Apparatus for electroporation mediated delivery for drugs and genes

• US 20040204669A1
• Filed: 04/28/2004
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gunter A. Hofmann
• Original Assignee: Gunter A. Hofmann
• Inventors: Hofmann, Gunter A.
• Application Number:
  US10/834,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20040204669A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/21
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/30 Apparatus for iontophoresis, i.e. transfer of media in ionic state by an electromotoric force into the body, or cataphoresis

Abstract

A device for in vivo electroporation therapy comprising an electrode applicator with at least two pairs of electrodes arranged relative to one another to form an array and a power supply. The device is used to generate an electric field in a biological sample and effect introduction of selected molecules into cells of the sample.

Claims

1-57. -57. Canceled.

58. An electroporation device, comprising:

a. an applicator handle; and

b. an electrode assembly disposed at one end of the applicator handle, wherein the electrode assembly comprises electrodes arranged relative to one another to form an electrode array, wherein said array comprises;

(i) an electrode support portion, and

(ii) a plurality of opposed pairs of electrodes disposed on the electrode support, where in each opposed pair of electrodes the electrodes are spaced apart a distance of less than 3 cm from one another.

60. An electroporation device according to claim 58, wherein said applicator handle further comprises an elongated support body.

61. An electroporation device according to claim 58, wherein the spacing between the electrodes of an opposed pair of electrodes is at least about 0.3 cm.

62. An electroporation device according to claim 58, wherein the number of electrodes in said plurality of pairs of electrodes is selected from the group consisting of 4, 6, 8, 9, and 16 electrodes.

63. An electroporation device according to claim 58, wherein the shape of said electrode support is selected from the group consisting of a square, a rectangle, a hexagon, and a circle.

64. An electroporation device according to claim 58, wherein the shape of said electrode support is square, and wherein the square has an edge dimension of about 0.5 inches.

65. An electroporation device according to claim 58, wherein said electrode support is detachably engaged to the elongated support body.

66. An electroporation device according to claim 58, wherein said electrode support further comprises a conductor connected to at least one electrode.

67. An electroporation device according to claim 66, further comprising connections for connecting said conductor to a power supply.

68. An electroporation device according to claim 58, wherein the electrode support comprises a plurality of conductors, wherein each electrode is connected to a seperate conductor.

69. An electroporation device according to claim 68, further comprising connections for connecting the conductors to a power supply.

70. An electroporation device according to claim 58, wherein the number of electrodes is 16 electrodes or fewer.

71. An electroporation device according to claim 62, wherein the electrodes have a configuration selected from the group consisting of a needle configuration, a blunt configuration, and a tubular configuration.

72. An electroporation device according to claim 58, wherein the electrodes in an opposed pair of electrodes are spaced apart a distance selected from the group consisting of about 0.3 cm, 0.5 cm, 0.65 cm, and 1 cm.

73. An electroporation device according to claim 58, wherein the electrodes in an opposed pair of electrodes are spaced apart less than about 0.5 cm.

74. An electroporation device according to claim 58, further comprising a signal sensor for determining the distance between said electrodes.

76. The method according to claim 81, wherein said macromolecule(s) is applied through the electrodes.

77. The method according to claim 81, further comprising employing iontophoresis to drive the macromolecule(s) into the cells.