Physically active patch, methods of manufacturing same and its use

• US 20030023270A1
• Filed: 07/25/2002
• Published: 01/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IP Verwertungs GmbH
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: Elling, Burkhard, Danz, Rudi
• Granted Patent: US 6,937,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0408 Use-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0448 Drug reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0456 Specially adapted for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0464 Specially adapted for promoting tissue growth
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0468 Specially adapted for promoting wound healing
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0496 characterised by using specific chemical compositions, e.g. hydrogel compositions, adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36021 for treatment of pain

Abstract

The invention relates to a physically active patch having a planar substrate which is provided on one side with an adhesive layer, a first electrode being arranged, at least in regions, on the side of the substrate remote from the adhesive layer, then above said electrode, at least in regions, a layer formed from a piezoelectric, quasi-piezoelectric and/or electro-strictive polymer material, and above same, at least in regions, a second electrode.

Claims

1. Physically active patch having a planar substrate (1) which is provided on one side with an adhesive layer (9),

characterised in that

on the side of the substrate (1) remote from the adhesive layer (9) is arranged, at least in regions, a first electrode (2) and above it, at least in regions, a layer (3) formed from a piezoelectric, quasi-piezoelectric and/or electro-strictive polymer material and above the latter, at least in regions, a second electrode (4).

2. Patch according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the layer (3) formed from a piezoelectric, quasi-piezoelectric and/or electro-strictive polymer material is a foil or a thin film.

3. Patch according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the layer (3) formed from a piezoelectric, quasi-piezoelectric and/or electro-strictive polymer material contains one or more of the following materials or consists of same:

piezoelectric vinylidene fluoride homopolymers or copolymers, piezoelectric and quasi-piezoelectric porous polymer materials, such materials based on polytetrafluoroethylene, polypropylene, polyaryl sulphones, polyether sulphones, polyurethanes, polyesters, cellulose, cellulose derivatives, polyether imides, polyetherether ketones, polyimides, polycarbonates, polybenzimidazoles, polyamides, polyacrylonitriles, tetrafluoroethylene copolymers, polyphenyl sulphide, polystyrene or electrostrictive polymers, electrostrictive elastic polymer materials and/or polymer gels with electrostriction.

4. Patch according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the piezoelectric or quasi-piezoelectric materials have a piezoelectric or quasi-piezoelectric coefficient of at least 30 pC/N.

5. Patch according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the substrate (1) is an elastomeric film.

6. Patch according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adhesive layer (9) contains an adhesive or consists of same.

7. Patch according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first electrode (2) is earthed.

8. Patch according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first electrode (2) contains silver and/or ferromagnetic materials or consists of same.

9. Patch according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the layer (3) formed from a piezoelectric, quasi-piezoelectric and/or electrostrictive polymer material and/or the second electrode (4) are/is covered or surrounded by an electrical insulating layer (5).

10. Patch according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the insulating layer (5) contains a silicone and/or polyurethane polymer or consists of same.

11. Patch according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the layer (3) formed from a piezoelectric, quasi-piezoelectric and/or electro-strictive polymer material, the second electrode (4) and/or the electrical insulating layer (5) is/are covered or surrounded by an electromagnetic shielding layer (2′

) and/or by a protective layer (6).

12. Patch according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the protective layer (6) is itself an electromagnetic shield.

13. Patch according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the electromagnetic screening layer (2′

) and/or the protective layer (6) are/is connected to the first electrode (2) in an electrically conductive manner.

14. Patch according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the first electrode (2) and the electromagnetic shielding layer (2′

) and/or the protective layer (6) form/forms a Faraday cage for the layer (3) formed from piezo-electric, quasi-piezoelectric and/or electro-strictive polymer material, the second electrode (3) and possibly the electrical insulating layer (5).

15. Patch according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first and/or the second electrode (2, 4) are/is structured.

16. Patch according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the first electrode and/or the second electrode (2, 4) have/has a plurality of individual, strip-shaped electrode strips (2a, 2b, 4a, 4b) lying parallel to one another.

17. Patch according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the first electrode and/or the second electrode (2, 4) have/has a plurality of individual electrode strips (2a, 2b, 4a, 4b) lying parallel to one another, the two electrodes (2, 4) being so disposed that the longitudinal direction of the electrode strips (2a, 2b) of the first electrode (2) is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the electrode strips (4a, 4b) of the second electrode (4).

18. Patch according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it has a voltage source to which the first and the second electrodes (2, 4) are connected.

19. Patch according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the voltage source is a constant voltage supply and/or a high-frequency voltage supply.

20. Patch according to one of the two preceding claims, characterised in that it is connected to a mobile telephone in which the voltage source is arranged.

21. Method for operating a patch according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that an a.c. voltage is applied to the first and second electrodes (2, 4) possibly via electrical supply lines (7a, 7b, 8a, 8b).

22. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that an a.c. voltage having a frequency between 1 Hz and 10 MHz is applied.

23. Method according to one of the two preceding claims, characterized in that an a.c. voltage is applied which generates between the two electrodes (2, 4) an electric field strength of between 0.1 MV/m and MV/m.

24. Method according to one of the three preceding claims, characterized in that, in addition to the a.c. voltage, a d.c. voltage is applied to the electrodes (2, 4).

25. Use of a patch or a method according to one of the preceding claims in the domain of human and veterinary medicine and in cosmetics.

26. Use according to the preceding claim for the alleviation of diseases, for pain relief, for prophylactic care of the body and health, for improving the fitness of a human being or animal as well as for avoiding wrinkles and for smoothing out wrinkles.

27. Method of manufacturing a patch according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterised in that

a) an elastomeric film (1) is vapour-deposited with a first electrode (2) by means of a vacuum method (CVD or PVD method),

b) an organosoluble polymer is made into a solution and centrifuged onto the first electrode (2) and dried,

c) the polymer layer (3) produced in step b) is piezoelectrically activated by the application of a voltage,

d) then the second electrode (4) is applied to the polymer layer (3),

e) the electrodes (2, 2a, 2b, 4, 4a, 4b) are contacted with supply lines (7a, 7b, 8a, 8b) and

f) a protective layer (6) providing an electromagnetic shield is applied to the insulating layer (5).

28. Method according to the preceding claim, characterised in that

a) an elastomeric film (1) has a silver layer (2) vapour-deposited on to it as a first electrode by a vacuum method (CVD or PVD method),

b) an organosoluble vinylidene fluoride trifluoroethyl copolymer is dissolved in a 10% by weight solution in methyl ethyl ketone and centrifuged onto the first electrode (2) and dried,

c) the polymer layer (3) produced in step b) is piezoelectrically activated by the application of a voltage,

d) then the second electrode (4) is applied to the polymer layer (3),

e) the electrodes (2, 2a, 2b, 4, 4a, 4b) are contacted with supply lines (7a, 7b, 8a, 8b) and

f) the electromagnetic shield (6) is applied to the insulating layer (5).