Microneedle transport device

• US 20030083645A1
• Filed: 09/09/2002
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Hunter, Ian W., Angel, Aimee B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,429,258 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/890.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1405 Patient controlled analgesia [PCA]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14204 with gas-producing electrochemical cell
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14252 with needle insertion means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14268 with a reusable and a disposable component
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1581 Right-angle needle-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2037/0007 having means for enhancing the permeation of substances through the epidermis, e.g. using suction or depression, electric or magnetic fields, sound waves or chemical agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2037/0023 Drug applicators using microneedles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2037/003 having a lumen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2037/0038 having a channel at the side surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0266 Shape memory materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/65 Impedance, e.g. conductivity, capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0015 by using microneedles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14248 of the skin patch type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/155 pressurised by gas introduced into the reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/425 Protruding skin to facilitate piercing, e.g. vacuum cylinders, vein immobilising means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/46 having means for controlling depth of insertion

Abstract

A transdermal transport device includes a reservoir for holding a formulation of an active principle, and an array of needles which have bores in fluid communication with the reservoir to facilitate transporting the formulation to and from the reservoir through the needles. The device also includes a first actuator which drives the array of needles into the body, and a second actuator which pumps the formulation between the reservoir and the body through the needles. The first actuator is reversible to withdraw the needles from the body.

Claims

1. A transdermal transport device, comprising:

a reservoir for holding a formulation of an active principle;

an array of needles, each needle having a bore in fluid communication with the reservoir;

a first actuator drives the array of needles into the body, the first actuator being reversible to withdraw the needles from the body; and

a second actuator which pumps the formulation between the reservoir and the body through the needles.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the second actuator pumps the formulation into the biological body.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the second actuator is reversible to draw the formulation into the reservoir.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the formulation is a fluid sample collected from a patient.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the array of needles is positioned in a retracted state when the first actuator is de-energized.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprising one or more controllers, the first and the second actuators being under the direction of the one or more controllers.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the first and the second actuators include vapor generators.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the first and the second actuators operate by an chemical reaction process.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the first and the second actuators operate by an electrochemical process.

10. The device of claim 1 further comprising an oscillator which causes the needles to vibrate along their length to reduce the force required to drive the needles into a biological body.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the oscillator is a piezoelectric crystal for generating the vibration of the needles.

12. The device of claim 1 further comprising a sensor to monitor the status of a patient.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the status is the glucose concentration of the patient.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the formulation is insulin pumped into the patient, the amount of insulin pumped into the patient being based on the glucose concentration.

15. The device of claim 1 wherein the first actuator is contained in a control unit, and the second actuator, reservoir, and array of needles are contained in a cartridge, the control unit and the cartridge being separate connectable units.

16. A transdermal transport device, comprising:

a reservoir for holding a formulation of an active principle;

an array of needles, each needle having a bore in fluid communication with the reservoir;

a first actuator that drives the array of needles into a biological body, and contracts to withdraw the needles from the body; and

a second actuator having a chamber which changes in volume to pump the formulation between the reservoir and the body through the needles.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the second actuator pumps the formulation into the biological body.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein the second actuator is reversible to draw the formulation into the reservoir.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein the formulation is a fluid sample collected from a patient.

20. The device of claim 16 wherein the array of needles is positioned in a retracted state when the first actuator is de-energized.

21. The device of claim 16 further comprising one or more controllers, the first and the second actuators being under the direction of the one or more controllers.

22. The device of claim 16 wherein the first and the second actuators include vapor generators.

23. The device of claim 16 wherein the first and the second actuators operate by an chemical reaction process.

24. The device of claim 16 wherein the first and the second actuators operate by an electrochemical process.

25. The device of claim 16 further comprising an oscillator which causes the needles to vibrate along their length to reduce the force required to drive the needles into a biological body.

26. The device of claim 25 further wherein the oscillator is a piezoelectric crystal for generating the vibration of the needles.

27. The device of claim 16 further comprising a sensor to monitor the status of a patient.

28. The device of claim 27 wherein the status is the glucose concentration of the patient.

29. The device of claim 28 wherein the formulation is insulin pumped into the patient, the amount of insulin pumped into the patient being based on the glucose concentration.

30. The device of claim 16 wherein the first actuator is contained in a control unit, and the second actuator, reservoir, and array of needles are contained in a cartridge, the control unit and the cartridge being separate connectable units.

31. A transdermal transport device, comprising:

a reservoir for holding a formulation of an active principle;

an array of needles, each needle having a bore in fluid communication with the reservoir;

a vapor generator actuator which pumps the formulation between the reservoir and a biological body through the bore of the needles.

32. The device of claim 31 further comprising a second actuator which drives the array of needles into the body, the second actuator being reversible for withdrawing the needles from the body.

33. The device of claim 32 further comprising an oscillator which causes the needles to vibrate along their length to reduce the force required to drive the needles into a biological body.

34. The device of claim 33 wherein the oscillator is a piezoelectric crystal for generating the vibration of the needles.

35. The device of claim 32 wherein the second actuator is contained in a control unit, and the vapor generator actuator, reservoir, and array of needles are contained in a cartridge, the control unit and the cartridge being separate connectable units.

36. The device of claim 32 wherein the second actuator is a second vapor generator actuator.

37. The device of claim 31 wherein the actuator is reversible to enable drawing the formulation into the reservoir.

38. The device of claim 31 wherein the formulation is a fluid sample collected from a patient.

39. The device of claim 31 wherein the array of needles is positioned in a retracted state when the first actuator is de-energized.

40. The device of claim 31 further comprising a controller, the vapor generator actuator being under the direction of the controller.

41. The device of claim 31 further comprising a sensor to monitor the status of a patient.

42. The device of claim 41 wherein the status is the glucose concentration of the patient.

43. The device of claim 42 wherein the formulation is insulin pumped into the patient, the amount of insulin pumped into the patient being based on the glucose concentration.

44. A transdermal transport device, comprising:

a reservoir for holding a formulation of an active principle to be injected into a biological body;

an array of needles, each needle having a bore in fluid communication with the reservoir;

a first vapor generator actuator which moves the reservoir towards the body and drives the array of needles into the body;

a piezoelectric crystal which generates a longitudinal vibration along the length of the needles to reduce the force required to drive the needles into the body; and

a second vapor generator actuator which pumps the formulation from the reservoir through the needles into the body.

45. A transdermal transport device, comprising:

a means for moving a reservoir towards a biological body and driving an array of needles into the body, each needle having a bore in fluid communication with the reservoir; and

a means for pumping the formulation from the reservoir through the needles into the body.

46. A method of transporting a formulation of an active principle, comprising:

placing a delivery device on a body;

driving an array of needles connected in fluid communication with a reservoir into the body with a first actuator, the reservoir holding the formulation; and

transporting the formulation through the array of needles between the body and the reservoir with a second actuator.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the body is a biological body and transporting includes pumping the formulation form the reservoir into the biological body.

48. The method of claim 46 wherein the body is a biological body and transporting includes drawing a fluid sample from the biological body.

49. The method of claim 46 wherein the body is a drug vial and transporting includes drawing the formulation from the drug vial into the reservoir.

50. The method of claim 46 further comprising controlling the first and the second actuators with one or more controllers.

51. The method of claim 46 further comprising generating a longitudinal vibration along the lengths of the needles to reduce the force required to drive the needles into the body.

52. A method of transporting a formulation of an active principle, comprising:

placing a delivery device on a body;

expanding a chamber of a first actuator for driving an array of needles connected in fluid communication with a reservoir holing the formulation; and

changing the volume of a chamber of a second actuator to transport the formulation through the array of needles between the body and the reservoir.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein the body is a biological body and transporting includes pumping the formulation form the reservoir into the biological body.

54. The method of claim 52 wherein the body is a biological body and transporting includes drawing a fluid sample from the biological body.

55. The method of claim 52 wherein the body is a drug vial and transporting includes drawing the formulation from the drug vial into the reservoir.

56. The method of claim 52 further comprising controlling the first and the second actuators with a controller.

57. The method of claim 52 further comprising generating a longitudinal vibration along the lengths of the needles to reduce the force required to drive the needles into the body.

58. A method of transporting a formulation of an active principle, comprising:

placing a delivery device on a body; and

transporting the formulation between the body and a reservoir holding the formulation through an array of needles with a vapor generator actuator.

59. The method of claim 58 further driving an array of needles connected in fluid communication with the reservoir into the body with a second actuator.

60. The method of claim 59 wherein the second actuator is a second vapor generator actuator.

61. The method of claim 59 further comprising generating a longitudinal vibration along the lengths of the needles to reduce the force required to drive the needles into the body.

62. The method of claim 58 wherein the body is a biological body and transporting includes pumping the formulation form the reservoir into the biological body.

63. The method of claim 58 wherein the body is a biological body and transporting includes drawing a fluid sample from the biological body.

64. The method of claim 58 wherein the body is a drug vial and transporting includes drawing the formulation from the drug vial into the reservoir.

65. A method of transporting a formulation of an active principle, comprising:

placing a delivery device on a biological body;

moving a reservoir holding the formulation towards the biological body and driving an array of needles connected in fluid communication with the reservoir into the biological body with a first vapor generator actuator while generating longitudinal vibrations along the lengths of the needles to reduce the force required to drive the needles into the body; and

pumping the formulation from the reservoir though the array of needles into the body with a second vapor generator actuator.