Methods and devices for activating brown adipose tissue with targeted substance delivery

• US 10,111,770 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2017
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson), The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson), The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harris, Jason L., Aronhalt, Taylor W., Henninger, Dwight, Voegele, James W., Kaplan, Lee M., Stylopoulos, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Worsham, Jessica
• Application Number:
  US15/438,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20170156907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0003 Apparatus for the treatment of obesity; Anti-eating devices surgical instruments or methods for treatment of obesity, devices specially adapted therefor A61B17/00; hollow or tubular parts of organs A61F2/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0014 Skin, i.e. galenical aspects of topical compositions non-active ingredients are additionally classified in A61K47/00; A61K9/0009, A61K9/0021, A61K9/7015, A61K9/7023 take precedence; cosmetic preparations A61K8/00, A61Q; preparations for wound dressings or bandages A61L26/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0019 Injectable compositions; Intramuscular, intravenous, arterial, subcutaneous administration; Compositions to be administered through the skin in an invasive manner non-active ingredients are additionally classified in A61K47/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/7023 Transdermal patches and similar drug-containing composite devices, e.g. cataplasms galenical aspects of iontophoretic devices A61K9/0009; microneedle arrays A61K9/0021; buccal patches A61K9/006
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1726 the body parameters being measured at, or proximate to, the infusion site
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/06 Heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/201 Glucose concentration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/00 Other apparatus for introducing media into the body for reproduction or fertilisation A61B17/425; apparatus for iontophoresis or cataphoresis A61N1/30; Percutany, i.e. introducing medicines into the body by diffusion through the skin salt baths A61H33/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14 Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group

Abstract

Methods and devices are provided for activating brown adipose tissue with targeted substance delivery. Generally, the methods and devices can activate BAT to increase thermogenesis, e.g., increase heat production in the patient, which over time can lead to weight loss and/or improved metabolic function. In one embodiment, a chemical configured to stimulate nerves that activate the BAT and/or to stimulate brown adipocytes directly can be delivered to a patient, thereby increasing thermogenesis in the BAT and inducing weight loss and/or improved metabolic function through energy expenditure. The chemical can be delivered to the patient locally and/or systemically to stimulate the nerves and/or the brown adipocytes.

Claims

1. A medical device, comprising:

a pump configured to be applied to an exterior skin surface of a patient at a depot of brown adipose tissue and in communication with a receptor in communication with at least a portion of the depot of brown adipose tissue,

wherein the pump has an on-board supply of a chemical, and the pump applied to the exterior skin surface delivers the chemical to the patient to activate the brown adipose tissue and increase energy expenditure of the brown adipose tissue, wherein the delivered chemical is configured to chemically interact with cellular surface receptors of the brown adipose tissue, and the chemical comprises one of a depolarization agent, a hormone-related chemical, an odiferous agent, a Melanocortin receptor 4 (MCR4) protein agonist, a TRPA1 agonist, and a TRPV1 agonist.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the pump has a reservoir containing the on-board supply of the chemical.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the pump has an on-board controller configured to control the delivery of the chemical based on a predetermined delivery plan.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the predetermined delivery plan includes continuous release of the chemical from the pump for a predetermined amount of time.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the predetermined amount of time is in a range of twelve hours to four weeks.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein the predetermined delivery plan includes the controller causing a start of the delivery of the chemical in response to a trigger event, wherein the trigger event includes at least one of the patient eating, the patient resting, a threshold temperature of the patient, a directional orientation of the patient, a change in the patient'"'"'s weight, a change in the patient'"'"'s tissue impedance, manual activation by the patient or other human, and a blood chemistry change in the patient.

7. A medical device, comprising:

a patch configured to be applied to an exterior skin surface of a patient at a depot of brown adipose tissue and in communication with a receptor in communication with at least a portion of the depot of brown adipose tissue,

wherein the patch applied to the exterior skin surface delivers a chemical to the patient to activate the brown adipose tissue and increase energy expenditure of the brown adipose tissue, wherein the delivered chemical is configured to chemically interact with cellular surface receptors of the brown adipose tissue, and the chemical comprises one of a depolarization agent, a hormone-related chemical, an odiferous agent, a Melanocortin receptor 4 (MCR4) protein agonist, a TRPA1 agonist, and a TRPV1 agonist and wherein the patch has an on-board supply of the chemical that is delivered to the patient or the chemical is received by the patch from a chemical source in communication with the patch that is delivered to the patient.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the patch has a reservoir containing the on-board supply of the chemical.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the patch has an on-board controller configured to control the delivery of the chemical based on a predetermined delivery plan.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the predetermined delivery plan includes continuous release of the chemical from the patch for a predetermined amount of time.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the predetermined amount of time is in a range of twelve hours to four weeks.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the predetermined amount of time is seven days or less.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the predetermined delivery plan includes the controller causing a start of the delivery of the chemical in response to a trigger event, wherein the trigger event includes at least one of the patient eating, the patient resting, a threshold temperature of the patient, a directional orientation of the patient, a change in the patient'"'"'s weight, a change in the patient'"'"'s tissue impedance, manual activation by the patient or other human, and a blood chemistry change in the patient.