Patent Publication Number: US-2020289747-A1

Title: Device, system and methods for the oral delivery of therapeutic compounds

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent Ser. No. 15/674,421, filed Aug. 10, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,632,251; which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/244,673, filed Apr. 3, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,757,514; which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/837,025, filed Mar. 15, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,734,429; which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/532,589, filed on Jun. 25, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,149,617; which is a non-provisional of and claims benefit of US Provisional U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/571,641, filed Jun. 29, 2011; and is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 12/978,233 and 12/978,301, both filed on Dec. 23, 2010; the contents of which are hereby incorporated by herein by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the invention relate to swallowable drug delivery devices. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to swallowable delivery devices for delivering therapeutic agents to the small intestine. 
     While there has been an increasing development of new drugs in recent years for the treatment of a variety of diseases, many including proteins, antibodies and peptides have limited application because they cannot be given orally. This is due to a number of reasons including: poor oral toleration with complications including gastric irritation and bleeding; breakdown/degradation of the drug compounds in the stomach; and poor, slow or erratic absorption of the drug. Conventional alternative drug delivery methods such as intravenous and intramuscular delivery have a number of drawbacks including pain and risk of infection from a needle stick, requirements for the use of sterile technique and the requirement and associated risks of maintaining an IV line in a patient for an extended period of time. While other drug delivery approaches have been employed such as implantable drug delivery pumps, these approaches require the semi-permanent implantation of a device and can still have many of the limitations of IV delivery. Thus, there is a need for an improved method for delivery of drugs and other therapeutic agents. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments provide devices, systems, kits and methods for delivering drugs and other therapeutic agents to various locations in the body. Many embodiments provide a swallowable device for delivering drugs and other therapeutic agents within the GI tract. Particular embodiments provide a swallowable device such as a capsule for delivering drugs and other therapeutic agents into the wall of the small intestine, large intestine or other GI organ wall. Embodiments of the invention are particularly useful for the delivery of drugs and other therapeutic agents which are poorly absorbed, poorly tolerated and/or degraded within the GI tract. Further, embodiments of the invention can be used to deliver drugs and other therapeutics such as proteins, polypeptides and antibodies which were previously only capable of or preferably delivered by intravenous or other form of parenteral administration (e.g., intramuscular, etc.). Additionally, embodiments of the invention are useful for achieving rapid release of a drug into the blood stream via oral delivery. 
     In one aspect, a swallowable device is provided for delivering drugs or other therapeutic agents into the wall of the small or large intestine or other organ of the gastro-intestinal tract. The device comprises a capsule sized to be swallowed and pass through the gastro-intestinal tract, a deployable aligner positioned within the capsule for aligning a longitudinal axis of the capsule with the longitudinal axis of the small intestine, a delivery mechanism for delivering the therapeutic agent into the intestinal wall and a deployment member for deploying at least one of the aligner or the delivery mechanism. The capsule wall is degradable by contact with liquids in the GI tract but also may include an outer coating or layer which only degrades in the higher pH&#39;s found in the small intestine, and serves to protect the underlying capsule wall from degradation within the stomach before the capsule reaches the small intestine at which point the drug delivery is initiated by degradation of the coating. In use, such materials allow for the targeted delivery of a therapeutic agent in a selected portion of the intestinal tract such as the small intestine. Suitable outer coatings can include various enteric coatings such as various co-polymers of Methacrylic Acid and Ethyl Acrylate. 
     In many embodiments, the capsule is formed from two portions such as a body and a cap, where the cap which fits onto the body, e.g., by sliding over or under the body. One portion such as the cap can be configured to degrade above a first pH (e.g., pH 5.5) and the second portion can be configured to degrade above a second higher pH (e.g.  6 . 5 ). This allows for triggers and/or mechanisms in one portion of the capsule to be actuated before those in the other portion of the capsule because intestinal fluids will first enter those portions where the lower pH coating has degraded thus actuating triggers which are responsive to such fluids (e.g., degradable valves). In use, such embodiments provide several benefits to the drug delivery process, including an enhanced degree of locational specificity for drug delivery and improved reliability for such delivery. This is due to the fact that deployment of a particular sub-mechanism, such as the aligner, can begin in the upper area of the small intestine SI allowing the capsule to be aligned within the intestine for optimal delivery as well as allowing sufficient time for deployment/actuation of other mechanisms to achieve drug delivery into the intestinal wall while the capsule is still in the small intestine or other selected location. 
     In addition to having degradable cap and body section, selectable portions of the capsule can be configured to allow the entire device to controllably degrade into smaller pieces. Such embodiments facilitate passage and excretion of the devices through GI tract. In particular embodiments, the capsule can include seams of biodegradable material which controllably degrade to produce capsule pieces of a selectable size and shape to facilitate passage through the GI tract. The seams can be pre-stressed, perforated or otherwise treated to accelerate degradation. The seams can also be so treated so to allow the capsule to be broken apart into smaller pieces by the forces applied from expansion of the balloon or other expandable member. In other embodiments for producing capsule degradation after deployment of the tissue penetrating members, the capsule can be comprise two halves or other fractional sections which are mechanically fit together, e.g., by a snap fit and thus readily separated by the forces applied from balloon inflation. 
     The aligner will typically comprise an expandable balloon known as an aligning balloon which can be fabricated from various polymers known in the medical device arts. The aligning balloon serves to extend the length of the capsule when the aligning balloon is inflated such that the capsule aligns in a parallel fashion with the longitudinal axis of the small intestine. Further, the aligning balloon can have an inflated shape and length such that when inflated, forces exerted by the peristaltic contractions of the intestine on the extended capsule serve to align the capsule in a parallel fashion with the longitudinal axis of the small intestine. Suitable shapes can include an elongated hotdog-like shape. Suitable lengths can include a range between about ½ to two times the length of the capsule. For embodiments where the deployment engine includes use of a deploying balloon and chemical reactants, the aligning balloon is fluidically coupled to the deployment balloon such that expansion of the deploying balloon serves to expand the aligning balloon. In some embodiments, the aligning balloon can contain the chemical reactants which react upon mixture with water or other liquid from the deploying balloon. In addition to performing an alignment function, inflation of the aligning balloon can also serve to push out various components of the device contained within capsule such as the delivery. In use, such configurations improve the reliability for delivery of the therapeutic agent since it is not necessary to wait for particular portions of the capsule overlying the delivery mechanism to be degraded before drug delivery can occur. 
     In many embodiments, the deployment member will comprise an expandable balloon, known as the deployment balloon, that is fluidically coupled to the aligner balloon by means of a connector tube and a pH degradable valve which is responsive to the higher pH&#39;s found in the intestinal fluids. In this application when the term “fluidically coupled” is applied to two or more elements it means that those two or more elements are connected in such a way that fluid transport is possible between the elements is possible, for example, by active pumping or passive flow. In the deployed state, the deployment balloon can have a dome shape which corresponds to the shape of an end of the capsule. In many embodiments, the deployment balloon in combination with the aligner balloon can comprise a deployment engine, where the deployment balloon contains liquid water and the aligner balloon contains at least one chemical reactant that reacts to produce a gas in the presence of water, which in turn expands the aligner balloon. The reactants will typically include at least two reactants for example, an acid such as citric acid and a base such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, which can have about a 1:2 ratio, though other ratios are also contemplated. Other reactants including other acids, e.g., ascetic acid and bases are also contemplated. When the valve or other separation means opens, the reactants mix in the liquid and produce a gas such as carbon dioxide which expands the aligner balloon or other expandable member. 
     In one alternative embodiment, the deployment balloon can actually comprise two balloons connected by a connecting tube or other connection means having a degradable valve that is pH responsive. The two balloons can each have a half dome shape allowing them to fit into the end portion of the capsule when in the expanded state. One balloon can contain the chemical reactant(s) (e.g., sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, etc.) and the other the liquid water, so that when the valve is degraded the two components mix to form a gas (e.g., carbon dioxide) which inflates both balloons/compartments and in turn, the aligning balloon. In these embodiments the deployment engine comprises the two deployment balloons. In yet another alternative embodiment, the deployment balloon can include at least a first and a second portion or compartment which are separated by a separation valve or other separation means. Water, can be disposed within the first compartment and the chemical reactants in the other. When the valve or other separation means opens, the reactants mix in the liquid and produce a gas which is used to expand the aligning balloon and the deployment balloon. In various embodiments using chemical reactants, the chemical reactants alone in combination with the deployment balloon can comprise a deployment engine for deploying one or both of the aligning balloon (or other aligner) or the delivery mechanism. Other forms of a deployment engine are also contemplated such as use of expandable piezo-electric materials (that expand by application of a voltage), springs and other shape memory materials and various thermally expandable materials. 
     Various embodiments of the valve which separates the aligning balloon from the deployment balloon can be configured to open in a number of ways and responsive to a number of conditions. Typically, the valve will be configured to open by having one or more portions degrade in response to the higher pH found in intestinal fluids and may be fabricated from various enteric materials known in the art such as various co-polymers of methacylic acid and co-ethyl acrylate described herein. In other embodiments, including those where the deployment balloon contains the chemical reactants, the valve can be configured to open in response to a selected pressure so as to allow the gas from the deployment balloon to inflate the aligning balloon. Similarly, the same or related embodiments of such a pressure sensitive valve can be used to provide for inflation of the delivery balloon upon the development of sufficient pressure in the aligning balloon so that a serial inflation effect is achieved. In an alternative or additional embodiment, the valve may also be configured to open in response to compressive forces applied by a peristaltic contraction within the small intestine. In still another approach, the valve may be a time release valve configured to open after a certain period of time after an activation step initiated by the patient such as the pealing of a tab or pressing of a button. 
     Embodiments of the delivery mechanism will typically comprise an expandable member such as an expandable balloon (known as the delivery balloon) that is fluidically coupled to the aligning balloon and a delivery assembly that is coupled to a wall of the delivery balloon. At least one tissue penetrating member (TPM) is coupled to the delivery device. In various embodiments, the delivery balloon can have an elongated shape with two relatively flat faces connected by an articulated accordion-like body. The flat faces can be configured to press against the intestinal wall upon expansion of the balloon so as to insert the TPM into the intestinal wall. TPM&#39;s can be positioned on one or both faces to allow insertion of drug containing TPMs on opposite sides of the intestinal wall. The faces may have sufficient surface area to allow for placement of a number of drug containing tissue penetrating members on each face. 
     The TPM contains the drug or other therapeutic agent and is configured to be inserted into the intestinal wall by expansion of the delivery balloon or other expandable delivery means. The TPM typically comprises a shaft including a proximal portion detachably coupled to the delivery device, a tissue penetrating distal portion and a retaining feature for retaining the tissue penetrating member within the intestinal wall. However, in some embodiments the TPM need not include the retaining feature, but instead can have shape or otherwise be configured to be retained in the intestinal wall without the retaining feature. The TPM is described in further detail below. 
     In many embodiments, the delivery mechanism device comprises a delivery structure coupled to delivery balloon or other expandable deploying member. In one embodiment, the delivery structure has an open box structure including side walls and a bottom wall which collectively defines a cavity. The delivery balloon or other delivery member may include multiple carrying structures so as to place TPMs in multiple locations of the intestinal wall. In embodiments of the delivery balloon having an accordion-like shape on or more carrying structures can be placed on each of face of the delivery balloon. The carrying structure can have a unitary construction and may be fabricated using vacuum forming. The bottom wall is attached to the expandable member for example by an adhesive. An advancement structure is positioned in the cavity and includes one or more tissue penetrating members detachably coupled to the advancement structure. A protective penetrable film is coupled to the side walls and covering the cavity. The protective film seals the tissue penetrating members inside the advancement structure and serves as a protective barrier for the TPM to protect them from exposure to humidity and oxidation. In use, this film provides an additional level of protection for preventing the therapeutic agent from being degraded within the intestinal tract before it is delivered into the intestinal wall. The film also serves to extend the shelf life of the therapeutic agent preparation by protecting the preparation from exposure to moisture and oxidation. 
     The TPM is formed at least in part from a therapeutic agent preparation including a drug or other therapeutic agent that is configured to dissolve or otherwise be absorbed within the intestinal wall so as to deliver the therapeutic agent preparation to the patient&#39;s blood stream. The therapeutic agent preparation may also include one or more pharmaceutical excipients known in the art, e.g., disintegrants, binders, etc. The TPM is desirably configured to penetrate a selected distance into the intestinal wall so as to deliver therapeutic agent to a particular tissue layer of the intestinal wall, for example the mucosa! layer, submucosal layer, etc. This can be achieved through the use of stops positioned on the TPM shaft and/or configuring the TPM shaft to bend or even shear once it penetrates a selected distance in the intestinal wall. 
     Typically, the drug or other therapeutic agent delivered by the TPM will be mixed in with a biodegradable polymer such as PLGA (polylactic-co-glycolic acid) and/or a sugar such as maltose. In such embodiments, the TPM may comprise a substantially heterogeneous mixture of drug and biodegradable polymer. Alternatively, the penetrating member may include a portion formed substantially from a biodegradable polymer and a separate section or compartment that is formed from or contains the drug or other therapeutic agent. For example, in one embodiment the TPM may comprise an outer shell of biodegradable material with a hollow core which is fitted with a slug (e.g., cylinder shape) of the therapeutic agent. The tip or tissue penetrating portion of the TPM can include a harder material such as a sugar so as to be able to readily penetrate tissue. Once placed in intestinal wall, the tissue penetrating member is degraded by the interstitial fluids within the wall tissue, the drug dissolves in those fluids and is absorbed into the blood stream by the capillaries in or around the intestinal wall tissue. The TPM will also typically include one or more tissue retaining features such as a barb or hook to retain the penetrating member within the tissue of the intestinal wall after advancement. The retaining features can be arranged in various patterns to enhance tissue retention such as two or more barbs symmetrically distributed around the member shaft. However, the TPM can also be retained in the intestinal through other means such as by a reverse taper or other shape. The reverse taper shape may also be combined with one or more retaining features to further enhance retention. 
     The drug or other therapeutic agent can be in solid form and then formed into the shape of the tissue penetrating member using molding or other like method or may be in solid or liquid form and then added to the biodegradable polymer in liquid form with the mixture then formed into the TPM using molding or other forming method known in the polymer arts. Desirably, embodiments of the tissue penetrating member comprising a drug and degradable polymer are formed (e.g., cured) at temperatures which do not produce any substantial thermal degradation of the drug including drugs such as various peptides and proteins. This can be achieved through the use of room temperature curing polymers and room temperature molding and solvent evaporation techniques known in the art. In particular embodiments, the amount of thermally degraded drug within the tissue penetrating member is desirably less than about 10% by weight, more preferably less than 5% and still more preferably, less than 1%. The thermal degradation temperatures for a particular drug are known or can be determined using methods known in the art and then this temperature can be used to select and adjust the particular polymer processing methods (e.g., molding, curing. solvent evaporation etc.). 
     For various embodiments of the invention wherein one or more of the aligner, deployment member, delivery member comprises an expandable balloon, the balloon can have material properties and dimensions (e.g., wall thickness) allowing the balloon to be wrapped (or otherwise disposed in the capsule) so as to occupy reduced/minimal space. Accordingly, various embodiments of expandable balloons used by the invention can be thin walled e.g., less than about 0.001 inches and can comprise various non-compliant polymers known in the art such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), polyethylene and polyimide. 
     One or more embodiments of the expandable balloons will also typically include a deflation valve which serves to deflate the balloon after inflation. The deflation valve can comprise biodegradable materials which are configured to degrade upon exposure to the fluids in the small intestine and/or liquid in one of the compartments of the balloon so as to create an opening or channel for escape of gas within balloon. In particular embodiments, the deflation valve comprises a tube valve attached to the end of the delivery balloon (opposite to the end which is coupled to the aligner balloon). The tube valve comprises a hollow tube having an end portion filled with a material such as maltose that degrades upon exposure to fluid such as the fluid in the small intestine. The positioning of the obstructing material in the tube valve is configured to provide sufficient time for the delivery balloon to inflate and deliver the tissue penetrating members into the intestinal wall before the obstructing material dissolves to open the tube valve. According to one or more embodiments, once the deflation valve opens, it not only serves to deflate the delivery balloon but also the aligner balloon and deployment balloon since in many embodiments, all three are fluidically connected. Opening of the deflation valve can be facilitated by placing it on the end of the delivery balloon that is forced out of the capsule by inflation of the aligner balloon so that it has good exposure to liquids in the small intestine. Similar tube deflation valves can also be positioned on one or both of aligner balloon and the deployment balloon. In these later two cases, the obstructing material in the tube valve can be configured to degrade over a time period to allow sufficient time for inflation of the delivery balloon. 
     Additionally, as further backup for insuring balloon deflation, one or more puncture elements can be attached to the inside surface of the capsule wall such that when one or more balloons used in embodiments of the invention fully inflate they contact and be punctured by the puncture element. In another alternative or additional embodiment of a means for deflation of the delivery balloon, one or more of the tissue penetrating members can be directly coupled to the delivery balloon and are configured to tear away from the balloon when they detach, tearing the balloon wall in the process. In yet another alternative one or more tissue penetrating members on the delivery assembly and/or otherwise attached to the delivery balloon can be configured to puncture one or both of the delivery balloon and the aligner balloon upon inflation of the delivery balloon. 
     Another aspect of the inventions provides therapeutic agent preparations for delivery into the wall of the small intestine (or other wall of a lumen in the intestinal tract) using embodiments of the swallowable device described herein. The preparation comprises a therapeutically effective dose of at least one therapeutic agent (e.g., insulin, incretin, an anti-seizure compound, NSAIDs, an antibiotic, etc.). The preparation may comprise a solid, liquid, gel and combinations thereof and can include one or more pharmaceutical excipients. The preparation has a shape and material consistency to be contained in the swallowable capsule, delivered from the capsule into the lumen wall and degrade within the lumen wall to release the dose of therapeutic agent. Typically, this shape and material consistency are achieved by placing or forming the preparation into one or more embodiments of the tissue penetrating members described herein. The preparation may also have a selectable surface area to volume ratio so as enhance or otherwise control the rate of degradation of the preparation in the wall of the small intestine or other body lumen. The dose of the drug or other therapeutic agent in the preparation can be titrated downward from that which would be required for conventional oral delivery methods so that potential side effects from the drug can be reduced. 
     One embodiment of the invention is directed to a swallowable device for delivering a therapeutic agent into an intestinal wall of a patient&#39;s intestinal tract. The swallowable device comprises a swallowable capsule sized to pass through the intestinal tract, the capsule having a capsule wall, at least a portion of which degrades upon exposure to a selected pH in an intestine while protecting the capsule wall from degradation in a stomach of the patient. The swallowable device also comprises at least one expandable member assembly disposed within the capsule comprising a first compartment and a second compartment separated by a degradable valve. The degradable valve typically comprises an O-ring positioned over a dissolvable pinch valve. The dis solvable pinch valve typically comprises a disk or a volume of a degradable valve material. The degradable valve material is typically configured to dissolve at a selected pH in the intestine. The force of the O-ring coupled with the presence of the degradable valve material pinches the expandable member assembly to separate the first and the second compartments. Dissolving or degrading the degradable valve material in the intestine stops the valve from pinching the expandable member assembly. The first compartment may be initially in at least a partially non expanded state. The second compartment may be initially in at least a partially non expanded state. The expandable member assembly may be a balloon. Compartments of the expandable member assembly may be portions of the balloon. For the purposes of this application the terms “balloon” and “expandable member” may be used interchangeably. Typically a liquid will be disposed in one of the compartments for the expandable member assembly while a reactant is disposed in the other compartment of the expandable member assembly. When the valve degrades the liquid and the reactant are allowed to mix. The liquid itself may be a reactant. As described in other embodiments the liquid and reactant may comprise and acid and base citric acid and as potassium bicarbonate. Upon mixing of the liquid and the reactant a chemical reaction takes place that produces a gas. The gas may be CO 2  or another inert or otherwise biocompatible gas. The gas inflates at least the second compartment of the expandable member assembly. The gas may also inflate the other compartment(s) of the expandable member assembly. The swallowable device further comprises a delivery mechanism. The delivery mechanism is typically coupled to the wall of the second compartment. The swallowable device also comprises at least one tissue penetrating member. The tissue penetrating member comprises at least a proximal portion detachably coupled to the delivery mechanism, a tissue penetrating distal portion, and a therapeutic preparation for delivery into the intestinal wall of the patient. The tissue penetrating member may be configured to be retained in the intestinal wall. The tissue penetrating member is typically also configured to degrade in intestinal wall, thereby releasing a therapeutic agent composition. Upon expansion of the second compartment the at least one tissue penetrating member is advanced into the intestinal wall by the delivery mechanism where it is retained in the intestinal wall so as to deliver the therapeutic agent into the intestine. The delivery mechanism may comprise at least one piston-cylinder assembly. The at least one piston-cylinder assembly is typically disposed inside the second compartment of the expandable member assembly. 
     A piston-cylinder assembly typically comprises a piston slidably disposed in a cylinder. The cylinder may be coupled to the wall of a compartment of the expandable member assembly. Typically the cylinder is coupled to the wall of the second compartment of the expandable member assembly. An adhesive joint can be used to couple the cylinder to the wall of the expandable member assembly. The interface between the piston and cylinder is typically sealed with a piston O-ring. The piston typically has a proximal face exposed to an interior of the second compartment. Typically the cylinder has a distal portion coupled to the wall of the second compartment such that a lumen of the cylinder is in communication with an exterior of the second compartment and such that the lumen of the cylinder is sealed off from the interior of the second compartment by the piston O-ring. The lumen of the cylinder may be in communication with the exterior of the second compartment via a needle lumen typically sized with a diameter less than that of the cylinder. The needle lumen provides access to the exterior of the second compartment. The piston is adapted to slide inside the cylinder towards the wall of the second compartment. The piston is configured to advance the tissue penetrating member into the intestinal wall as it slides inside the cylinder. In some embodiments the tissue penetrating member is disposed inside the needle lumen and coupled to the piston via a piston rod sized to slide inside the needle lumen. Sliding motion of the piston advances the tissue penetrating member out of the needle lumen into the exterior of the expandable member assembly and into the intestinal wall. Typically, the gas produced by the mixture of the liquid and the reactant drives the piston through the cylinder. 
     The piston-cylinder assembly may further comprise a pressure sensitive release or latch. The pressure sensitive release (or latch) is configured to prevent the piston from sliding inside the cylinder until a specified pressure is reached inside the second compartment (e.g., by generation of the gas or other pressure generating means). 
     The swallowable device may further comprise a means of alignment configured to align a long axis of the balloon with a long axis of the intestine. Such a means of alignment may comprise a deployable aligner such as those described elsewhere in this application. The means of alignment may also be a shape of the swallowable device. The shape may be that of an elongate pill or a hot dog shape, the shape having an aspect ratio and size scale sufficient to naturally align the swallowable device long axis with the long axis of the intestine as the swallowable device proceeds through the patient&#39;s intestinal tract. 
     The swallowable device may further comprise a means of piston-cylinder assembly alignment, configured to align the piston-cylinder assembly such that the long axis of the cylinder is oriented perpendicular to the surface of the intestinal wall so that the tissue penetrating member is advanced perpendicularly into the intestinal wall. In some embodiments, a long axis of the piston-cylinder assembly defined by the long axis of the cylinder is initially aligned with the long axis of the swallowable device. Upon inflation of the second compartment of the expandable member assembly the piston-cylinder assembly is realigned such that the long axis of the piston cylinder assembly is perpendicular to the long axis of the swallowable device. In this alignment the long axis of the piston-cylinder assembly is also perpendicular to the intestinal wall. Such means for piston-cylinder assembly alignment may comprise aligner balloons described elsewhere in this application. In some embodiments such means for piston-cylinder assembly alignment comprise a pre-stressed portion of the wall of the second compartment of the expandable member assembly to which the piston-cylinder assembly is coupled to via an adhesive joint. When the adhesive joint is made the second compartment may be inflated and the alignment of the piston-cylinder assembly long axis may be perpendicular to the wall of the second compartment. After the joint is made the piston cylinder assembly is forced into alignment with the long axis of the swallow able device and the second compartment of the expandable member is deflated. In the deflated condition the piston-cylinder assembly lacks the freedom of mobility to align itself perpendicularly to the long axis of the swallowable device. Thereby, a pre-stressed condition is created such that when the second compartment is inflated later during use the piston-cylinder assembly will naturally re-align itself in a perpendicular fashion to the long axis of the swallowable device and the intestinal wall. 
     In some embodiments, the needle lumen providing access to the exterior of the second compartment of the expandable member assembly may have a covering or a film. This covering or film prevents the tissue penetrating member disposed within from advancing out of the delivery mechanism until sufficient pressure has been achieved inside the second compartment of the expandable member, such that the piston supplies enough force to advance the tissue penetrating member through the film or covering. 
     In some embodiment the delivery mechanism comprises an array of piston-cylinder assemblies each configured to advance a tissue penetrating member into the intestinal wall. The array of piston-cylinder assemblies may share a common inflation manifold configured to direct gas to each piston of the array of piston-cylinder assemblies. The common manifold may have a central lumen in communication with each piston of the array. The central lumen of the common inflation manifold may be coupled to a dedicated inflation balloon wherein, a chemical reaction produces a gas to pressurize the common inflation manifold thereby driving each cylinder of the array, in order to advance multiple tissue penetrating members. Each piston-cylinder assembly of the array may have an independent pressure release latch, each configured to prevent movement of the piston in the cylinder until a specified pressure is reached in the common inflation manifold. The pressure-release latches may permit movement of the piston at different specified pressures in order to control the timing of advancement of the tissue penetrating members. 
     Embodiments of the swallowable device may further comprise a deflation valve assembly configure to deflate the expandable member assembly after delivery of the therapeutic agent. The deflation valve assembly may comprise an O-ring surrounding a dissolvable pinch valve. The pinch valve isolates an opening in the expandable member assembly that would allow gas trapped therein to escape. The dissolvable pinch valve is configured to dissolve in the intestinal tract at a point in time after the delivery of the therapeutic agent. Upon dissolution of the pinch valve the opening in the expandable member assembly is no longer isolated and the gas trapped within the expandable member assembly is free to escape, thereby deflating the expandable member assembly. 
     In some embodiment, the delivery mechanism comprises a delivery compartment coupled to a delivery balloon or an expandable member assembly. In the above embodiments the delivery balloon is equivalent to the second compartment of the expandable member assembly. It should be understood that this embodiment of the delivery mechanism may be combined with any of the embodiments of the swallowable device presented herewith. It should be understood that “delivery balloon” is interchangeable with “expandable member assembly” or any portion thereof such as the “second compartment of the expandable member assembly.” The delivery balloon is inflated by a chemical reaction producing a gas within. The delivery compartment comprises an upper portion facing a lower portion. The upper portion is typically in an abutted condition with the intestinal wall. The lower portion being coupled to the delivery balloon and having one or more tissue penetrating members disposed thereon directed towards the upper portion of the delivery compartment. The upper portion of the delivery compartment has one or more puncture needles disposed thereon directed towards the lower portion of the delivery compartment. Upon inflation of the delivery balloon, the pressure inside the delivery balloon forces the upper portion and the lower portion of the delivery compartment towards each other. The one or more tissue penetrating members are driven through the upper portion into the intestinal wall. The penetrating members may have distal portions containing the therapeutic agent preparation configured to break away and remain in the intestinal wall. The upper portion of the delivery compartment may have one or more apertures arranged to allow passage of the tissue penetrating members. The puncture needles penetrate the lower portion of the delivery compartment and the delivery balloon, thereby facilitating the deflation of the delivery balloon. Typically, the one or more tissue penetrating members have lengths that are longer than the penetrating members. Preferably, the one or more tissue penetrating members are long enough relative to the one or more puncture members such that the one or more tissue penetrating members are driven into the intestinal wall before the delivery balloon is inflated. The lower portion of the delivery compartment may be fabricated to only allow puncture by the one or more puncture members after a desired pressure has been achieved in the delivery balloon. This may be done by fabricating the lower portion of the delivery compartment with a material of appropriate puncture resistance or by adjusting a thickness of the lower portion. 
     One aspect of the invention pertains to a method for delivering a therapeutic agent preparation into an intestinal wall of a patient&#39;s intestinal tract. The method comprises providing a swallowable capsule sized to pass through the intestinal tract. The capsule having a capsule wall at least a portion of which degrades upon exposure to a selected pH in an intestine while protecting the capsule wall from degradation in a stomach of the patient. The swallow able capsule may also have at least one expandable member assembly disposed within the capsule. The expandable member assembly comprises a first compartment in at least a partially non-expanded state, a second compartment in at least a partially non-expanded state, wherein the first and second compartments are fluidically separated by a degradable valve which degrades upon exposure to fluid in the intestinal tract. The method further comprises degrading the degradable valve with fluid in the intestinal tract thereby allowing a liquid contained in one of the compartments to mix with a reactant contained in the other compartment. A gas is the produced by the reaction of the liquid and the reactant. An example reaction would involve combining citric acid (liquid) and potassium bicarbonate (reactant) to produce CO 2  gas. The gas inflates at least the second compartment of the expandable member assembly. The method then further comprises orienting a cylinder piston assembly disposed inside the expandable member assembly, the cylinder-piston assembly comprising: a piston slidably disposed inside a cylinder, an interface between the piston and cylinder sealed with an O-ring. The cylinder may be coupled to the wall of the second compartment and may be in communication with a needle lumen. The needle lumen provides access to the exterior of the second compartment. The cylinder-piston assembly is oriented such that the needle lumen is perpendicular to the intestinal wall. The needle lumen, being in communication with the cylinder is typically aligned with the cylinder. The piston is driven inside the cylinder towards the exterior of the second compartment with pressure from the gas. This drives a tissue penetrating member disposed in the needle lumen into the intestinal wall. The driving is accomplished by coupling the piston to the tissue penetrating member with a piston rod, the piston rod sized to be slidable inside the needle lumen. The tissue penetrating member comprises at least the therapeutic agent preparation. 
     Another aspect of the invention provides methods for the delivery of drugs and the therapeutic agents into the walls of the GI tract using embodiments of the swallowable drug delivery devices. Such methods can be used for the delivery of therapeutically effective amounts of a variety of drugs and other therapeutic agents. These include a number of large molecule peptides and proteins which would otherwise require injection due to chemical breakdown in the stomach e.g., growth hormone, parathyroid hormone, insulin, interferons (for treatment of MS and other conditions) and other like compounds. Suitable drugs and other therapeutic agents which can be delivered by embodiments of invention include various antibodies (e.g., HER  2  antibodies), chemotherapeutic agents (e.g., interferon), insulin and related compounds for treating diabetes, glucagon like peptides (e.g., GLP-1, exenatide), parathyroid hormones, growth hormones (e.g., IFG (insulin-like growth factor) and other growth factors), immune suppression agents (e.g., cyclosporines, cortisones, etc.), vaccines and anti-parasitic agents such as various anti-malarial agents. In specific embodiments, embodiments of the swallowable capsule can be used to delivery therapeutically effective amounts of the monoclonal antibody adalimumab for the treatment of various autoimmune related disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis. The dosage of this or particular therapeutic agent can be titrated for the patient&#39;s weight, age, condition or other parameter. 
     In various method embodiments of the invention, embodiments of the swallowable drug delivery device can be used to deliver a plurality of drugs for the treatment of multiple conditions or for the treatment of a particular condition (e.g., a mixture of protease inhibitors for treatment HIV AIDs). In use, such embodiments allow a patient to forgo the necessity of having to take multiple medications for a particular condition or conditions. Also, they provide a means for facilitating that a regimen of two or more drugs is delivered and absorbed into the small intestine and thus, the blood stream at about the same time. Due to differences in chemical makeup, molecular weight, etc., drugs can be absorbed through the intestinal wall at different rates, resulting in different pharmacokinetic distribution curves. Embodiments of the invention address this issue by injecting the desired drug mixtures at about the same time. This in turn, improves the pharmacokinetics and thus, the efficacy of the selected mixture of drugs. 
     Another aspect of the invention provides therapeutic agent preparations for delivery into the wall of the small intestine (or other luminal wall in the intestinal tract) using embodiments of the swallowable device described herein. The preparation comprises a therapeutically effective dose of at least one therapeutic agent (e.g., insulin, an anti-seizure compound, NSAIDs, an antibiotic, etc.). It may comprise a solid, liquid or combination of both and can include one or more pharmaceutical excipients. The preparation has a shape and material consistency to be contained in embodiments of the swallowable capsule, delivered from the capsule into the lumen wall and degrade within the lumen wall to release the dose of therapeutic agent. The preparation may also have a selectable surface area to volume ratio so as enhance or otherwise control the rate of degradation of the preparation in the wall of the small intestine or other body lumen. In many embodiments, the release element comprises a material configured to degrade upon exposure to chemical conditions in the small or large intestine such as pH. Further details of these and other embodiments and aspects of the invention are described more fully below, with reference to the attached drawing figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a lateral viewing showing an embodiment of a swallowable drug delivery device. 
         FIG. 1B  is a lateral viewing showing an embodiment of a system including a swallowable drug delivery device. 
         FIG. 1C  is a lateral viewing showing an embodiment of a kit including a swallowable drug delivery device and a set of instructions for use. 
         FIG. 1D  is a lateral viewing showing an embodiment of a swallowable drug delivery device including a drug reservoir. 
         FIG. 1E  is a lateral viewing illustrating use of an embodiment of a swallowable drug delivery device including transit of device in the GI tract and operation of the device to deliver drug. 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  are lateral view illustrating an embodiment of a capsule for the swallowable drug delivery device including a cap and a body coated with pH sensitive biodegradable coatings,  FIG. 2A  shows the capsule in an unassembled state and  FIG. 2B  in an assembled state. 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate embodiments of unfolded multi balloon assemblies containing a deployment balloon, an aligner balloon, a delivery balloon and assorted connecting tubes;  FIG. 3A  shows an embodiment of the assembly for a single dome configuration of the deployment balloon; and  FIG. 3B  shows an embodiment of the assembly for dual dome configuration of the deployment balloon; 
         FIG. 3C  is a perspective views illustrating embodiments of a nested balloon configuration which can be used for one or more embodiments of the balloons described herein including the aligner balloon. 
         FIGS. 4A-4C  are lateral views illustrating embodiments of a multi compartment deployment balloon;  FIG. 4A  shows the balloon in a non-inflated state with the separation valve closed;  FIG. 4B  shows the balloon with valve open and mixing of the chemical reactants; and  FIG. 4C  shows the balloon in an inflated state. 
         FIGS. 5A-5G  are lateral views illustrating a method for folding of the multiple balloon assembly, the folding configuration in each figure applies to both single and dual dome configurations of the deployment balloon, with the exception that  FIG. 5C , pertains to a folding step unique to dual dome configurations; and  FIG. 5D , pertains to the final folding step unique to dual dome configurations;  FIG. 5E , pertains to a folding step unique to single dome configurations; and  FIGS. 5F and 5G  are orthogonal views pertaining to the final folding step unique to single dome configurations. 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  are orthogonal views illustrating embodiments of the final folded multi balloon assembly with the attached delivery assembly. 
         FIGS. 7  A and  7 B are orthogonal transparent views illustrating embodiments of the final folded multi balloon assembly inserted into the capsule. 
         FIG. 8A  is a side view of an embodiment of the tissue penetrating member. 
         FIG. 8B  is a bottom view of an embodiment of the tissue penetrating member illustrating placement of the tissue retaining features. 
         FIG. 8C  is a side view of an embodiment of the tissue penetrating member having a trocar tip and inverted tapered shaft. 
         FIG. 8D  is a side view of an embodiment of the tissue penetrating member having a separate drug containing section. 
         FIGS. 8E and 8F  are side views showing assembly of an embodiment of a tissue penetrating member having a shaped drug containing section.  FIG. 8E  shows the tissue penetrating member and shaped drug section prior to assembly; and  FIG. 8F  after assembly. 
         FIG. 9  provides assorted views of the components and steps used to assemble an embodiment of the delivery assembly. 
         FIGS. 10A-10I  provides assorted views illustrating a method of operation of swallow able device to deliver medication to the intestinal wall. 
         FIG. 11A  shows an embodiment of a swallowable drug delivery device including a capsule having bio-degradable seams positioned to produce controlled degradation of the capsule in the GI tract. 
         FIG. 11B  shows the embodiment of  FIG. 11A  after having been degraded in the GI tract into smaller pieces. 
         FIG. 12A-B  show an embodiment of a capsule having a piston-cylinder assembly. 
         FIG. 12C  shows an embodiment of a delivery mechanism having an array of piston-cylinder assemblies. 
         FIG. 12D  shows an embodiment of a capsule having a piston-cylinder assembly and a deflation valve. 
         FIG. 13A  shows an embodiment of a delivery mechanism having delivery balloon and a delivery compartment. 
         FIG. 13B  depicts a balloon inflation pressure curve including a puncture pressure at which the puncture needles puncture the balloon. 
         FIG. 14  shows an embodiment of a capsule having biodegradable seams including pores and/or perforations to accelerate biodegradation of the capsule. 
         FIGS. 15A-15B  show an embodiment of a capsule having tearable seams arranged in a radial or lateral pattern for tearing of the capsule by inflation of the expandable balloon;  FIG. 15A  shows the capsule prior to inflation and  FIG. 15B  shows the capsule broken into pieces by the inflation of the balloon. 
         FIG. 16  shows an embodiment of a balloon tearable capsule fabricated from separate portions joined by seams, which can be torn by inflation of the expandable balloon. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the invention provide devices, systems and methods for delivering medications in to various locations in the body. As used herein, the term “medication” refers to a medicinal preparation in any form which can include drugs or other therapeutic agents as well as one or more pharmaceutical excipients. Many embodiments provide a swallowable device for delivering medication within the GI tract. Particular embodiments provide a swallowable device such as a capsule for delivering medications to the wall of the small intestine or other GI organ. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-9 , an embodiment of a device  10  for the delivery of medication  100  to a delivery site DS in the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract, comprises a capsule  20  sized to be swallowed and pass through the intestinal tract, a deployment member  30 , one or more tissue penetrating members  40  containing medication  100 , a deployable aligner  60  and a delivery mechanism  70 . The deployable aligner  60  is positioned within the capsule and configured to align the capsule with the intestine such as the small intestine. Typically, this will entail aligning a longitudinal axis of the capsule with a longitudinal axis of the intestine; however, other alignments are also contemplated. The delivery mechanism  70  is configured for delivering medication  100  into the intestinal wall and will typically include a delivery member  72  such as an expandable member. The deployment member  30  is configured for deploying at least one of the aligner  60  or the delivery mechanism  70 . As will be described further herein, all or a portion of the capsule wall is degradable by contact with liquids in the GI tract so as to allow those liquids to trigger the delivery of medication  100  by device  10 . As used herein, “GI tract” refers to the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and anus, while “Intestinal tract” refers to the small and large intestine. Various embodiments of the invention can be configured and arranged for delivery of medication  100  into both the intestinal tract as well as the entire GI tract. 
     Device  10  including tissue penetrating member  40  can be configured for the delivery of liquid, semi-liquid or solid forms of medication  100  or combinations of all three. Whatever the form, medication  100  desirably has a material consistency allowing the medication to be advanced out of device  10 , into the intestinal wall (small or large intestine) or other luminal wall in the GI tract and then degrade within the intestinal wall to release the drug or other therapeutic agent  101 . The material consistency of medication  100  can include one or more of the hardness, porosity and solubility of the preparation (in body fluids). The material consistency can be achieved by selection and use of one or more of the following: i) the compaction force used to make the preparation; ii) the use of one or more pharmaceutical disintegrants known in the art; iii) use of other pharmaceutical excipients; iv) the particle size and distribution of the preparation (e.g., micronized particles); and v) use of micronizing and other particle formation methods known in the art. 
     A system  11  for delivery of medication  100  into the wall of the small intestine or other location within the intestinal tract or GI tract, may comprise device  10  which contains one or more medications  100  for the treatment of a selected condition or conditions. In some embodiments, the system may include a hand held device  13 , described herein for communicating with device  10  as is shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 1B . In many embodiments, system  11  may also be configured as a kit  14  including system  11  and a set of instructions for use  15  which are packaged in packaging  12  as is shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 1C . The instructions can indicate to the patient when to take the device  10  relative to one or more events such as the ingestion of a meal or a physiological measurement such as blood glucose, cholesterol, etc. In such embodiments, kit  14  can include multiple devices  10  containing a regimen of medications  100  for a selected period of administration, e.g., a day, week, or multiple weeks depending upon the condition to be treated (e.g., treatment of cancer by a course of interferon treatment, treatment of an autoimmune disease such as or psoriasis, multiple sclerosis or arthritis by immune suppression agents). 
     Capsule  20  is sized to be swallowed and pass through the intestinal tract. The size can also be adjusted depending upon the amount of drug to be delivered as well as the patient&#39;s weight and adult vs. pediatric applications. Typically, the capsule will have a tubular shape with curved ends similar to a vitamin. In these and related embodiments, capsule lengths  20 L can be in the range of 0.5 to 2 inches and diameters  20 D in the range of 0.1 to 0.5 inches with other dimensions contemplated. The capsule  20  includes a capsule wall  21   w , having an exterior surface  25  and an interior surface  24  defining an interior space or volume  24   v . In some embodiments, the capsule wall  21   w  can include one or more apertures  26  sized for the outward advancement of tissue penetrating members  40  via needle lumen  230 . In addition to the other components of device  10 , (e.g., the expandable member etc.), the interior volume can include one or more compartments or reservoirs  27 . 
     The capsule can be fabricated from various biodegradable gelatin materials known in the pharmaceutical arts, but can also include various enteric coatings  20   c , configured to protect the cap from degradation in the stomach (due to acids etc.), and then subsequently degrade in the in higher pH&#39;s found in the small intestine or other area of the intestinal tract. In various embodiments, the capsule  20  can be formed from multiple portions one or more of which may be biodegradable. In many embodiments, capsule  20  can be formed from two portions  20   p  such as a body portion  20   p ″ (herein body  20   p ″) and a cap portion  20   p ′ (herein cap  20   p ′), where the cap fits onto the body, e.g., by sliding over or under the body (with other arrangements also contemplated). One portion such as the cap  20   p ′ can include a first coating  20   c ′configured to degrade above a first pH (e.g., pH 5.5) and the second portion such as the body  20   p ″ can include a second coating  20   c ″ configured to degrade above a second higher pH (e.g. 6.5). Both the interior  24  and exterior  25  surfaces of capsule  20  are coated with coatings  20   c ′ and  20   c ″ so that that either portion of the capsule will be substantially preserved until it contacts fluid having the selected pH. For the case of body  20   p ″ this allows the structural integrity of the body  20   p ″ to be maintained so as to keep balloon  72  inside the body portion and not deployed until balloon  30  has expanded. Coatings  20   c ′ and  20   c ″ can include various methacrylate and ethyl acrylate based coatings such as those manufactured by Evonik Industries under the trade name EUDRAGIT. These and other dual coating configurations of the capsule  20  allows for mechanisms in one portion of capsule  20  to be actuated before those in the other portion of the capsule. This is due to the fact that intestinal fluids will first enter those portions where the lower pH coating has degraded thus actuating triggers which are responsive to such fluids (e.g., degradable valves). In use, such dual coating embodiments for capsule  20  provide for targeted drug delivery to a particular location in the small intestine (or other location in the GI tract), as well as improved reliability in the delivery process. This is due to the fact that deployment of a particular component, such as aligner  60 , can be configured to begin in the upper area of the small intestine (e.g., the duodenum) allowing the capsule to be aligned within the intestine for optimal delivery of the drug (e.g., into the intestinal wall) as well as providing sufficient time for deployment/actuation of other components to achieve drug delivery into the intestinal wall while the capsule is still in the small intestine or other selected location. 
     As is discussed above, one or more portions of capsule  20  can be fabricated from various biocompatible polymers known in the art, including various biodegradable polymers which in a preferred embodiment can comprise cellulose, gelatin materials PLGA (polylactic-co-glycolic acid). Other suitable biodegradable materials include various enteric materials described herein as well as lactide, glycolide, lactic acid, glycolic acid, para-dioxanone, caprolactone, trimethylene carbonate, caprolactone, blends and copolymers thereof. 
     Use of biodegradable materials for capsule  20 , including biodegradable enteric materials allows the capsule to degrade in whole or part to facilitate passage through the GI system before, during or after drug delivery. As is described in further detail herein, in various embodiments, capsule  20  can include seams  22  of bio-degradable material so as to controllably degrade into smaller pieces  23  which are more easily passed through the intestinal tract. 
     In various embodiments, the wall  20   w  of the capsule is degradable by contact with liquids in the GI tract for example liquids in the small intestine. In preferred embodiments, the capsule wall is configured to remain intact during passage through the stomach, but then to be degraded in the small intestine. In one or more embodiments, this can be achieved by the use of an outer coating or layer  20   c  on the capsule wall  20   w , which only degrades in the higher pH&#39;s found in the small intestine and serves to protect the underlying capsule wall from degradation within the stomach before the capsule reaches the small intestine (at which point the drug delivery process is initiated by degradation of the coating as is described herein). In use, such coatings allow for the targeted delivery of a therapeutic agent in a selected portion of the intestinal tract such as the small intestine. 
     In various embodiments, capsule  20  can include various radio-opaque, echogenic or other materials for location of the device using one or more medical imaging modalities such as fluoroscopy, ultrasound, MRI, etc. In specific embodiments, all or a portion of the capsule can include radio-opaque/echogenic markers  20   m  as is shown in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   . Suitable materials for radio-opaque markers  20   m  include barium sulfate, compounds, titanium dioxide and compounds thereof. In use, such materials allow for the location of device  10  in the GI tract, as well as its state of deployment (e.g., a distinctive marker can be positioned on cap  20   p ′ and another on body  20   p ″ allowing for determination if the deployment balloon  30  (discussed below) has inflated but the delivery balloon  72  has not). They can also be used allow for the determination of transit times of the device through the GI tract. Such information can be used to titrate dosages of drug for a particular patient, as well as provide information on when they should take a particular drug after an event such as ingestion of a meal in the case of insulin taken for treatment of diabetes. Markers  20   m  can also be positioned on the capsule  20  to allow the physician to determine if the capsule is intact, or has broken up. 
     As is discussed further herein, in many embodiments, one or more of the deployment member  30 , delivery member  72  or deployable aligner  60 , may correspond to an expandable balloon that is shaped and sized to fit within capsule  20 . Accordingly, for ease of discussion, deployment member  30 , delivery member  72  and deployable aligner  60  will now be referred to as balloon  30 ,  60  and  72 ; however, it should be appreciated that other devices including various expandable devices are also contemplated for these elements and may include for example, various shape memory devices (e.g., an expandable basket made from shape memory biodegradable polymer spires), expandable piezo electric devices, and/or chemically expandable devices having an expanded shape and size corresponding to the interior volume  24   v  of the capsule  20 . 
     One or more of balloons  30 ,  60  and  72  can comprise various polymers known in the medical device arts. In preferred embodiments such polymers can comprise one or more types of polyethylene (PE) which may correspond to low density PE(LDPE), linear low density PE (LLDPE), medium density PE (MDPE) and high density PE (HDPE) and other forms of polyethylene known in the art. In one more embodiments using polyethylene, the material may be cross-linked using polymer irradiation methods known in the art. In particular embodiments, radiation-based crosslinking may be used as to control the inflated diameter and shape of the balloon by decreasing the compliance of the balloon material. The amount or radiation may be selected to achieve a particular amount of cross linking to in turn produce a particular amount of compliance for a given balloon, e.g., increased irradiation can be used to produce stiffer less compliant balloon material. Other suitable polymers can include PET (polyethylene terephthalate), silicone and polyurethane. In various embodiments, balloons  30 ,  60  and  72  may also include various radio-opaque materials known in the art such as barium sulfate to allow the physician to ascertain the position and physical state of the balloon (e.g., un-inflated, inflated or punctures). Balloons  30 ,  60  and  72  can be fabricated using various balloon blowing methods known in the balloon catheters arts (e.g., mold blowing, free blowing, etc.) to have a shape and size which corresponds approximately to the interior volume  24   v  of capsule  20 . In various embodiments one or more of balloons  30 ,  60  and  72  and various connecting features (e.g., connecting tubes) can have a unitary construction being formed from a single mold. Embodiments employing such unitary construction provide the benefit of improved manufacturability and reliability since fewer joints must be made between one or more components of device  10 . 
     Suitable shapes for balloons  30 ,  60  and  72  include various cylindrical shapes having tapered or curved end portions (an example of such a shape including a hot dog). In some embodiments, the inflated size (e.g., diameter) of one or more of balloons  30 ,  60  and  72 , can be larger than capsule  20  so as to cause the capsule to come apart from the force of inflation, (e.g., due to hoop stress). In other related embodiments, the inflated size of one or more of balloons  30 ,  60  and  72  can be such that when inflated, i) the capsule  20  has sufficient contact with the walls of the small intestine so as to elicit a peristaltic contraction causing contraction of the small intestine around the capsule, and/or ii) the folds of the small intestine are effaced to allow contact. Both of these results allow for improved contact between the capsule/balloon surface and the intestinal wall so as deliver tissue penetrating members  40  over a selected area of the capsule and/or delivery balloon  72 . Desirably, the walls of balloons  30 ,  60  and  72  will be thin and can have a wall thickness in the range of 0.005 to 0.0001″ more preferably, in the range of 0.005 to 0.0001, with specific embodiments of 0.004, 0.003, 0.002, 0.001, and 0.0005). Additionally in various embodiments, one or more of balloon  30 ,  60  or  72  can have a nested balloon configuration having an inflation chamber  60 IC and extended finger  60 EF as is shown in the embodiments of  FIG. 3C . The connecting tubing  63 , connecting the inflation chamber  60 IC can be narrow to only allow the passage of gas  68 , while the connecting tubing  36  coupling the two halves of balloon  30  can be larger to allow the passage of water. 
     As indicated above, the aligner  60  will typically comprise an expandable balloon and for ease of discussion, will now be referred to as aligner balloon  60  or balloon  60 . Balloon  60  can be fabricated using materials and methods described above. It has an unexpanded and expanded state (also referred to as a deployed state). In its expanded or deployed state, balloon  60  extends the length of capsule  20  such that forces exerted by the peristaltic contractions of the small intestine SI on capsule  20  serve to align the longitudinal axis  20 LA of the capsule  20  in a parallel fashion with the longitudinal axis LAI of the small intestine SI. This in turn serves to align the shafts of tissue penetrating members  40  in a perpendicular fashion with the surface of the intestinal wall IW to enhance and optimize the penetration of tissue penetrating members  40  into the intestinal wall IW. In addition to serving to align capsule  20  in the small intestine, aligner  60  is also configured to push delivery mechanism  70  out of capsule  20  prior to inflation of delivery balloon  72  so that the delivery balloon and/or mechanism is not encumbered by the capsule. In use, this push out function of aligner  60  improves the reliability for delivery of the therapeutic agent since it is not necessary to wait for particular portions of the capsule (e.g., those overlying the delivery mechanism) to be degraded before drug delivery can occur. 
     Balloon  60  may be fluidically coupled to one or more components of device  10  including balloons  30  and  72  by means of polymer tube or other fluidic couplings  62  which may include a tube  63  for coupling balloons  60  and  30  and a tube  64  for coupling balloon  60  and balloon  72 . Tube  63  is configured to allow balloon  60  to be expanded/inflated by pressure from balloon  30  (e.g., pressure generated the mixture of chemical reactants within balloon  30 ) and/or otherwise allow the passage of liquid between balloons  30  and  60  to initiate a gas generating chemical reaction for inflation of one or both of balloons  30  and  60 . Tube  64  connects balloon  60  to  72  so as to allow for the inflation of balloon  72  by balloon  60 . In many embodiments, tube  64  includes or is coupled to a control valve  55  which is configured to open at a selected pressure so as to control the inflation of balloon  72  by balloon  60 . Tube  64  may thus comprise a proximal portion  64   p  connecting to the valve and a distal portion  64   d  leading from the valve. Typically, proximal and distal portions  64   p  and  64   d  will be connected to a valve housing  58  as is described below. 
     Valve  55  may comprise a triangular or other shaped section  56  of a material  57  which is placed within a chamber  58   c  of a valve housing  58  (alternately, it may be placed directly within tubing  64 ). Section  57  is configured to mechanically degrade (e.g., tears, shears, delaminates, etc.) at a selected pressure so as to allow the passage of gas through tube  64  and/or valve chamber  58   c . Suitable materials  57  for valve  55  can include bees wax or other form of wax and various adhesives known in the medical arts which have a selectable sealing force/burst pressure. Valve fitting  58  will typically comprise a thin cylindrical compartment (made from biodegradable materials) in which section  56  of material  57  is placed (as is shown in the embodiment of Pigs.  3 B) so as to seal the walls of chamber  58   c  together or otherwise obstruct passage of fluid through the chamber. The release pressure of valve  55  can be controlled through selection of one or more of the size and shape of section  56  as well as the selection of material  57  (e.g., for properties such as adhesive strength, shear strength etc.). In use, control valve  55  allows for a sequenced inflation of balloon  60  and  72  such that balloon  60  is fully or otherwise substantially inflated before balloon  72  is inflated. This, in turn, allows balloon  60  to push balloon  72  along with the rest of delivery mechanism  70  out of capsule  20  (typically from body portion  20   p ′) before balloon  72  inflates so that deployment of tissue penetrating members  40  is not obstructed by capsule  20  In use, such an approach improves the reliability of the penetration of tissue penetrating members  40  into intestinal wall IW both in terms of achieving a desired penetration depth and delivering greater numbers of the penetrating members  40  contained in capsule  20  since the advancement of the members into intestinal wall IW is not obstructed by capsule wall  20   w.    
     As is describe above, the inflated length  601  of the aligner balloon  60  is sufficient to have the capsule  20  become aligned with the lateral axis of the small intestine from peristaltic contractions of the intestine. Suitable inflated lengths  601  for aligner  60  can include a range between about ½ to two times the length  201  of the capsule  20  before inflation of aligner  60 . Suitable shapes for aligner balloon  60  can include various elongated shapes such as a hotdog like shape. In specific embodiments, balloon  60  can include a first section  60 ′ and a second section  60 ″, where expansion of first section  60 ′ is configured to advance delivery mechanism  70  out of capsule  20  (typically out of and second section  60 ″ is used to inflate delivery balloon  72 . In these and related embodiments, first and second sections  60 ′ and  60 ″ can be configured to have a telescope-style inflation where first section  60 ′ inflates first to push mechanism  70  out of the capsule (typically from body portion  20   p ′) and second section  60 ″ inflates to inflate delivery member  72 . This can be achieved by configuring first section  60 ′ to have smaller diameter and volume than second section  60 ″ such that first section  60 ′ inflates first (because of its smaller volume) and with second section  60 ″ not inflating until first section  60 ′ has substantially inflated. In one embodiment, this can be facilitated by use of a control valve  55  (described above) connecting sections  60 ′ and  60 ″ which does not allow passage of gas into section  60 ″ until a minimum pressure has been reached in section  60 ′. In some embodiments, the aligner balloon can contain the chemical reactants which react upon mixture with water or other liquid from the deploying balloon. 
     In many embodiments, the deployment member  30  will comprise an expandable balloon, known as the deployment balloon  30 . In various embodiments, deployment balloon  30  is configured to facilitate deployment/expansion of aligner balloon  60  by use of a gas, for example, generation of a gas  69  from a chemical. The gas may be generated by the reaction of solid chemical reactants  65 , such as an acid  66  (e.g., citric acid) and a base  67  (e.g., potassium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate and the like) which are then mixed with water or other aqueous liquid  68 . The amount of reactants may be chosen using stoichiometric methods to produce a selected pressure in one or more of balloons  30 ,  60  and  72 . The reactants  65  and liquids can be stored separately in balloon  30  and  60  and then brought together in response to a trigger event, such as the pH conditions in the small intestine. The reactants  65  and liquids  68  can be stored in either balloon, however in preferred embodiments, liquid  68  is stored in balloon  30  and reactants  65  in balloon  60 . To allow for passage of the liquid  68  to start the reaction and/or the resulting gas  69 , balloon  30  may be coupled to aligner balloon  60  by means of a connector tube  63  which also typically includes a separation means  50  such as a degradable valve  50  described below. For embodiments where balloon  30  contains the liquid, tube  63  has sufficient diameter to allow for the passage of sufficient water from balloon  30  to balloon  60  to produce the desired amount of gas to inflate balloon  60  as well inflate balloon  72 . Also when balloon  30  contains the liquid, one or both of balloon  30  and tube  63  are configured to allow for the passage of liquid to balloon  60  by one or more of the following: i) the compressive forced applied to balloon  30  by peristaltic contractions of the small intestine on the exposed balloon  30 ; and ii) wicking of liquid through tube  63  by capillary action. 
     Tube  63  will typically include a degradable separation valve or other separation means  50  which separates the contents of balloon  30 , (e.g., water  58 ) from those of balloon  60  (e.g., reactants  65 ) until the valve degrades. Valve  50  can be fabricated from a material such as maltose, which is degradable by liquid water so that the valve opens upon exposure to water along with the various liquids in the digestive tract. It may also be made from materials that are degradable responsive to the higher pH&#39;s found in the intestinal fluids such as methacrylate based coatings. The valve is desirably positioned at location on tube  63  which protrudes above balloon  30  and/or is otherwise sufficient exposed such that when cap  20   p ′ degrades the valve  50  is exposed to the intestinal liquids which enter the capsule. In various embodiments, valve  50  can be positioned to lie on the surface of balloon  30  or even protrude above it (as is shown in the embodiments of  FIGS. 6A and 6B ), so that is has clear exposure to intestinal fluids once cap  20   p ′ degrades. Various embodiments of the invention provide a number of structures for a separation valve  50 , for example, a beam like structure (where the valve comprises a beam that presses down on tube  63  and/or connecting section  36 ), or collar type structure (where the valve comprises a collar lying over tube  63  and/or connecting section  36 ). Still other valve structures are also contemplated. 
     Balloon  30  has a deployed and a non-deployed state. In the deployed state, the deployment balloon  30  can have a dome shape  30   d  which corresponds to the shape of an end of the capsule. Other shapes  30   s  for the deployed balloon  30  are also contemplated, such as spherical, tube-shape, etc. The reactants  65  will typically include at least two reactants  66  and  67 , for example, an acid such as citric acid and a base such as sodium bicarbonate, which can have about a 1:2 ratio. Other reactants  65  including other acids, e.g., ascetic acid and bases, e.g., sodium hydroxide are also contemplated. When the valve or other separation means  50  opens, the reactants mix in the liquid and produce a gas such as carbon dioxide which expands the aligner balloon  60  or other expandable member. 
     In an alternative embodiment shown in  FIG. 3B , the deployment balloon  30  can actually comprise a first and second balloon  30 ′ and  30 ″ connected by a tube  36  or other connection means  36  (e.g., a connecting section). Connecting tube  36  will typically include a separation valve  50  that is degradable by a liquid as described above and/or a liquid having a particular pH such as basic pH found in the small intestine (e.g., 5.5 or 6.5). The two balloons  30 ′ and  30 ″ can each have a half dome shape  30   hs  allowing them to fit into the end portion of the capsule when in the expanded state. One balloon can contain the chemical reactant(s)  65  (e.g., sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, etc.) the other the liquid water  68 , so that when the valve is degraded the two components mix to form a gas which inflates one or both balloons  30 ′ and  30 ″ and in turn, the aligner balloon  60 . 
     In yet another alternative embodiment, balloon  30  can comprise a multi-compartment balloon  30   mc , that is formed or other constructed to have multiple compartments  30   c . Typically, compartments  30   c  will include at least a first and a second compartment  34  and  35  which are separated by a separation valve  50  or other separation means  50  as is shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 4A . In many embodiments, compartments  34  and  35  will have at least a small connecting section  36  between them which is where separation valve  50  will typically be placed. A liquid  68 , typically water, can be disposed within first compartment  34  and one or more reactants  65  disposed in second compartment  35  (which typically are solid though liquid may also be used) as is shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 4A . When valve  50  opens (e.g., from degradation caused by fluids within the small intestine) liquid  68  enters compartment  35  (or vice versa or both), the reactant(s)  65  mix with the liquid and produce a gas  69  such as carbon dioxide which expands balloon  30  which in turn can be used to expand one or more of balloons  60  and  72 . 
     Reactants  65  will typically include at least a first and a second reactant,  66  and  67  for example, an acid such as citric acid and a base such as sodium bi-carbonate or potassium bicarbonate. As discussed herein, in various embodiments they may be placed in one or more of balloon  30  (including compartments  34  and  35  or halves  30 ′ and  30 ″) and balloon  60 . Additional reactants, including other combinations of acids and bases which produce an inert gas by product are also contemplated. For embodiments using citric acid and sodium or carbonate, the ratio&#39;s between the two reactants (citric acid to potassium bicarbonate) can be in the range of about 1:1 to about 1:4, with a specific ratio of about 1:3. Desirably, solid reactants  65  have little or no absorbed water. Accordingly, one or more of the reactants, such as sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate can be pre-dried (e.g., by vacuum drying) before being placed within balloon  30 . Other reactants  65  including other acids, e.g., ascetic acid and bases are also contemplated. The amounts of particular reactants  65 , including combinations of reactants can be selected to produce particular pressures using known stoichiometric equations for the particular chemical reactions as well as the inflated volume of the balloon and the ideal gas law (e.g., PV=nRT). In particular embodiments, the amounts of reactants can be selected to produce a pressure selected one or more of balloons  30 ,  60  and  72  to i) achieve a particular penetration depth into the intestinal wall; ii) and produce a particular diameter for one or more of balloons  30 ,  60  and  72 ; and iii) exert a selected amount of force against intestinal wall IW. In particular embodiments, the amount and ratios of the reactants (e.g., citric acid and potassium bicarbonate) can be selected to achieve pressures in one more of the balloons  30 ,  60  and  72  in the range of 10 to 15 psi, with smaller and larger pressures contemplated. Again the amounts and ratios of the reactants to achieve these pressures can be determined using known stoichiometric equations. 
     In various embodiments of the invention using chemical reactants  65  to generate gas  69 , the chemical reactants alone or in combination with the deployment balloon  30  can comprise a deployment engine for 80 deploying one or both of the aligner balloon  60  and delivery mechanism  70  including delivery balloon  72 . Deployment engine  80  may also include embodiments using two deployment balloons  30  and  30 ″ (a dual dome configuration as shown in  FIG. 3B ), or a multi compartment balloon  30   mc  as shown in  FIG. 4A . Other forms of a deployment engine  80  are also contemplated by various embodiments of the invention such as use of expandable piezo-electric materials (that expand by application of a voltage), springs and other shape memory materials and various thermally expandable materials. 
     One or more of the expandable balloons  30 ,  60  and  72  will also typically include a deflation valve  59  which serves to deflate the balloon after inflation. Deflation valve  59  can comprise biodegradable materials which are configured to degrade upon exposure to the fluids in the small intestine and/or liquid in one of the compartments of the balloon so as to create an opening or channel for escape of gas within a particular balloon. Desirably, deflation valves  59  are configured to degrade at a slower rate than valve  50  to allow sufficient time for inflation of balloons,  30 ,  60  and  72  before the deflation valve degrades. In various embodiments, of a compartmentalized balloon  30 , deflation valve  59  can correspond to a degradable section  39  positioned on an end portion  31  of the balloon as is shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 4A . In this and related embodiments, when degradable section  39  degrades from exposure to the liquid, balloon wall  32  tears or otherwise comes apart providing for a high assurance of rapid deflation. Multiple degradable sections  39  can be placed at various locations within balloon wall  32 . 
     In various embodiments of balloon  72 , deflation valve  59  can correspond to a tube valve  73  attached to the end  72   e  of the delivery balloon  72  (opposite to the end which is coupled to the aligner balloon) as is shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 3B . The tube valve  73  comprises a hollow tube  73   t  having a lumen that is obstructed at a selected location  731  with a material  73   m  such as maltose that degrades upon exposure to fluid such as the fluid in the small intestine. The location  731  of the obstructing material  73   m  in tube  73   t  is selected to provide sufficient time for the delivery balloon  72  to inflate and deliver the tissue penetrating members  40  into the intestinal wall IW before the obstructing material dissolves to open valve  73 . Typically, this will be close to the end  73   e  of the tube  73   t , but not quite so as to allow time for liquid to have to wick into the tube lumen before it reaches material  73   m . According to one or more embodiments, once the deflation valve  73  opens, it not only serves to deflate the delivery balloon  72  but also the aligner balloon  60  and deployment balloon  30  since in many embodiments, all three are fluidically connected (aligner balloon being fluidically connected to delivery balloon  72  and the deployment balloon  30  being fluidically connected to aligner balloon  60 ). Opening of the deflation valve  73  can be facilitated by placing it on the end  72   e  of the delivery balloon  72  that is forced out of capsule  20  by inflation of the aligner balloon  60  so that the deflation valve has good exposure to liquids in the small intestine. Similar tube deflation valves  73  can also be positioned on one or both of aligner balloon  62  and the deployment balloon  30 . In these later two cases, the obstructing material in the tube valve can be configured to degrade over a time period to allow sufficient time for inflation of delivery balloon  72  and advancement of tissue penetrating members  40  into the intestinal wall. 
     Additionally, as further backup for insured deflation, one or more puncture elements  82  (shown in  FIG. 2A ) can be attached to the inside surface  24  of the capsule such that when a balloon (e.g., balloon  30 ,  60 ,  72 ) fully inflates it contacts and is punctured by the puncture element  82 . Puncture elements  82  can comprise short protrusions from surface  24  having a pointed tip. In another alternative or additional embodiment of a means for balloon deflation, one or more of the tissue penetrating members  40  can be directly coupled to the wall of  72   w  of balloon  72  and configured to tear away from the balloon when they detach, tearing the balloon wall in the process. 
     A discussion will now be presented of tissue penetrating members  40 . Tissue penetrating member  40  can be fabricated from various drugs and other therapeutic agents  101 , one or more pharmaceutical excipients (e.g., disintegrants, stabilizers, etc.) and one or more biodegradable materials which may be used to form the main structural components of tissue penetrating member  40  including shaft  44  and tip  45  discussed below. The later materials can be chosen to confer desired structural and material properties to the penetrating member (for example, column strength for insertion into the intestinal wall, or porosity and hydrophilicity for control the release of drug. Referring now to  FIGS. 8A-8F , in many embodiments, the penetrating member  40  can be formed to have a shaft  44  and a needle tip  45  or other pointed tip  45  so as to readily penetrate tissue of the intestinal wall as shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 8A . In preferred embodiments, tip  45  has a trocar shape as is shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 8C . Tip  45  may comprise various degradable materials (within the body of the tip or as a coating), such as sucrose, maltose or other sugar which increase the hardness and tissue penetrating properties of the tip. Once placed in the intestinal wall, the penetrating member  40  is degraded by the interstitial fluids within the wall tissue so that the drug or other therapeutic agent  101  dissolves in those fluids and is absorbed into the blood stream. One or more of the size, shape and chemical composition of tissue penetrating member  40  can be selected to allow for dissolution and absorption of drug  101  in a matter of seconds, minutes or even hours. Rates of dissolution can be controlled through the use of various disintegrants known in the pharmaceutical arts. Examples of disintegrants include, but are not limited to various starches such as sodium starch glycolate and various cross linked polymers such as carboxymethyl cellulose. The choice of disintegrants can be specifically adjusted for the environment within the wall of the small intestine e.g., blood flow, average number of peristaltic contractions, etc. 
     Tissue penetrating member  40  will also typically include one or more tissue retaining features  43  such as a barb or hook to retain the penetrating member within the tissue of the intestinal wall IW after advancement. Retaining features  43  can be arranged in various patterns  43   p  to enhance tissue retention such as two or more barbs symmetrically or otherwise distributed around and along member shaft  44  as is shown in the embodiments of  FIGS. 8A and 8B . Additionally, in many embodiments, penetrating member will also include a recess or other mating feature  46  for attachment to a coupling component on delivery mechanism  70 . 
     Tissue penetrating member  40  is desirably configured to be detachably coupled to platform  75  (or other component of delivery mechanism  70 ), so that after advancement of the tissue penetrating member  40  into the intestinal wall, the penetrating member detaches from the balloon. Detachability can be implemented by a variety of means including: i) the snugness or fit between the opening  74  in platform  75  and the member shaft  44 ); ii) the configuration and placement of tissue retaining features  43  on penetrating member  40 ; and iii) the depth of penetration of shaft  44  into the intestinal wall. Using one or more of these factors, penetrating member  40  be configured to detach as a result of balloon deflation (where the retaining features  43  hold the penetrating member  40  in tissue as the balloon deflates or otherwise pulls back away from the intestinal wall) and/or the forces exerted on capsule  20  by a peristaltic contraction of the small intestine. 
     In a specific embodiment, the detachability and retention of tissue penetrating member  40  in the intestinal wall IW can be enhanced by configuring the tissue penetrating member shaft  44  to have an inverse taper  44   t  as is shown in the embodiment of Fig. SC. The taper  44   t  on the shaft  44  is configured such that the application of peristaltic contractile forces from the intestinal wall on the shaft result in the shaft being forced inward  9  (e.g., squeezed inward). This is due to the conversion by shaft taper  44   t  of the laterally applied peristaltic force PF to an orthogonal force OF acting to force the shaft inward into the intestinal wall. In use, such inverse tapered shaft configurations serve to retain tissue penetrating member  40  within the intestinal wall so as to detach from platform  75  (or other component of delivery mechanism  70 ) upon deflation of balloon  72 . Inverse tapers may also be used for embodiments of tissue penetrating member  40  which have any number of tip shapes  45  in addition to a trocar tip. In additional embodiments, tissue penetrating members  40  having an inverse tapered shaft may also include one or more retaining features  43  to further enhance the retention of the tissue penetrating member within intestinal wall IW once inserted. 
     As described above, in various embodiments, tissue penetrating member  40  can be fabricated from a number of drugs and other therapeutic agents  101 . Also according to one or more embodiments, the tissue penetrating member may be fabricated entirely from drug  101  or may have other constituent components as well, e.g., various pharmaceutical excipients (e.g., binders, preservatives, disintegrants, etc.), polymers conferring desired mechanical properties, etc. Further, in various embodiments one or more tissue penetrating members  40  can carry the same or a different drug  101  (or other therapeutic agent) from other tissue penetrating members. The former configuration allows for the delivery of greater amounts of a particular drug  101 , while the later, allows two or more different drugs to be delivered into the intestinal wall at about the same time to facilitate drug treatment regimens requiring substantial concurrent delivery of multiple drugs. In embodiments of device  10 , have multiple delivery assemblies  78  (e.g., two, one on each face of balloon  72 ), a first assembly  78 ′ can carry tissue penetrating members having a first drug  101  and a second assembly  78 ″ can carry tissue penetrating members having a second drug  101 . 
     Typically, the drug or other therapeutic agent  101  carried by the tissue penetrating member  40  will be mixed in with a biodegradable material  105  to form tissue penetrating member  40 . Material  105  may include one or more biodegradable polymers such as PLGA, cellulose, as well as sugars such as maltose or other biodegradable material described herein or known in the art. In such embodiments, the penetrating member  40  may comprise a substantially heterogeneous mixture of drug  101  and biodegradable material  105 . Alternatively, the tissue penetrating member  40  may include a portion  41  formed substantially from biodegradable material  105  and a separate section  42  that is formed from or contains drug  101  as shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 8D . In one or more embodiments, section  42  may correspond to a pellet, slug, cylinder or other shaped section  42   s  of drug  101 . Shaped section  42   s  may be pre-formed as a separate section which is then inserted into a cavity  42   c  in tissue penetrating member  40  as is shown in the embodiments of  FIGS. 8E and 8F . Alternatively section  42   s  may be formed by adding of drug preparation  100  to cavity  42   c . In embodiments, where drug preparation  100  is added to cavity  42   c , preparation may be added in as a powder, liquid, or gel which is poured or injected into cavity  42   c . Shaped section  42   s  may be formed of drug  101  by itself or a drug preparation containing drug  101  and one or more binders, preservatives, disintegrates and other excipients. Suitable binders include polyethylene glycol (PEG) and other binders known in the art. In various embodiments, the PEG or other binder may comprise in the range of about 10 to 50% weight percent of the section  42   s , with a preferred embodiment of about 30 weight percent. Other binders may include PLGA, Cyclodextrin, Cellulose, Methyl Cellulose, maltose, Dextrin, Sucrose, PGA. 
     In various embodiments, the weight of tissue penetrating member  40  can range between about 10 to 15 mg, with larger and smaller weights contemplated. For embodiments of tissue penetrating member  40  fabricated from maltose, the weight can range from about 11 to 14 mg. In various embodiments, depending upon the drug  101  and the desired delivered dose, the weight percent of drug in member  40  can range from about 0.1 to about 15%. The weight percent of drug  101  in member  40  can be adjusted depending upon the desired dose as well as to provide for structural and stoichiometric stability to the drug and also to achieve a desired elution profile of the drug. Table 1 lists the dose and weight percent range for a number of drugs which may be delivered by tissue penetrating member  40 . 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
             
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
               
               
                   
                 Dose Via 
                 % Weight of Drug 
               
               
                 Drug 
                 Capsule** 
                 in the needle 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 Insulin 
                 5-30 
                 units 
                 2-15% 
               
               
                 Exenatide 
                 10 
                 ug 
                     &lt;1% 
               
               
                 Liraglutide 
                 0.6 
                 mg 
                  3-6% 
               
               
                 Pramlintide 
                 15-120 
                 ug 
                 0.1-1%  
               
               
                 Growth Hormone 
                 0.2-1 
                 mg 
                 2-10% 
               
               
                 Somatostatin and Analogs 
                 50-600 
                 ug 
                 0.3-8%  
               
               
                 GnRH and Analogs 
                 0.3-1.5 
                 mg 
                 2-15% 
               
               
                 Vasopressin 
                 2-10 
                 units 
                     &lt;1% 
               
               
                 PTH and Analogues 
                 20 
                 ug 
                  1-2% 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                 Interferons and analogs 
                   
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 1. For Multiple Sclerosis 
                 0.03-0.25 
                 mg 
                 0.1-3%  
               
               
                 2. For Hep B and Hep C 
                 6-20 
                 ug 
                 0.05-0.2%    
               
               
                 Adalimumab 
                 2-4 
                 mg/day 
                 8-12% 
               
               
                 Infliximab 
                 5 
                 mg/day 
                 8-12% 
               
               
                 Etanercept 
                 3 
                 mg/day 
                 8-12% 
               
               
                 Natalizumab 
                 3 
                 mg/day 
                 8-12% 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     Tissue penetrating member  40  can be fabricated using one or more polymer and pharmaceutical fabrication techniques known in the art. For example, drug  101  (with or without biodegradable material  105 ) can be in solid form and then formed into the shape of the tissue penetrating member  40  using molding, compaction or other like method with one or more binding agents added. Alternatively, drug  101  and/or drug preparation  100  may be in solid or liquid form and then added to the biodegradable material  105  in liquid form with the mixture then formed into the penetrating member  40  using molding or other forming method known in the polymer arts. 
     Desirably, embodiments of the tissue penetrating member  40  comprising a drug or other therapeutic agent  101  and degradable material  105  are formed at temperatures which do not produce any substantial thermal degradation of the drug (or other therapeutic agent) including drugs such as various peptides and proteins. This can be achieved through the use of room-temperature curing polymers and room temperature molding and solvent evaporation techniques known in the art. In particular embodiments, the amount of thermally degraded drug or other therapeutic agent within the tissue penetrating member is desirably less than about 10% by weight and more preferably, less than 5% and still more preferably less than 1%. The thermal degradation temperature(s) for a particular drug are either known or can be determined using methods known in the art and then this temperature can be used to select and adjust the particular polymer processing methods (e.g., molding, curing. solvent evaporation methods etc.) to minimize the temperatures and associated level of drug thermal degradation. 
     A description will be provided of delivery mechanism  70 . Typically, the mechanism will comprise a delivery assembly  78  (containing tissue penetrating members  40 ) that is attached to delivery balloon  72  as is shown in the embodiment of  FIGS. 6A and 6B . Inflation of the delivery balloon provides a mechanical force for engaging delivery assembly  72  outwards from the capsule and into the intestinal wall IW so as to insert tissue penetrating members  40  into the wall. In various embodiments, the delivery balloon  72  can have an elongated shape with two relatively flat faces  72   f  connected by an articulated accordion-like body  72   b . The flat faces  72   f  can be configured to press against the intestinal wall (IW) upon expansion of the balloon  72  so as to insert the tissue penetrating members (TPMs)  40  into the intestinal wall. TPMs  40  (either by themselves or as part of a delivery assembly  78  described below) can be positioned on one or both faces  72   f  of balloon  70  to allow insertion of drug containing TPMs  40  on opposite sides of the intestinal wall. The faces  72   f  of balloon  72  may have sufficient surface area to allow for placement of a number of drug containing TPMs  40  on each face. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 9 , a description will now be provided of assembly of delivery assembly  78 . In a first step  300 , one or more tissue penetrating members  40  can be detachably coupled to a biodegradable advancement structure  75  which may correspond to a support platform  75  (also known as platform  75 ). In preferred embodiments, platform  75  includes one or more openings  74  for insertion of members  40  as shown in step  300 . Openings  74  are sized to allow for insertion and retention of members  40  in platform  75  prior to expansion of balloon  72  while allowing for their detachment from the platform upon their penetration into the intestinal wall. Support platform  75  can then be positioned within a carrying structure  76  as shown in step  301 . Carrying structure  76  may correspond to a well structure  76  having side walls  76   s  and a bottom wall  76   b  which define a cavity or opening  76   c . Platform  75  is desirably attached to inside surface of bottom wall  76   b  using adhesive or other joining methods known in the art. Well structure  76  can comprise various polymer materials and may be formed using vacuum forming techniques known in the polymer processing arts. In many embodiments, opening  760  can be covered with a protective film  77  as shown in step  302 . Protective film  77  has properties selected to function as a barrier to protect tissue penetrating members  40  from humidity and oxidation while still allowing tissue penetrating members  40  to penetrate the film as is described below. Film  77  can comprise various water and/or oxygen impermeable polymers which are desirably configured to be biodegradable in the small intestine and/or to pass inertly through the digestive tract. It may also have a multi-ply construction with particular layers selected for impermeability to a given substance, e.g., oxygen, water vapor etc. In use, embodiments employing protective film  77  serve to increase the shelf life of therapeutic agent  101  in tissue penetrating members  40 , and in turn, the shelf life of device  10 . Collectively, support platform  75  attached tissue penetrating members  40 , well structure  76 , and film  77  can comprise a delivery assembly  78 . Delivery assemblies  78  having one or more drugs or therapeutic agents  101  contained within tissue penetrating member  40  or other drug delivery means can be pre-manufactured, stored and subsequently used for the manufacture of device  10  at a later date. The shelf life of assembly  78  can be further enhanced by filling cavity  76   c  of the sealed assembly  78  with an inert gas such as nitrogen. 
     Referring back to  FIGS. 6A and 6B , assemblies  78  can be positioned on one or both faces  72   f  of balloon  72 . In preferred embodiments, assemblies  78  are positioned on both faces  72   f  (as shown in  FIG. 6A ) so as to provide a substantially equal distribution of force to opposite sides of the intestinal wall IW upon expansion of balloon  72 . The assemblies  78  may be attached to faces  72   f  using adhesives or other joining methods known in the polymer arts. Upon expansion of balloon  72 , TPMs  40  penetrate through film  77 , enter the intestinal wall IW and are retained there by retaining elements  43  and/or other retaining features of tissue penetrating (e.g., an inverse tapered shaft  44   t ) such that they detach from platform  75  upon deflation of balloon  72 . 
     In various embodiments, one or more of balloons  30 ,  60  and  72  can be packed inside capsule  20  in a folded, furled or other desired configuration to conserve space within the interior volume  24   v  of the capsule. Folding can be done using preformed creases or other folding feature or method known in the medical balloon arts. In particular embodiments, balloon  30 ,  60  and  72  can be folded in selected orientations to achieve one or more of the following: i) conserve space, ii) produce a desired orientation of a particular inflated balloon; and iii) facilitate a desired sequence of balloon inflations. The embodiments shown in  FIGS. 5A-5F  illustrate an embodiment of a method of folding and various folding arrangements. However, it should be appreciated that this folding arrangement and the resulting balloon orientations are exemplary and others may also be used. In this and related embodiments, folding can be done manually, by automated machine or a combination of both. Also in many embodiments, folding can be facilitated by using a single multi balloon assembly  7  (herein assembly  7 ) comprising balloons  30 ,  60 ,  70 ; valve chamber  58  and assorted connecting tubings  62  as is shown in the embodiments of  FIGS. 3A and 3B .  FIG. 3A  shows an embodiment of assembly  7  having a single dome construction for balloon  30 , while  FIG. 3B  shows the embodiment of assembly  7  having dual balloon/dome configuration for balloon  30 . Assembly  7  can be fabricated using a thin polymer film which is vacuum-formed into the desired shape using various vacuum forming and other related methods known in the polymer processing arts. Suitable polymer films include polyethylene films having a thickness in the range of about 0.003 to about 0.010″, with a specific embodiment of 0.005″. In preferred embodiments, the assembly is fabricated to have a unitary construction so as to eliminate the need for joining one or more components of the assembly (e.g., balloons  30 ,  60 , etc.). However, it is also contemplated for assembly  7  to be fabricated from multiple portions (e.g., halves), or components (e.g., balloons) which are then joined using various joining methods known in the polymer/medical device arts. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 5A-5F, 6A -B and  7  A- 7 B, in a first folding step  210 , balloon  60  is folded over onto valve fitting  58  with balloon  72  being flipped over to the opposite side of valve fitting  58  in the process (see  FIG. 5A ). Then in step  211 , balloon  72  is folded at a right angle to the folded combination of balloon  60  and valve  58  (see  FIG. 5B ). Then, in step  212  for dual dome embodiments of balloon  30 , the two halves  30 ′ and  30 ″ of balloon  30  are folded onto each other, leaving valve  50  exposed (see  FIG. 5C , for single dome embodiments of balloon  30 , is folded over onto itself see  FIG. 5E ). A final folding step  213  can be done whereby folded balloon  30  is folded over 180° to the opposite side of valve fitting  58  and balloon  60  to yield a final folded assembly  8  for dual dome configurations shown in the  FIG. 5E  and a final folded assembly  8 ′ for single dome configurations shown in  FIGS. 5E and 5F . One or more delivery assemblies  78  are then be attached to assembly  8  in step  214  (typically two the faces  72   f  of balloon  72 ) to yield a final assembly  9  (shown in the embodiments of  FIGS. 6A and 6B ) which is then inserted into capsule  20 . After an insertion step  215 , the final assembled version of device  10  with inserted assembly  9  is shown  FIGS. 7A and 7B . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 10A-10I , a description will be provided of a method of using device  10  to deliver medication  101  to a site in the GI tract such as the wall of the small or large intestine. It should be appreciated that the steps and there order is exemplary and other steps and orders also contemplated. After device  10  enters the small intestine SI, the cap coating  20   c ′ is degraded by the basic pH in the upper small intestine causing degradation of cap  20   p ′ as shown in step  400  in FIG.  10 B. Valve  50  is then exposed to fluids in the small intestine causing the valve to begin degrade as is shown in step  401  in  FIG. 10C . Then, in step  402 , balloon  30  expands (due to generation of gas  69 ) as shown in  FIG. 10D . Then, in step  403 , section  60 ′ of balloon  60  begins to expand to start to push assembly  78  out of the capsule body as shown in  FIG. 10E . Then, in step  404 , sections  60 ′ and  60 ″ of balloon  60  become fully inflated to completely push assembly  78  out of the capsule body extending the capsule length  201  so as to serve to align capsule lateral axis  20 AL with the lateral axis of the small intestine LAI as shown in  FIG. 10F . During this time, valve  55  is beginning to fail from the increased pressure in balloon  60  (due to the fact that the balloon has fully inflated and there is no other place for gas  69  to go). Then, in step  405 , valve  55  has completely opened, inflating balloon  72  which then pushes the now completely exposed assembly  78  (having been pushed completely out of body  20   p ″) radially outward into the intestinal wall IW as shown in  FIG. 10G . Then, in step  406 , balloon  72  continues to expand to now advance tissue penetrating members into the intestinal wall IW as shown in  FIG. 10H . Then, in step  407 , balloon  72 , (along with balloons  60  and  30 ) has deflated pulling back and leaving tissue penetrating members retained in the intestinal wall IW. Also, the body portion  20   p ″ of the capsule has completely degraded (due to degradation of coating  20   c ″) along with other biodegradable portions of device  10 . Any portion not degraded is carried distally through the small intestine by peristaltic contraction from digestion and is ultimately excreted. 
     Referring back to  FIG. 1B , as an alternative or supplement to the use of pH sensitive degradable coatings and valves for inflation of one or more of balloons  30 ,  60 , and  72  (and deployment of medication  100 ), in various embodiments the balloons can be expanded responsive to a sensor  97 , such as a pH sensor  98  or other chemical sensor which detects the presence of the capsule in the small intestine. Sensor  97  can then send a signal to a controllable embodiment of isolation valve  50  or to an electronic controller  29   c  coupled to a controllable isolation valve  50  to open and thus expand balloon  30  as is described herein. Embodiments of a pH sensor  98  can comprise an electrode-based sensor or it can be a mechanically-based sensor such as a polymer which shrinks or expands upon exposure to a selected pH or other chemical conditions in the small intestine. In related embodiments, an expandable/contractible pH sensor  98  can also comprise the isolation valve  50  itself, by configuring the sensor to expand or contract about connector  63  and/or  36  so as to open a channel between balloons  30  and  60  and/or compartments  34  and  35 . 
     According to another embodiment for detecting when device  10  is in the small intestine (or other location in the GI tract), sensor  97  can comprise pressure/force sensor such as strain gauge for detecting the number of peristaltic contractions that capsule  20  is being subject to within a particular location in the intestinal tract (in such embodiments capsule  20  is desirably sized to be gripped by the small intestine during a peristaltic contraction). Different locations within the GI tract have different number of peristaltic contractions. For example, the small intestine has between 12 to 9 contractions per minute with the frequency decreasing down the length of the intestine. Thus, according to one or more embodiments, detection of the number of peristaltic contractions can be used to not only determine if capsule  20  is in the small intestine, but the relative location within the intestine as well. In use, these and related embodiments allow for release of medication  100  at a particular location in the small intestine. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 1B , as an alternative or supplement to internal activation of drug delivery by device  10  (e.g., using a pH sensitive coatings and/or sensor), in some embodiments, the user may externally send a signal to expand one or more of balloon  30 ,  60  and  72  to deliver medication  100  to the intestinal wall. The signal may be sent by means of RF, magnetic or other wireless signaling means known in the art. In various embodiments, external activation can be achieved by use of a controllable isolation valve  50  for example, an RF controlled miniature solenoid valve or other electro-mechanical control valve (not shown). In other embodiments, a controllable isolation valve  50  may correspond to a miniature magnetically valve such as a magnetically controlled miniature reed switch (not shown). Such electromechanical or magnetic-based valves can be fabricated using mems and other micro manufacturing methods. In these and related embodiments, the user can use a handheld communication device  13  (e.g., a hand held RF device such as a cell phone) as is shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 1B , to send a receive signals  17  from device  10 . In such embodiments, swallow able device may include a transmitter  28  such as an RF transceiver chip or other like communication device/circuitry. Handheld device  13  may not only includes signaling means, but also means for informing the user when device  10  is in the small intestine or other location in the GI tract. The later embodiment can be implemented through the use of logic resources  29  (e.g., a processor  29 ) coupled to transmitter  28  to signal to detect and singe to the user when the device is in the small intestine or other location (e.g., by signaling an input from the sensor). Logic resources  29  may include a controller  29   c  (either in hardware or software) to control one or more aspects of the process. The same handheld device can also be configured to alert the user when balloon  30  (as well as balloons  52  and  60 ) has been expanded and the selected medication  100  delivered (e.g., using processor  29  and transmitter  28 ). In this way, the user is provided confirmation that medication  100  has been delivered. This allows the user to take other appropriate drugs/therapeutic agents as well as make other related decisions (e.g., for diabetics to eat a meal or not and what foods should be eaten). The handheld device can also be configured to send a signal to swallowable device  10  to over-ride isolation valve  50  and so prevent, delay or accelerate the delivery of medication  100 . In use, such embodiments allow the user to intervene to prevent, delay or accelerate the delivery of medication, based upon other symptoms and/or patient actions (e.g., eating a meal, deciding to go to sleep, exercise etc.). The user may also externally expand balloon  30  or expandable member  30  at a selected time period after swallowing the capsule. The time period can be correlated to a typical transit time or range of transit times for food moving through the user&#39;s GI tract to a particular location in the tract such as the small intestine. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 11A-11B and 16 , in various embodiments, the capsule  20  can include seams  22  comprising biodegradable material which controllably degrade to produce capsule pieces  23  of a selectable size and shape to facilitate passage through the GI tract as is shown in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1  IA and  1  IB. Seams  22  can also include pores or other openings  22   p  for ingress of fluids into the seam to accelerate biodegradation as is shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 16 . Other means for accelerating biodegradation of seams  22  can include pre-stressing the seam and/or including perforations  22   f  in the seam as is also shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 16 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 12A-12C , in other embodiments of a swallow able drug delivery device  10 , the device  10  may include one or more piston cylinder assemblies (PCA)  250  for delivering one or more needles or other tissue penetrating members (TPM)  40  into the intestinal wall. As such, in these and related embodiments, the piston cylinder assembly (PCA) comprises the delivery mechanism  70 . Typically, the piston cylinder assembly (PCA)  250  will be positioned substantially inside a balloon such as balloon  260 . However, they may be positioned partially or even completely outside of balloon  260  or other balloon described herein. In some embodiments the balloon  260  comprises multiple portions. As shown in  FIG. 12A , the balloon  260  comprises two portions, the first portion comprises a first compartment  265  and the second portion comprises a second compartment  266  separated by a release valve assembly  290 . One portion contains a solid reactant  810  such as potassium bicarbonate and the other portions contains a liquid reactant  811  such as citric acid which reacts with the solid reactant to produce a gas  299  such as CO 2 . The valve assembly  290  comprises an O-ring  270  positioned over a dissolvable pinch valve  292  which pinches down and maintains a seal between the two portions  265  and  266  of the balloon  260 . The dissolvable valve is fabricated from maltose or other material which dissolves upon contact with fluid in the small intestine. When that happens, fluid from one portion of the balloon mixes with the reactant in the other to generate the gas  299  to inflate the balloon  260 . 
     Typically, the PCA  250  is positioned in the portion/compartment of the balloon  260  containing the solid reactants (second compartment  266 ) and is dimensioned accordingly. In one more dimensional embodiments, the balloon can have a vertical height between about 12 to 16 mm, with a preferred embodiment of 14 mm, while the inner diameter of the balloon  260  can be in the range of 18 to 22 mm with preferred embodiment of 20 mm. Other dimensions are also contemplated. In various embodiments, all or portion of the PCA  250  is fabricated from materials which can dissolvable materials such maltose, or methyl cellulose. It can also be fabricated from ABS and other polymers which are inert within the GI tract. In specific embodiments, the outer top portion of the piston can be made of silicone which is mounted on an inner structure, such as a pedestal structure which can be made of ABS. 
     As shown in  FIG. 12A , when uninflated, the PCA  250  is positioned sideways (horizontally) within the balloon  260  (with respect to the lengthwise axis of the balloon), but when the balloon  260  is inflated the PCA  250  re-orients itself to a vertical position as shown in  FIG. 12B . This reorientation can be achieved by virtue of conformation/shape changes once the balloon  260  is inflated as well as by means of an adhesive or other joint  269  attached the PCA  250  to the balloon wall  261  which can be configured to exert a force on the PCA  250  to bias it into a vertical orientation (i.e., the joint is made when the PCA  250  is in a vertical position and then the PCA is put into a horizontal position). The joint  269  may comprise various elastic materials known in the art including silicone. The PCA comprises a piston  252  and piston rod  253  which are positioned inside a cylinder  251  (aka piston cylinder). The needle or TPM  40  sits above the piston rod  253  within a needle lumen  230 , which is continuous with the piston cylinder. The needle lumen can also include a covering  231  (herein needle lumen covering) which can comprise a foil or polymer film. The ratio in diameter between the piston and piston rod can be selected to result in desired pressure concentration effect (e.g., 2:1, 3:1, etc.) from the decrease in surface area. An O-ring  271  is positioned between the piston  252  and the piston cylinder  251  to maintain a seal between the piston  252  and the wall of the piston cylinder  251 . Also, a pressure sensitive release  235  is positioned inside the cylinder  251  to keep the piston  252  in place until a desired pressure (also referred to as a pressure threshold) has built up (e.g., 5 to psi 20 psi, more preferably 8 to 10 psi) inside balloon  260 . The release  235  may correspond to a tab, latch or an O-ring. In use, this release serves to assure that there is sufficient pressure within the balloon to drive the needle  40  a desired depth into the wall of the small intestine (IW). 
     When the valve separating the two portions ( 265  and  266 ) of the balloon  260  dissolves and the balloon begins to inflate, the PCA  250  re-orients itself from a horizontal to vertical orientation as described above. Then, when the pressure in the balloon  260  exceeds the release pressure of the release tab, the piston rod advances against the needle (or other TPM) to force the needle  40  out of the needle lumen  230  and into the wall of the small intestine. Once the needle passes through the needle lumen into the intestinal wall, the balloon  260  then deflates via the now open needle lumen. After needle deployment, the PCA  250  either dissolves or passes harmlessly through the GI tract. 
     In one or more embodiments, the delivery mechanism  70  can comprise an array  350  of the PCAs (multiple needle PCA) that can be configured for the delivery of multiple needles  40  (or other TPM) as shown in  FIG. 12C . In these and related embodiments, the PCAs can include a common inflation manifold  357  coupled to multiple needle lumens  330  via central lumen  358  at one end and to the balloon  359  at the other. Various embodiments of a multiple needle PCA  350  can be configured to deliver from 2 to 6 needles or more. Each needle may contain the same or different drug or other therapeutic agent. 
     As described above, deflation of the delivery balloon  260  occurs through the needle lumen once the needle has been delivered into tissue with no additional means for balloon deflation needed. Referring now to  FIG. 12D , in alternative embodiments, the delivery balloon  260  may also include a separate deflation valve assembly  280  which serves as backup or secondary means for deflation in addition to the needle lumen  230 . As shown in  FIG. 12D , the deflation valve assembly comprises an O-ring  272  positioned over a dissolvable pinch valve  281  which pinches down an open end of the delivery balloon  260 . The valve includes a dis solvable body portion made of maltose or other similar material as the release valve and an outer coating such as methyl cellulose. The outer coating  283  is configured to take a substantially longer time to dissolve than the dissolvable valve in the release valve assembly such that the deflation valve is not actuated for periods of 10 minutes or longer (preferably 20) after the release valve is actuated. This is to assure that deflation valve is not actuated until well after the needle has been advanced into the intestinal wall. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 13A-13B , in one or more embodiments of the swallowable device, the delivery balloon  460  can include an assembly configured to both control pressure at which the needle is advanced out of the balloon and into the intestinal wall as well as assure that balloon deflates by means of puncture. The assembly can include a lower portion  463  to which one or more TPMs (herein also referred to as drug needle)  40  are attached and an upper portion  464  to which one or more puncture needles (puncture members)  450  are attached. The upper portion may include an aperture  430  or opening for the drug needle to be advanced out of the assembly and into the intestinal wall. Upper portion  464  and lower portion  463  may be joined by sidewalls  465 . Sidewalls  465  may be collapsible to permit portions  464  and  463  to come together. Sidewalls  465  may have enough rigdity to keep the upper portion  464  and lower  463  apart while balloon  460  is not inflating. Sidewalls  465  collapse, collapse however under the balloon pressure. The sidewalls may be weakly bonded to the balloon  460  with weak adhesive  470  such that the sidewalls conform to the balloon until the balloon  460  inflates. Upon inflation of balloon  460 , the sidewalls  465  separate from the balloon  460 . Lower portion  463  may also be bonded to the balloon, but with stronger adhesive  469  The entire assembly is positioned between the balloon and the intestinal wall IW as shown in in  FIG. 13A . 
     Upon inflation of the delivery balloon  460 , the puncture needles  450  are configured to penetrate and puncture the lower portion  463  of the delivery assembly and the delivery balloon  460  in order to rupture the delivery balloon. Preferably, the drug needles  40  have a length  401  sufficiently longer than the length of the puncture needles  4501  such that the drug needle(s)  40  is already on its way out of the assembly and even into the intestinal wall before the puncture needles  450  make contact with the lower portion  463  and the balloon  460 . According to one or more embodiments, the drug needle is between 25 to 300% longer than puncture needles with specific embodiments of 50, 75, 100, 150, 200 and 250%. 
     According to one or more embodiments, the lower portion  463  is fabricated from a material which does not allow the puncture needle to penetrate until a desired pressure is reached (e.g., 4 to 20 psi, more preferably 8 to 12 psi). This in turn keeps the drug needle from being completely advanced out into the intestinal wall until that desired pressure is reached. Once the puncture needles  450  penetrate the lower portion  463 , they allow the drug needle  40  to be completely advanced out, while simultaneously puncturing the inflated balloon  460  to ensure deflation. These and related embodiments provide the benefit of both controlling the pressure at which the drug needle  40  is assuring that the balloon is deflated. 
       FIG. 13B  shows the Balloon Inflation Pressure (BIP)  702  and the puncture needle pressure (PNP)  701 , the pressure used to advance the puncture needles to penetrate balloon  460  and lower portion  463 , as time progresses. The PNP rises and peaks as the puncture needles begin to penetrate the lower portion  463 . Once penetration of the lower portion  463  and balloon  460  is complete PNP drops to zero. After the drug needle  40  has been fully inserted into the intestinal wall the gas inside the balloon  460  is able to escape out of aperture  430  and BIP drops to zero as the balloon  460  deflates. In various embodiments, the entire assembly can be fabricated from various biodegradable or inert polymers know in the art. The pressure at which the lower portion  463  is penetrated can be controlled by one or more of the thickness and materials for the lower portion  463 . In various embodiments, the lower portion  463  can be fabricated from a polymer film including various inert (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)) and/or biodegradable polymers films known in the art (e.g., methylcellulose). 
     According to one or more embodiments, the drug needle or other tissue penetrating member  40  can be fabricated from methyl cellulose polymers. Such methyl cellulose polymers can include hydroxy methyl cellulose, carboxy methyl cellulose and various polymer thereof. The advantages of the use of such methyl cellulose polymers for fabrication of the drug needle (or other tissue penetrating member) compared to maltose based drug needles include little or no sensitivity to humidity during storage, reduced wall thickness, smaller needle size with the same drug payload, and ability to process the needle after fabrication including processing such as grinding, sharpening, sanding and other related processes. In one or more embodiments, a methyl cellulose based drug needle may have a wall thickness in the range of 0.05 to 0.15 mms with a specific embodiment of 0.1 mms. Also in one more embodiments, the methyl cellulose based drug needle may carry between 25-150% more drug versus a same sized maltose-based drug needle. In a specific embodiment of a drug needle having an outer diameter of 1.5 mm, the methyl cellulose needle can carry 100% more drug versus a maltose-based needle. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 15A-15B and 16 , in many embodiments seams  22  can also be configured and arranged so as to allow capsule  20  to be broken into smaller pieces by the inflation of balloon  30  or other expandable member  30 . In particular embodiments, seams  22  can be oriented with respect to capsule radial perimeter  21 , including having a radial pattern  22   rp  so as to have the capsule break into halves or other fractional pieces along its perimeter. Seams  22  may also be longitudinally-oriented with respect to capsule lateral access  201   a  to have the capsule break up into lengthwise pieces. 
     As an alternative or additional approach for breaking up capsule  20  by balloon inflation (or expansion of other expandable member  30 ), capsule  20  can be fabricated from two or more separate joinable pieces  23   j  (e.g., radial halves) that are joined at a joint  22   j  formed by seams  22  (which function as an adhesive joint) as shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 16 . Alternatively, joinable pieces  23   j  may be merely joined by a mechanical fit such as a snap or press fit. 
     Suitable materials for seams  22  can include one or more biodegradable materials described herein such as PLGA, glycolic acid etc. Seams  22  can be attached to capsule  20  using various joining methods known in the polymer arts such as molding, hot melt junctions, etc. Additionally for embodiments of capsule  20  which are also fabricated from biodegradable materials, faster biodegradation of seam  22  can be achieved by one or more of the following: i) fabricating the seam from a faster biodegrading material, ii) pre-stressing the seam, or iii) perforating the seam. The concept of using biodegradable seams  22  to produce controlled degradation of a swallowable device in the GI tract can also be applied to other swallow able devices such as swallowable cameras (or other swallowable imaging device) to facilitate passage through the GI tract and reduce the likelihood of such a device becoming stuck in the GI tract. Accordingly, embodiments of biodegradable seam  22  can be adapted for swallowable imaging and other swallowable devices. 
     In still other embodiments, seam  22  can be constructed of materials and/or have a structure which is readily degraded by absorption of ultrasound energy, e.g. high frequency ultrasound—(HIFU), allowing the capsule to be degraded into smaller pieces using externally or endoscopically (or other minimally invasive method) administered ultrasound. 
     Another aspect of the invention provides methods for the delivery of drugs and other therapeutic agents (in the form of medication  100 ) into the walls of the GI tract using one or more embodiments of swallowable drug delivery device  10 . An exemplary embodiment of such a method will now be described. The described embodiment of drug delivery occurs in the small intestine SI. However, it should be appreciated that this is exemplary and that embodiments of the invention can be used for delivering drug in a number of locations in the GI tract including the stomach and the large intestine. For ease of discussion, the swallowable drug delivery device  10  will sometimes be referred to herein as a capsule. As described above, in various embodiments device  10  may be packaged as a kit  14  within sealed packaging  12  that includes device  10  and a set of instructions for use  15 . If the patient is using a handheld device  13 , the patient may be instructed to enter data into device  13  either manually or via a bar code  18  (or other identifying indicia  18 ) located on the instructions  15  or packaging  12 . If a bar code is used, the patient would scan the bar code using a bar code reader  19  on device  13 . After opening packaging  12 , reading the instructions  15  and entering any required data, the patient swallows an embodiment of the swallowable drug delivery device  10 . Depending upon the drug, the patient may take the device  10  in conjunction with a meal (before, during or after) or a physiological measurement such as a blood glucose measurement. Capsule  20  is sized to pass through the GI tract and travels through the patient&#39;s stomach S and into the small intestine SI through peristaltic action as is embodied in device  10  shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 1E . Once the capsule  10  is in the small intestine, coatings  20   c ′ and  20   c ″ are degraded by the basic pH in the small intestine (or other chemical or physical condition unique to the small intestine) causing expansion of balloon  30 ,  60  and  72  or deliver medication  100  into the wall of the small intestine SI according to one or more embodiments of the invention. 
     After medication delivery, device  10  then passes through the intestinal tract including the large intestine LI and is ultimately excreted. For embodiments having a tearable capsule, the capsule may immediately be broken into smaller pieces by inflation of balloon  30 . For embodiments of the capsule  20  having biodegradable seams  22  or other biodegradable portions, the capsule is degraded in the intestinal tract into smaller pieces, to facilitate passage through and excretion from the intestinal tract. In particular embodiments having biodegradable tissue penetrating needles/members  40 , should the needle get stuck in the intestinal wall, the needle biodegrades releasing the capsule  20  from the wall. 
     For embodiments of device  10  including a sensor  97 , expansion of balloon  30  or other expandable member  30  can be effectuated by the senor sending a signal to a controllable embodiment of isolation valve  50  and/or a processor  29 /controller  29   c  coupled to the isolation valve  50 . For embodiments of device  10  including external actuation capability, the user may externally expand balloon  30  (as well as balloons  52  and  60 ) at a selected time period after swallowing the capsule. The time period can be correlated to a typical transit time (e.g., 30 minutes) or range of transit times (e.g., 10 minutes to 2 hrs.) for food moving through the user&#39;s GI tract to a particular location in the tract such as the small intestine. 
     One or more embodiments of the above methods can be used for the delivery of preparations  100  containing therapeutically effective amounts of a variety of drugs and other therapeutic agents  101  to treat a variety of diseases and conditions. These include a number of large molecule peptides and proteins which would otherwise require injection due to chemical breakdown in the stomach, e.g., growth hormone, parathyroid hormone, insulin, interferons and other like compounds. Suitable drugs and other therapeutic agents which can be delivered by embodiments of the invention to include various chemotherapeutic agents (e.g., interferon), antibiotics, antivirals, insulin and related compounds, glucagon like peptides (e.g., GLP-1, exenatide), parathyroid hormones, growth hormones (e.g., IFG and other growth factors), anti-seizure agents (e.g., furosemide), antimigraine medication (sumatriptan), immune suppression agents (e.g., cyclosporine) and anti-parasitic agents such as various anti-malarial agents. The dosage of the particular drug can be titrated for the patient&#39;s weight, age or other parameter. Also the drug  101  to achieve a desired or therapeutic effect (e.g., insulin for blood glucose regulation, furosemide for anti-seizure) can be less than the amount required should the drug have been delivered by conventional oral delivery (e.g., a swallowable pill that is digested in the stomach and absorbed through the wall of the small intestine). This is due to the fact that there is no degradation of the drug by acid and other digestive fluids in the stomach and the fact that all, as opposed to only a portion of the drug is delivered into the wall of the small intestine (or other lumen in the gastro-intestinal tract, e.g., large intestine, stomach, etc.). Depending upon the drug  101 , the dose  102  delivered in preparation  100  can be in the range from 100 to 5% of a dose delivered by conventional oral delivery means to achieve a desired therapeutic effect (e.g., blood glucose regulation, seizure regulation, etc.) with even lower amounts contemplated. The particular dose reduction can be titrated based upon the particular drug, the condition to be treated, and the patient&#39;s weight, age and condition. For some drugs (with known levels of degradation in the intestinal tract) a standard dose reduction can be employed (e.g., 10 to 20%). Larger amounts of dose reduction can be used for drugs which are more prone to degradation and poor absorption. In this way, the potential toxicity and other side effects (e.g., gastric cramping, irritable bowel, hemorrhage, etc.) of a particular drug or drugs delivered by device  10  can be reduced because the ingested dose is lowered. This in turn, improves patient compliance because the patient has reduction both in the severity and incidence of side effects. Additional benefits of embodiments employing dose reduction of drug  101  include a reduced likelihood for the patient to develop a tolerance to the drug (requiring higher doses) and, in the case of antibiotics, for the patient to develop resistant strains of bacteria. Also, other levels of dose reduction can be achieved for patients undergoing gastric bypass operations and other procedures in which sections of the small intestine have been removed or its working (e.g., digestive) length effectively shortened. 
     In addition to delivery of a single drug, embodiments of swallowable drug delivery device  10  and methods of their use can be used to deliver a plurality of drugs for the treatment of multiple conditions or for the treatment of a particular condition (e.g., protease inhibitors for treatment HIV AIDs). In use, such embodiments allow a patient to forgo the necessity of having to take multiple medications for a particular condition or conditions. Also, they provide a means for facilitating that a regimen of two or more drugs is delivered and absorbed into the small intestine and thus, the blood stream, at about the same time. Due to difference in chemical makeup, molecular weight, etc., drugs can be absorbed through the intestinal wall at different rates, resulting in different pharmacokinetic distribution curves. Embodiments of the invention address this issue by injecting the desired drug mixtures at substantially the same time. This in turn, improves the pharmacokinetics and thus the efficacy of the selected mixture of drugs. Additionally, eliminating the need to take multiple drugs is particularly beneficial to patients who have one or more long term chronic conditions including those who have impaired cognitive or physical abilities. 
     In various applications, embodiments of the above methods can be used to deliver preparations  100  including drugs and therapeutic agents  101  to provide treatment for a number of medical conditions and diseases. The medical conditions and diseases which can be treated with embodiments of the invention can include without limitation: cancer, hormonal conditions (e.g., hypo/hyper thyroid, growth hormone conditions), osteoporosis, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and triglyceride, diabetes and other glucose regulation disorders, infection (local or septicemia), epilepsy and other seizure disorders, osteoporosis, coronary arrhythmia&#39;s (both atrial and ventricular), coronary ischemia anemia or other like condition. Still other conditions and diseases are also contemplated. 
     In many embodiments, the treatment of the particular disease or condition can be performed without the need for injecting the drug or other therapeutic agent (or other non-oral form of delivery such as suppositories) but instead, relying solely on the therapeutic agent(s) that is delivered into the wall of the small intestine or other portion of the GI tract. For example, diabetes or another glucose regulation disorder can be treated (e.g., by controlling blood glucose levels) solely through the use of insulin that is delivered into the wall of the small intestine without the need for the patient to ever inject insulin. Similarly, the patient need not take conventional oral forms of a drug or other therapeutic agent, but again rely solely on delivery into the wall of the small intestine using embodiments of the swallowable capsule. In other embodiments, the therapeutic agent(s) delivered into the wall of the small intestine can be delivered in conjunction with an injected dose of the agent(s). For example, the patient may take a daily dose of insulin or compound for blood glucose regulation using the embodiments of the swallowable capsule, but only need take an injected dose every several days or when the patient&#39;s condition requires it (e.g., hyperglycemia). The same is true for therapeutic agents that are traditionally delivered in oral form (e.g., the patient can take the swallowable capsule and take the conventional oral form of the agent as needed). The dosages delivered in such embodiments (e.g., the swallowed and injected dose) can be titrated as needed (e.g., using standard dose response curve and other pharmacokinetic methods can be used to determine the appropriate dosages). Also, for embodiments using therapeutic agents that can be delivered by conventional oral means, the dose delivered using embodiments of the swallow able capsule can be titrated below the dosage normally given for oral delivery of the agent since there is little or no degradation of the agent within the stomach or other portion of the intestinal tract (herein again standard dose response curve and other pharmacokinetic methods can be applied). 
     Various groups of embodiments of preparation  100  containing one or more drugs or other therapeutic agents  101  for the treatment of various diseases and conditions will now be described with references to dosages. It should be appreciated that these embodiments, including the particular therapeutic agents and the respective dosages are exemplary and the preparation  100  can comprise a number of other therapeutic agents described herein (as well as those known in the art) that are configured for delivery into a luminal wall in the intestinal tract (e.g., the small intestinal wall) using various embodiments of device  10 . The dosages can be larger or smaller than those described and can be adjusted using one or more methods described herein or known in the art. In one group of embodiments, therapeutic agent preparation  100  can comprise a therapeutically effective dose of insulin for the treatment of diabetes and other glucose regulation disorders. The insulin can be human or synthetically derived as is known in the art. In one embodiment, preparation  100  can contain a therapeutically effective amount of insulin in the range of about 1-10 units (one unit being the biological equivalent of about 45.5 μg of pure crystalline insulin), with particular ranges of 2-4, 3-9, 4-9, 5-8 or 6-7. The amount of insulin in the preparation can be titrated based upon one or more of the following factors (herein, then “glucose control titration factors”): i) the patient&#39;s condition (e.g., type I vs. type II diabetes; ii) the patient&#39;s previous overall level of glycemic control; iii) the patient&#39;s weight; iv) the patient&#39;s age; v) the frequency of dosage (e.g., once vs. multiple times a day); vi) time of day (e.g., morning vs. evening); vii) particular meal (breakfast vs. dinner); viii) content/glycemic index of a particular meal (e.g., meals having a high fat/lipid and sugar content (which tend to cause a rapid rise in blood sugar and thus have a higher glycemic index) vs. low fat and sugar content that do not (and thus have a lower glycemic index)); and ix) content of the patient&#39;s overall diet (e.g., amount of sugars and other carbohydrates, lipids and protein consumed daily). 
     In another group of embodiments, therapeutic agent preparation  100  can comprise a therapeutically effective dose of one or more incretins for the treatment of diabetes and other glucose regulation disorders. Such incretins can include glucagon-like peptides I (GLP-1) and their analogues, and Gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP). Suitable GLP-1 analogues include exenatide, liraglutide, albiglutide and taspoglutide as well as their analogues, derivatives and other functional equivalents. In one embodiment preparation  100  can contain a therapeutically effective amount of exenatide in the range of about 1-10 μg, with particular ranges of 2-4, 4-6, 4-8 and 8-10 μg respectively. In another embodiment, preparation  100  can contain a therapeutically effective amount of liraglutide in the range of about 1-2 mg (milligrams), with particular ranges of 1.0 to 1.4, 1.2 to 1.6 and 1.2 to 1.8 mg respectively. One or more of the glucose control titration factors can be applied to titrate the dose ranges for exenatide, liraglutide or other GLP-1 analogue or incretin. 
     In yet another group of embodiments, therapeutic agent preparation  100  can comprise a combination of therapeutic agents for the treatment of diabetes and other glucose regulation disorders. Embodiments of such a combination can include therapeutically effective doses of incretin and biguanide compounds. The incretin can comprise one or more GLP-1 analogues described herein, such as exenatide and the biguanide can comprise metformin (e.g., that available under the Trademark of GLUCOPHAGE manufactured by Merck Sante S.A.S.) and its analogues, derivatives and other functional equivalents. In one embodiment, preparation  100  can comprise a combination of a therapeutically effective amount of exenatide in the range of about 1-10 μg and a therapeutically effective amount of metformin in a range of about Ito 3 grams. Smaller and larger ranges are also contemplated with one or more of the glucose control titration factors used to titrate the respective dose of exenatide (or other incretin) and metformin or other biguanide. Additionally, the dosages of the exenatide or other incretin and metformin or other biguanide can be matched to improve the level of glucose control for the patient (e.g., maintenance of blood glucose within normal physiological levels and/or a reduction in the incidence and severity of instances of hyperglycemia and/or hypoglycemia) for extended periods of time ranging from hours (e.g., 12) to a day to multiple days, with still longer periods contemplated. Matching of dosages can also be achieved by use of the glucose control regulation factors as well as monitoring of the patient&#39;s blood glucose levels for extended periods using glycosylated hemoglobin (known as hemoglobin Ale, HbAlc, AIC, or Hblc) and other analytes and measurements correlative to long term average blood glucose levels. 
     In still yet another group of embodiments, therapeutic agent preparation  100  can comprise a therapeutically effective dose of growth hormone for the treatment of one or more growth disorders, as well as wound healing. In one embodiment, preparation  100  can contain a therapeutically effective amount of growth hormone in the range of about 0.1-4 mg, with particular ranges of 0.1-1, 1-4, 1-2 and 2-4, with still larger ranges contemplated. The particular dose can be titrated based on one or more of the following: i) the particular condition to be treated and its severity (e.g., stunted growth, vs. wound healing); ii) the patient&#39;s weight; iii) the patient&#39;s age; and iv) the frequency of dosage (e.g., daily vs. twice daily). 
     In still yet another group of embodiments, therapeutic agent preparation  100  can comprise a therapeutically effective dose of parathyroid hormone for the treatment osteoporosis or a thyroid disorder. In one embodiment, preparation  100  can contain a therapeutically effective amount of parathyroid hormone in the range of about 1-40 μg, with particular ranges of 10-20, 20-30, 30-40 and 10-40 μg, with still larger ranges contemplated. The particular dose can be titrated based on one or more of the following: i) the particular condition to be treated and its severity (e.g., the degree of osteoporosis as determined by bone density measurements); ii) the patient&#39;s weight; iii) the patient&#39;s age; and iv) the frequency of dosage (e.g., daily vs. twice daily). 
     The foregoing description of various embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications, variations and refinements will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. For example, embodiments of the device can be sized and otherwise adapted for various pediatric and neonatal applications as well as various veterinary applications. Also those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, numerous equivalents to the specific devices and methods described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of the present invention and are covered by the appended claims below. 
     Elements, characteristics, or acts from one embodiment can be readily recombined or substituted with one or more elements, characteristics or acts from other embodiments to form numerous additional embodiments within the scope of the invention. Moreover, elements that are shown or described as being combined with other elements, can, in various embodiments, exist as standalone elements. Hence, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the specifics of the described embodiments, but is instead limited solely by the appended claims.