Method for delivery of pharmaceuticals for treating or preventing presbyopia

• US 20050287201A1
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Encore Healthcare, LLC
• Original Assignee: Encore Healthcare, LLC
• Inventors: Blum, Ronald D., Duston, Dwight P., Till, Jonathan S., Kokonaski, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,914,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/450
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0009 involving or responsive to electricity, magnetism or acoustic waves; Galenical aspects of sonophoresis, iontophoresis, electroporation or electroosmosis microelectromechanical systems A61K9/0097
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0048 Eye, e.g. artificial tears
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/1075 Microemulsions or submicron emulsions; Preconcentrates or solids thereof; Micelles, e.g. made of phospholipids or block copolymers A61K9/0026 takes precedence

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for delivering pharmaceuticals to the lens of the eye to treat or prevent presbyopia. According to the embodiments, pharmaceuticals may be applied by providing the pharmaceuticals to the eye and promoting delivery of the pharmaceuticals into the lens capsule and/or lens fibers of the lens of the eye. Methods include iontophoresis, nano-medication, and photonic activation to deliver the pharmaceuticals to treat or prevent presbyopia.

Claims

1. A method for delivering a pharmaceutical substance to at least one of a lens capsule or lens fibers of an eye, comprising:

providing the pharmaceutical substance to an eye; and

promoting delivery of the pharmaceutical substance into at least one of a lens capsule or lens fibers of a lens of the eye.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein promoting delivery comprises:

using iontophoresis to urge the substance, in a charged state, into the lens fibers.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein using iontophoresis comprises:

applying the substance, in the charged state, to the eye;

applying an electric voltage to an area around the eye;

forming an electric field from the electric voltage through the lens of the eye, the electric field being large enough to urge the substance, in the charged state, to at least one of the lens capsule or the lens fibers; and

discontinuing the electric voltage after the substance reaches at least one of the lens capsule or the lens fibers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein promoting delivery comprises:

using nanometer-sized molecules of the pharmaceutical substance.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein using nanometer-sized molecules comprises:

providing the nanometer-sized molecules of the substance in encapsulated nano-micelles; and

applying the nano-micelles to the eye, wherein capillaries of the eye absorb and diffuse the nano-micelles to at least one of the lens capsule or the lens fibers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein promoting delivery comprises:

using photonic activation to activate an inert form of the substance in at least one of the lens capsule or the lens fibers.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein using photonic activation comprises:

applying the inert form of the substance to the eye, wherein the substance diffuses to at least one of the lens capsule or the lens fibers; and

applying photons to the inert form of the substance to activate the inert form of the substance.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein applying photons comprises:

applying different levels of photon energy to different areas of at least one of the lens capsule or the lens fibers to activate the inert form of the substance to different activity levels.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein applying photons comprises:

applying photons to the inert form of the substance to convert the substance from the inert form to an active form.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein using photonic activation includes supplying photons from a laser or an LED.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

breaking chemical bonds about at least one of the lens capsule or the lens fibers of the eye.