or mechanical signal, or a combination thereof.

The apparatus thus fabricated breaks down into small pieces in the presence of above mentioned signal.

Set forth below are several examples of apparatus of this invention containing at least one sub-component and at least one decomposable material, and of their fabrication process.

These examples are provided only for ration of some aspects of this invention and should not be interpreting as limiting in any way.

Figure 1 illustrates a novel fabrication process of a decomposing apparatus. A material 0102 is deposited onto the substrate 0101 (Figure 1(a)). A photoresist 0103 is then ted onto material 0102 (Figure l(b)) and then exposed and developed using lights with a speciﬁed wave length (Figure l(c)). The remaining n of photoresist 0103 is used as a hard mask when etching material 0102 to form a desired shape (Figure l(d)). The photoresist 0103 can then be removed from material 0102 (Figure l(e)). A material 0104 is then deposited onto material 0102 and substrate 0101 e l(f)). Material 0104 can then be planarized (e.g., by a chemical, mechanical, or chemical-mechanical polishing s) (Figure l(g)). Finally substrate 0101 is removed (Figure l(h)) to result in a decomposable tus. When activated by an external , material 0104 will decompose and consequently, the apparatus will break down into pieces, material 0102 will be released from the apparatus.

A decomposable apparatus comprising at least two sub-components can be formed by repeating the steps as shown in Figure l.

Figure 2 shows another novel decomposing apparatus comprising als 0201, 0202 and 0203 (Figure 2(a)). Material 0201 is a decomposable material which decomposes in the presence of an external signal. uently, materials 0202 and 0203 are released from the apparatus as small pieces e 2(b)).

Even more complex apparatus can be formed by repeating the steps shown in Figure 1. Speciﬁcally, as illustrated in Figure 3, an apparatus can be arranged into two layers.

Materials 0301, 0302 and 0303 are integrated onto each other and arranged into two layers.

Material 0301 is a decomposable material which can decompose in the presence of an extemal signal. Materials 0302 and 0303 are thus released from the apparatus as small pieces. The geometric dimensions of materials 0302 and 0303 are decided by the shape of the remaining photoresist during exposure process.

Another example of this invention provides a decomposing apparatus with three layers (Figure 4(a)) wherein at least three materials are integrated onto the decomposable al and arranged into three decomposable layers. Once the decomposable material decomposes, the three materials will be released at small pieces (Figure 4(b)).

As a principle, the current invention can provide even more complex apparatus with more layers of decomposable material integrating with different materials.

One e of the current invention is a nano-drug delivery apparatus as shown in Figure 5. Here, a decomposable material 0501 is integrated with a nano-drug 0502 to form an apparatus of current invention (Figure 5(a)). The decomposable al 0501 is capable of dissolving in the presence of an external signal, e.g., an electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, thermal, optical, acoustical, biological, chemical, electro-mechanical, electro-chemical, electro-optical, o-thermal, electro-chemical-mechanical, bio-chemical, bio-mechanical, bio-optical, bio-thermal, bio-physical, bio-electro-mechanical, bio-electro-chemical, bio-electro-optical, bio-electro-thermal, bio-mechanical-optical, bio-mechanical thermal, bio-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-optical, ectro-mechanical-optical, bio-electro-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-mechanical, physical or mechanical signal, or a combination thereof. The nano-drug 0502 is then released for treatment of a disease.

Figure 6 illustrates another example of a nano-drug ry tus. In this example, nano-drugs 0602 and 0603 are integrated onto decomposable material 0601 and arranged at one layer (Figure 6(a)). The drugs 0602 and 0603 are different drugs.

Decomposable material 0601 will dissolve in the presence of an external .

Consequently, nano-drugs 0602 and 0603 are released from the tus for treatment of a disease (Figure 6(b)).

Such an apparatus can be extended as a two-layer apparatus as rated in Figure 7.

In this e, nano-drugs 0702 and 0703 are integrated onto decomposable material 0701 and arranged as two . Nano-drug 0702 can be the same or different as nano-drug 0703. Decomposable material 0701 dissolves when an external signal is applied to the apparatus, then nano-drugs 0702 and 0703 are ed as small pieces for treatment of a disease.

Understandably, such an apparatus can include additional multiple layers of decomposable material integrated with other materials, and multiple types of drugs in different layers.

Figure 8 shows another embodiment of this ion. In this embodiment, the apparatus for carrying drugs as shown in Figure 8(a) comprises a drug 0803, an inner layer of decomposable material 0804, a drug 0801, and an outer layer of decomposable material 0802.

The inner layer of decomposable material es drug 0803 inside of the layer. Drug 0801 is sandwiched n the inner and outer layers of the decomposable material. It can be the same or different as drug 0803 (Figure 8(a)).

When using the apparatus in vivo of a human body, the outer layer of decomposable material decomposes in the presence of an extemal signal. Drug 0802 is firstly released from the apparatus (Figure 8(b)). In the same way, the inner layer of decomposable al will decompose in the presence of an extemal signal, and drug 0803 will be released.

Since the drug 0801 and 0803 are located in different layers, they are released at different times. Drug 0801 can be the same or different as drug 0803.

Figure 8(c) is another example of this invention comprising two inner layers of decomposable materials 0816 and 0817, which packages drugs 0812 and 0814, respectively.

The outer layer of decomposable material 0815 is divided into two parts, wherein two drugs 0811 and 0813 are ched between layer 0815 and layers 0816 and 0817, respectively.

Drugs 0811 and 0813 can be same or different, and drugs 0812 and 0814 can also be same or different.

In principle, the apparatus of t invention can include multiple tments and multiple inner layers.

Figure 9 illustrates another novel apparatus of this invention comprising an inner layer of decomposable al 0904 and an outer layer of decomposable material 0902.

Drug 0903 is packaged in layer 0904, and drug 0901 is sandwiched between layers 0904 and 0902. Micro-disease detection systems 0905 and 0906 are integrated onto the inner and outer layers 0904 and 0902, respectively (Figure 9(a)).

The ion system 0906 can detect diseases in vivo (e.g., in a human body). It will then send a signal to the layer 0902 and then te its decomposition, thus releasing the drug 0901. In the same way, detection system 0905 will send a signal to layer 0902 and activate the decomposition of layer 0902, thus releasing drug 0903. Drugs 0901 and 0903 can be same or different. They can be released from the apparatus at different times.

Optionally, an auto-navigation system can be integrated into the apparatus by which the apparatus can be navigated to the lesions and perform ent.

Figure 10 illustrates a novel process ﬂow for fabricating a decomposable apparatus of this invention by utilizing microelectronics technologies and processes. In this process, an insulation al 1002 is first deposited onto a substrate 1001 (Figure 10(a)), coated with a photoresist 1003 (Figure 10(b). It is then masking eXposed with a light with a specified wave length (e.g., a visible or ble light), electromagnetic wave, or electron or ion beams, and then being developed (Figure 10(c)).

An etching process is then followed to transfer the pattern from the photoresist to material 1002 (Figure 10(d), and the remaining photoresist is removed (Figure 10(e)) before r tion material 1004 is deposited (Figure 10(e)). Deposited material 1004 is ized by polishing (e.g., mechanical polishing, chemical ing, or chemical mechanical polishing) as shown in Figure 10(g). A conductive material 1005 is then deposited (Figure 10(h)), and then pattemed by lithography and etch process (Figure 10(i)).

Another conductive material 1006 is then deposited (Figure 10(1)) and planarized by polishing (e.g., mechanical polishing, chemical polishing, or chemical mechanical polishing) as shown in Figure 10(k). The conductive layer 1006 is then ned by lithography and etch (Figure 10(1)), followed by depositing the insulating material 1002. (The insulating material can be the same or different with regard to the material used in prior process (Figure (m)). The insulating layer 1002 is planarized by a CMP s (Figure 10(n)) and then patterned by lithography and etch process (Figure 10(0)), followed by depositing (Figure (p)) and planarizing by CMP (Figure 10(q)) of the insulating material 1004, which is ent from the material in the same layer.

Then the substrate is stripped (Figure 10(r)). Hereby, the generic prototype whose insolating layer and conducting layer are both decomposable is then fabricated. It is electrically equivalent to the device illustrated in (Figure 10(r)), which is composed of a conductive wiring embedded in insulating layer.

By repeating steps b, c, d, e, f, and g as shown in Figure 10, a decomposable apparatus which comprises multiple (more than 2) types of components can be ated.

As is shown in Figure 2(a), the apparatus contains 3 types of components, 0201, 0202, and 0203. As is illustrated in Figure 2(b), when material 0201 is dissolved at a given condition, the device is decomposed and breaks down into smaller pieces 0202 and 0203. The smaller ’ geometric shape and dimensions are deﬁned by the mask used when exposure.

When a specific signal is given or being place in a particular environment, or being etched by specific etchant, ting material 1002, and conductive al 1005 s in its geometric parameter (e. g., size) (Figure 10(t)), then the apparatus starts to decompose into smaller pieces (Figure 10(u)).

By repeating the steps illustrated in Figure 10, more complicated decomposable apparatus comprising multiple (more than 1) decomposable insulating and conductive layers or materials can be ated e 10(v)).

Figure 11 illustrates another method for fabricating a decomposable tus of this invention. A liner layer 1102 and outer layer 1103 are deposited on the substrate 1101 (Figure ll(a)). The layer 1103 is then patterned by lithography and etch (Figure ll(b)), and a liner layer 1104 is selectively deposited around the 1103 pattern (Figure ll(c)). Another layer 1105 is then deposited (Figure ll(d)), planarized by CMP (Figure ll(e)), and the substrate 1101 is then stripped off. Hereby, a decomposable device is fabricated.

After the liner layer 1102 and 1104 are etched or ved at specific conditions (Figure , the apparatus decomposes into r pieces (Figure ll(g)).

Figure 12 illustrates a process ﬂow for fabricating a decomposable apparatus of this invention with electrical MOS-FET functions. On substrate 1205, a trench 1206 is first fabricated by lithography and etch (Figure 12(b)). Material 1207 is then deposited and planarized (Figure 12(c)). Then a transistor’s source, drain and gate are fabricated by ional microelectronic processes e 12(d)). An ting dielectric is fabricated with novel process as described in Figure 10, with insolating material 1208 and 1209 being interlaced deposited and pattemed (Figure 12(e)). The contact hole 1210 is patterned by lithography and etch process (Figure 12(f)) and conducting material 1211 is then deposited to fill the contact hole and subsequently ized (Figure 12(g)). 1211 is the transistor’s device body (source, drain, and gate); 1212 is the interconnecting VIA; 1213 is interconnecting wiring, and 1214 is interconnecting t.

By the same process, VIA holes and interconnections can be fabricated (Figure 12(h)), thus giving a MOS-FET (i.e., metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor) with interconnections. The apparatus illustrated in Figure 12(h) is electrically equivalent to the one shown in Figure 12(i). After substrate grinding, the osable T is fabricated (Figure 12 (j)), and then the apparatus can be osed into smaller pieces when sub-components dissolve or shrink at specific conditions.

Other Embodiments It is to be understood that while the invention has been described in conjunction with the detailed description thereof, the foregoing ption is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims. Other aspects, advantages, and modifications are within the scope of the following claims. All publications or patent application nced herein are incorporated by reference in their entireties.

Claims

What Is Claimed Is:

1. A medical apparatus comprising: a first sub-component table or ingestible in a body, the first sub-component comprising a drug, a medical kit, a micro-disease detection , or an auto-navigation system; a second sub-component, the second sub-component comprising a decomposable al that is integrated with the first sub-component, wherein decomposition of the decomposable material of the second sub-component causes ng up of the whole apparatus, wherein the second sub-component comprises at least first portions of a first type of material and second portions of a second type of material, the first and second portions being arranged in a pattern in an interlaced structure of the first and second ns, at least the first type of material being decomposable material; an activation device or a reagent to produce an activation , wherein decomposition of the material of the second sub-component is red by application of the tion signal to the second sub-component.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the decomposable al comprises a protein, polypeptide, polysaccharide, polyester, polyorthoester, polycaprolactone, polydioxanone, an organic material, or a biological material.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first subcomponent comprises poly(lactide-co-glycolide), poly(lactide), poly(L-lactic acid), poly(D,L-lactic acid), polyglycolic acid, polyanhydride, poly(ortho ether), polyamino acid, engineered artificial protein, natural protein, biopolymer, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene oxide, polymethacrylic acid, polyacrylic acid, polyethylene glycol, alginate, collagen, gelatin, hyaluronic acid, a magnesium metal, a magnesium alloy, a m phosphate ceramic, glass, a calcium compound, a phosphate compound, an oxide, a silicon, a polysilicon, a silicon nitride, a silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide, aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper, tungsten, silver, an organic material, a semiconductor al, an inorganic al, a biological material, or a composite thereof.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the decomposable material decomposes in vivo after being triggered by the activation signal, the application signal being an external signal which comprises an electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, thermal, optical, acoustical, biological, chemical, electro-mechanical, electro-chemical, electro-optical, electro-thermal, electro-chemical-mechanical, bio-chemical, bio-mechanical, bio-optical, ermal, ysical, bio-electro-mechanical, bio-electro-chemical, bio-electro-optical, bio-electro-thermal, bio-mechanical-optical, bio-mechanical thermal, ermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-optical, bio-electro-mechanical-optical, ectro-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-mechanical, al or mechanical signal, or a combination thereof.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the electrical property is surface , surface potential, resting ial, electrical current, electrical field distribution, electrical dipole, electrical quadruple, three-dimensional electrical or charge cloud distribution, electrical properties at telomere of DNA and chromosome, capacitance, or impedance; the thermal property is ature or vibrational frequency; the optical property is optical absorption, optical transmission, l reflection, optical-electrical property, brightness, or scent emission; the chemical property is pH value, chemical reaction, bio-chemical reaction, bio-electro-chemical reaction, reaction speed, reaction energy, speed of reaction, oxygen concentration, oxygen consumption rate, oxygen bonding site, oxygen bonding strength, local charge density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule properties and locations, local ionic density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule properties and locations, local electric field density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule properties and ons, ionic strength, catalytic behavior, chemical ves to trigger enhanced signal response, bio-chemical additives to trigger enhanced signal response, biological additives to trigger enhanced signal response, chemicals to enhance detection sensitivity, bio-chemicals to enhance detection sensitivity, biological additives to enhance detection sensitivity, or bonding strength; the physical ty is density, shape, volume, or e area; the biological property is surface shape, surface area, surface charge, surface biological property, surface chemical property, pH, electrolyte, ionic strength, ivity, cell concentration, property relating to a bio-marker, or biological, electrical, physical or chemical property of solution; the acoustic property is ncy, speed of acoustic waves, acoustic frequency and ity spectrum distribution, acoustic intensity, acoustical absorption, or acoustical resonance; the mechanical property is internal pressure, hardness, flow rate, viscosity, shear strength, elongation strength, fracture stress, adhesion, ical resonance frequency, elasticity, plasticity, or compressibility, and each of the properties can be static or dynamic and changing.

6. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the decomposable material completely decomposes or partially degrades in geometry within a desired period of time.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the d period of time ranges from one second to two weeks.

8. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the apparatus can be osed to smaller pieces on the order of 0.1 micron in size.

9. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the apparatus can be decomposed to smaller pieces on the order of below 0.1 micron in size.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first sub-component comprises the micro-disease detection system, wherein, when the micro-disease detection system detects a e, the activation signal is sent to the second sub-component to trigger the osition.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, n the signal comprises electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, l, optical, acoustical, ical, chemical, o-mechanical, electro-chemical, electro-optical, electro-thermal, electro-chemical-mechanical, bio-chemical, bio-mechanical, bio-optical, bio-thermal, bio-physical, bio-electro-mechanical, bio-electro-chemical, bio-electro-optical, bio-electro-thermal, bio-mechanical-optical, bio-mechanical thermal, ermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-optical, bio-electro-mechanical-optical, bio-electro-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-mechanical, physical or mechanical signal, or a ation thereof.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the electrical property is surface charge, surface potential, resting potential, electrical current, electrical field distribution, electrical dipole, electrical ple, three-dimensional electrical or charge cloud distribution, ical properties at telomere of DNA and chromosome, capacitance, or impedance; the thermal property is temperature or vibrational frequency; the optical property is optical absorption, optical transmission, l reflection, l-electrical property, brightness, or fluorescent emission; the chemical property is pH value, chemical reaction, bio-chemical reaction, bio-electro-chemical reaction, reaction speed, reaction energy, speed of reaction, oxygen concentration, oxygen consumption rate, oxygen bonding site, oxygen bonding strength, local charge density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule properties and locations, local ionic density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule properties and locations, local electric field density due to oxygen atom and/or molecule properties and locations, ionic strength, catalytic behavior, chemical additives to trigger enhanced signal response, bio-chemical additives to trigger enhanced signal response, biological additives to trigger enhanced signal response, chemicals to enhance detection sensitivity, bio-chemicals to e detection sensitivity, biological additives to enhance detection sensitivity, or bonding strength; the physical property is density, shape, volume, or surface area; the biological property is surface shape, surface area, surface charge, surface ical property, surface chemical property, pH, electrolyte, ionic strength, resistivity, cell tration, property relating to a bio-marker, or biological, electrical, physical or chemical property of solution; the acoustic property is ncy, speed of acoustic waves, acoustic frequency and intensity um distribution, acoustic intensity, ical absorption, or acoustical resonance; the mechanical property is internal pressure, hardness, flow rate, ity, shear strength, elongation strength, fracture stress, adhesion, mechanical resonance ncy, elasticity, plasticity, or compressibility, wherein the above stated properties can be static or c and changing.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, n the first sub-component comprises the auto-navigating system, n the auto-navigating system navigates the apparatus to a lesion and the apparatus performs a treatment in the lesion.

14. The tus of any one of the preceding claims, n the first and second portions are arranged in at least one layer of uniform ess.

15. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first and second portions are provided substantially in the shape of cubes.