Microporation of tissue for delivery of bioactive agents

• US 20030092982A1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MidCap Funding III, LLC
• Original Assignee: MidCap Funding III, LLC
• Inventors: Eppstein, Jonathan A.
• Application Number:
  US10/284,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20030092982A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/411
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/313 for introducing through surgical openings, e.g. laparoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/04 by heating by applying electromagnetic radiation A61B18/18; hyperthermia using electric or magnetic fields, radiation or ultrasound A61N
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/10 Power sources therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/203 applying laser energy to the outside of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00026 Conductivity or impedance, e.g. of tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00172 Pulse trains, bursts, intermittent continuous operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00765 Decreasing the barrier function of skin tissue by radiated energy, e.g. using ultrasound, using laser for skin perforation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00642 with feedback, i.e. closed loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14514 using means for aiding extraction of interstitial fluid, e.g. microneedles or suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150076 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150083 by vibration, e.g. ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150091 by electricity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150099 by negative pressure, other than vacuum extraction into a syringe by pulling on the piston rod or into pre-evacuated tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150129 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150175 Adjustment of penetration depth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15136 by use of radiation, e.g. laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 41/0047 : Sonopheresis, i.e. ultrasonically-enhanced transdermal delivery, electroporation of a pharmacologically active agent
• 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 37/0092 : using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0412 : Specially adapted for transcutaneous electroporation, e.g. including drug reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0428 : Specially adapted for iontophoresis, e.g. AC, DC or including drug reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0476 : Array electrodes (including any electrode arrangement with more than one electrode for at least one of the polarities)
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/325 : for iontophoresis, i.e. transfer of media in ionic state by an electromotoric force into the body electrodes for external use A61N1/0428
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/327 : for enhancing the absorption properties of tissue, e.g. by electroporation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0034 : Skin treatment

Abstract

A method of enhancing the permeability of a biological membrane, including the skin or mucosa of an animal or the outer layer of a plant to a permeant is described utilizing microporation of selected depth and optionally one or more of sonic, electromagnetic, mechanical and thermal energy and a chemical enhancer. Microporation is accomplished to form a micropore of selected depth in the biological membrane and the porated site is contacted with the permeant. Additional permeation enhancement measures may be applied to the site to enhance both the flux rate of the permeant into the organism through the micropores as well as into targeted tissues within the organism.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing the transmembrane flux rate of a permeant into a selected site of an organism comprising the steps of enhancing the permeability of said selected site of the organism to said permeant by means of

(a) porating a biological membrane at said selected site by means that form a micropore in said biological membrane, thereby reducing the barrier properties of said biological membrane to the flux of said permeant;

and

(b) contacting the porated selected site with a composition comprising an effective amount of said permeant, whereby the transmembrane flux rate of said permeant into the organism is enhanced.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying to said site of said organism an enhancer to increase the flux of said permeant into said organism.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said enhancer comprises sonic energy.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said sonic energy is applied to said site at a frequency in the range of about 10 Hz to 1000 MHz, wherein said sonic energy is modulated by means of a member selected from the group consisting of frequency modulation, amplitude modulation, phase modulation, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said enhancer comprises an electromagnetic field.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the electromagnetic field comprises iontophoresis.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the electromagnetic field comprises a magnetic field.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein said enhancer comprises a mechanical force.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein said enhancer comprises chemical enhancers.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein any of the methods of claims 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 may be applied in any combination thereof to increase the transmembrane flux rate of said permeant into or through said micropore.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein said enhancers at said site are applied so as to increase the flux rate of the permeant into tissues surrounding the micropore.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said enhancer comprises sonic energy.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said sonic energy is applied to said site at a frequency in the range of about 10 Hz to 1000 MHz, wherein said sonic energy is modulated by means of a member selected from the group consisting of frequency modulation, amplitude modulation, phase modulation, and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said enhancer comprises electroporation.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said enhancer comprises iontophoresis.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said enhancer comprises chemical enhancers.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said enhancer comprises a mechanical force.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein said enhancer comprises a magnetic field.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said enhancer comprises any combination thereof of the methods of claims 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18.

20. The method of claim 10 further comprising the method of claim 19.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein said porating of said biological membrane in said site is accomplished by means selected from the group consisting of (a) ablating the biological membrane by contacting said site of said biological membrane with a heat source such that a micropore is formed in said biological membrane at said site;

(b) puncturing said biological membrane with a micro-lancet calibrated to form a micropore;

(c) ablating the biological membrane by a beam of sonic energy onto said biological membrane;

(d) hydraulically puncturing said biological membrane with a high pressure jet of fluid to form a micropore and (e) puncturing said biological membrane with short pulses of electricity to form a micropore

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said porating is accomplished by contacting said site, up to about 1000 μ

m across, with a heat source to conductively transfer an effective amount of thermal energy to said site such that the temperature of some of the water and other vaporizable substances in said site is elevated above their vaporization point creating a micropore to a selected depth in the biological membrane at said site.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said porating is accomplished by contacting said site, up to about 1000 μ

m across, with a heat source to conductively transfer an effective amount of thermal energy to said site such that the temperature of some of the tissue at said site is elevated to the point where thermal decomposition occurs creating a micropore to a selected depth in the biological membrane at said site.

24. The method of claim 21 comprising treating at least said site with an effective amount of a substance that exhibits sufficient absorption over the emission range of a pulsed light source and focusing the output of a series of pulses from said pulsed light source onto said substance such that said substance is heated sufficiently to conductively transfer an effective amount of thermal energy to said biological membrane to elevate the temperature to thereby create a micropore.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said pulsed light source emits at a wavelength that is not significantly absorbed by said biological membrane.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said pulsed light source is a laser diode emitting in the range of about 630 to 1550 nm.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein said pulsed light source is a laser diode pumped optical parametric oscillator emitting in the range of about 700 and 3000 nm.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein said pulsed light source is a member selected from the group consisting of arc lamps, incandescent lamps, and light emitting diodes.

29. The method of claim 21 further comprising providing a sensing system for determining when the micropore in the biological membrane has reached the desired dimensions.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said sensing system comprises light collection means for receiving light reflected from said site and focusing said reflected light on a detector for receiving said light and sending a signal to a controller wherein said signal indicates a quality of said light, and a controller coupled to said detector and to said light source for receiving said signal and for shutting off said light source when a preselected signal is received.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein said sensing system comprises an electrical impedance measuring system which can detect the changes in the impedance of the biological membrane at different depths into the organism as the micropore is formed.

32. The method of claim 21 further comprising cooling said site and adjacent tissues such that said site and adjacent tissues are in a cooled condition.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said cooling means comprises a Peltier device.

34. The method of claim 21 further comprising, prior to porating said site, illuminating at least said site with light such that said site is sterilized.

35. The method of claim 21 comprising contacting said site with a solid element, wherein said solid element functions as a heat source to conductively transfer an effective amount of thermal energy to said biological membrane to elevate the temperature to thereby create a micropore.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein said heat source is constructed to modulate the temperature of said site to greater than 100°

C. within about 10 nanoseconds to 50 milliseconds and then returning the temperature of said site to approximately ambient temperature within about 1 millisecond to 50 milliseconds and wherein a cycle of raising the temperature and returning to ambient temperature is repeated one or more times effective for porating the biological membrane to the desired depth.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein said returning to approximately ambient temperature of said site is carried out by withdrawing said heat source from contact with said site.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein the modulation parameters are selected to reduce sensation to the animal subject.

39. The method of claim 31 further comprising providing means for monitoring electrical impedance between said solid element of claim 35 and said organism through said site and adjacent tissues and means for advancing the position of said solid element such that as said poration occurs with a concomitant change in impedance, said advancing means advances the solid element such that the solid element is in contact with said site during heating of the solid element, until the selected impedance is obtained.

40. The method of claim 38 further comprising means for withdrawing said solid element from contact with said site wherein said monitoring means is capable of detecting a change in impedance associated with contacting a selected layer underlying the surface of said site and sending a signal to said withdrawing means to withdrawn said solid element from contact with said site.

41. The method of claim 35 wherein said solid element is heated by delivering an electrical current through an ohmic heating element.

42. The method of claim 35 wherein said solid element is formed such that it contains an electrically conductive component and the temperature of said solid element is modulated by passing a modulated electrical current through said conductive element.

43. The method of claim 35 wherein said solid element is positioned in a modulatable magnetic field wherein energizing the magnetic field produces electrical eddy currents sufficient to heat the solid element.

44. The method of claim 21 wherein said poration is accomplished by puncturing said site with a micro-lancet calibrated to form a micropore.

45. The method of claim 21 wherein said poration is accomplished by a beam of sonic energy directed onto said site.

46. The method of claim 21 wherein said poration is accomplished by hydraulically puncturing said biological membrane with a high pressure jet of fluid to form a micropore.

47. The method of claim 21 wherein said poration is accomplished by puncturing said biological membrane with short pulses of electricity to form a micropore.

48. The method of claim 1 wherein said permeant comprises nucleic acid.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein said nucleic acid comprises a DNA.

50. The method of claim 48 wherein said nucleic acid comprises RNA.

51. The method of claim 1, wherein the micropore in the biological membrane extends into a portion of the outer layer of the biological membrane ranging from 1 to 30 microns in depth.

52. The method of claim 1, wherein the micropore in the biological membrane extends through the outer layer of the biological membrane ranging from 10 to 200 microns in depth.

53. The method of claim 1, wherein the micropore in the biological membrane extends into the connective tissue layer of the biological membrane ranging from 100 to 5000 microns in depth

54. The method of claim 1, wherein the micropore in the biological membrane extends through the connective tissue layer of the biological membrane ranging from 1000 to 10000 microns in depth.

55. The method of claim 1, wherein the micropore penetrates the biological membrane to a depth determined to facilitate desired activity of the selected permeant.

56. The method of claim 1, wherein the permeant comprises a polypeptide.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the polypeptide is a protein.

58. The method of claim 56, wherein the polypeptide comprises a peptide.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein the peptide comprises insulin.

60. The method of claim 58, wherein the peptide comprises a releasing factor.

61. The method of claim 1, wherein the permeant comprises a carbohydrate.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the carbohydrate comprises heparin.

63. The method of claim 1, wherein permeant comprises an analgesic.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein the analgesic comprises an opiate.

65. The method of claim 1, wherein the permeant comprises a vaccine.

66. The method of claim 1, wherein the permeant comprises a steroid.

67. The method of claim 1, wherein the permeant is associated with a carrier.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein the carrier comprises liposomes.

69. The method of claim 67, wherein the carrier comprises lipid complexes.

70. The method of claim 67, wherein the carrier comprises microparticles.

71. The method of claim 67, wherein the carrier comprises polyethylene glycol compounds.

72. The method of claim 65 combined with the method of claim 66.

73. The method of claim 1 wherein the permeant comprises a substance which has the ability to change its detectable response to a stimulus when in the proximity of an analyte present in the organism.