Method and apparatus for skin absorption enhancement and transdermal drug delivery

• US 20060058727A1
• Filed: 11/02/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattioli Engineering Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mattioli Engineering Corporation
• Inventors: Bernabei, Gian Franco
• Granted Patent: US 7,471,979 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/10 with further special therapeutic means, e.g. electrotherapy, magneto therapy or radiation therapy, chromo therapy, infrared or ultraviolet therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/105 with means for delivering media, e.g. drugs or cosmetics
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/02 with electric or magnetic drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0263 using rotating unbalanced masses
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 39/002 Using electric currents electrotherapy A61N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 7/008 Suction kneading
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/005 Pneumatic massage
• 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 1/0424 Shape of the electrode
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/044 Shape of the electrode
• 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
• 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 2007/0008 Destruction of fat cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092

Abstract

A system for enhancing absorption of a substance provided on a region of a patient'"'"'s skin, includes a probe configured to provide the substance to the region of the patient'"'"'s skin. The probe includes an array of electrodes provided on a head of the probe. The probe also includes a substance holding unit that temporarily holds the substance to be provided on the region of the patient'"'"'s skin. The probe further includes a pulse generator that generates a sequence of bursts of electrical pulses to the array of electrodes that are disposed against the region of the patient'"'"'s skin, so as to provide the bursts of electrical pulses to the region of the patient'"'"'s skin. The probe also includes a substance applying unit that transfers the substance from the substance holding unit to the head of the probe. The pulse generator provides for pulses to be output in alternate polarities in each of the sequence of bursts.

Claims

1. A system for enhancing absorption of a substance provided on a region of a patient'"'"'s skin, comprising:

a probe configured to provide the substance to the region of the patient'"'"'s skin, the probe comprising;

an array of electrodes provided on a head of the probe;

a substance holding unit configured to temporarily hold the substance to be provided on the region of the patient'"'"'s skin;

a pulse generator configured to generate a sequence of bursts of electrical pulses to the array of electrodes that are disposed against the region of the patient'"'"'s skin, so as to provide the bursts of electrical pulses to the region of the patient'"'"'s skin;

a substance applying unit configured to transfer the substance from the substance holding unit to the head of the probe,

wherein the pulse generator is a transformer that provides for pulses to be output in alternate polarities in each of the sequence of bursts, and

wherein no pulses are output by the pulse generator in between consecutive bursts of electrical pulses.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a vibrating unit configured to provide mechanical vibrations to the head of the probe at a same time the sequence of bursts are applied to the region of the patient'"'"'s skin.

3. A system for enhancing absorption of a substance provided on a region of a patient'"'"'s skin, comprising:

a probe configured to provide the substance to the region of the patient'"'"'s skin, the probe comprising;

an array of electrodes provided on a head of the probe;

a substance holding unit configured to temporarily hold the substance to be provided on the region of the patient'"'"'s skin;

a pulse generator configured to generate a sequence of bursts of electrical pulses to the array of electrodes that are disposed against the region of the patient'"'"'s skin, so as to provide the bursts of electrical pulses to the region of the patient'"'"'s skin;

a substance applying unit configured to transfer the substance from the substance holding unit to the head of the probe,

wherein the pulse generator is a transformer that provides for pulses to be output in alternate polarities in each of the sequence of bursts, and

wherein the transformer includes peak current limiting means for maintaining a current applied to the patient'"'"'s skin to be below a predetermined current level.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the peak current limiting means outputs pulses of successively decreasing voltage levels in each of said bursts of electrical pulses, in order to maintain a peak current at the patient'"'"'s skin at substantially the same value throughout a time period when each of said bursts of electrical pulses are output to the patient'"'"'s skin.

5. The system according to claim 3, further comprising:

at least one gauze pad; and

attaching means for attaching the at least one gauze pad to the head of the probe,

wherein the at least one gauze pad allows for the substance to be applied to the region of the patient'"'"'s skin in a substantially even manner.

6. A system for enhancing absorption of a substance provided on a region of a patient'"'"'s skin, comprising:

a probe configured to provide the substance to the region of the patient'"'"' skin, the probe comprising;

an array of electrodes provided on a head of the probe;

a substance holding unit configured to temporarily hold the substance to be provided on the region of the patient'"'"'s skin;

a pulse generator configured to generate a sequence of bursts of electrical pulses to the array of electrodes that are placed adjacent to the skin;

a substance applying unit configured to transfer the substance from the substance holding unit to the head of the probe,

wherein the pulse generator is a magnetic device for energy storage, which provides for pulses to be output in alternate polarities in each of the sequence of bursts, and

wherein no pulses are output by the pulse generator in between consecutive bursts of electrical pulses.

7. The system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a vibrating unit configured to provide mechanical vibrations to the head of the probe at a same time the sequence of bursts are applied to the region of the patient'"'"'s skin.

8. A system for enhancing absorption of a substance provided on a region of a patient'"'"'s skin, comprising:

a probe configured to provide the substance to the region of the patient'"'"'s skin, the probe comprising;

an array of electrodes provided on a head of the probe;

a substance holding unit configured to temporarily hold the substance to be provided on the region of the patient'"'"'s skin;

a pulse generator configured to generate a sequence of bursts of electrical pulses to the array of electrodes that are placed adjacent to the skin;

a substance applying unit configured to transfer the substance from the substance holding unit to the head of the probe,

wherein the pulse generator is a magnetic device for energy storage, which provides for pulses to be output in alternate polarities in each of the sequence of bursts, and

wherein the transformer includes peak current limiting means for maintaining a current applied to the patient'"'"'s skin to be below a predetermined current level.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the peak current limiting means outputs pulses of successively decreasing voltage levels in each of said bursts of electrical pulses, in order to maintain a peak current at the patient'"'"'s skin at substantially the same value throughout a time period when each of said bursts of electrical pulses are output to the patient'"'"'s skin.

10. The system according to claim 8, further comprising:

at least one gauze pad; and

attaching means for attaching the at least one gauze pad to the head of the probe,

wherein the at least one gauze pad allows for the substance to be applied to the region of the patient'"'"'s skin in a substantially even manner.