Apparatus and applicator patch for trandermal substance delivery

• US 20030176832A1
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elisabetta Rossi
• Original Assignee: Elisabetta Rossi
• Inventors: Rossi, Elisabetta
• Granted Patent: US 7,162,297 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/044 Shape of the electrode
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0448 Drug reservoir
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for the transdermal delivery of substances in general, such as for example active principles for therapeutic and cosmetic use and the like, wherein a power supply unit (2) is connected to a series of electrodes (6a-6e, 6′a-6′e). Advantageously, the electrodes are supplied with an oscillating electric signal which is amplitude modulated; these results in the deep penetration of the substances into a tissue to be treated; similarly to what occurs in known apparatus with a manually operated dispenser. The invention also relates to a patch for use with said apparatus.

Claims

1. Apparatus for transdermal delivery of substances contained in a carrier fluid, comprising a power supply unit (2) which supplies an electric signal to at least one electrode (6a-6e, 6′

a-6′

e) connected thereto, characterized in that said electric signal is a modulated oscillating signal.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electric signal has an oscillating frequency of between 50 and 3,000 Hz.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the oscillating electric signal is amplitude modulated with a periodic pulsating profile.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the pulsating profile for the modulation of the signal has a pulsation duration (Tp) of between 0.5 and 10 seconds.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the polarity of the signal applied to said at least one electrode is reversed after a predefined time interval.

6. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said power supply unit (2) supplies said oscillating electric signal in temporal succession to a plurality of electrodes connected thereto.

7. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one electrode has a surface area of between 0.5 and 5 cm².

8. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one electrode is provided in a patch (4, 4′

;

14) to be applied onto a part of the body to be treated.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the patch (4, 4′

) comprises a band (10, 10′

) of flexible textile and/or polymer material onto which the electrodes are applied.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the electrodes are removably connected, by means of respective fastenings (8a-8e), to electric wires (7a-7e, 7′

a-7′

e) for connection to the power supply unit (2).

11. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the patch (14, 14′

) comprises a flexible, closed, wrapping (20) which can be filled with a fluid carrying the substances to be delivered and has a wall (21) which is permeable to said substances.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the wall (21) permeable to the substances to be delivered is formed by means of one or more of the following systems:

a perforated meshwork, an osmotic membrane, a sheet with holes passing there through.

13. Apparatus according to claim 11, comprising a compressor (40) associated with the power supply unit (2), whose delivery is connected to a reservoir (45) communicating with the wrapping (20) of the patch (14).

14. Patch for an apparatus according to claim 9, comprising a flexible band (10) of textile and/or polymer material, with a plurality of electrodes (6a-6e) associated thereof, said electrodes having respective pins (9a-9e) which project from the band and can be connected to a unit supplying an electric signal.

15. Patch for an apparatus according to claim 11, comprising a substantially closed, flexible, wrapping (20) with a wall (21) which is permeable to the substances to be delivered.

16. Patch according to claim 15, comprising a plurality of electrodes (6a-6e, 6′

a-6′

e) fixed to the wrapping (20) in a position opposite to said permeable wall.

17. Patch according to claim 15, comprising a plurality of openings (31) passing though the wrapping (20) for the insertion of plugs (6).

18. Patch according to claims 14 or 15, wherein an adhesive edge (30) is present along the periphery of the band (10, 10′

) or of the permeable wall (21).

19. Patch according to claims 14 or 15, wherein the band (10, 10′

) or the wrapping (20) are provided with belts or other securing means for the attachment to a part of the body.

20. Patch according to claims 14 or 15, wherein the band (10, 10′

) or the wrapping (20) have an anatomical configuration corresponding to the part of the body for which they are intended.

21. Patch according to claims 14 or 15, wherein freeze-dried or gelified material is applied on the band (10, 10′

) or on the wrapping (20).