Iontophoresis device

• US 20060217654A1
• Filed: 08/02/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TTI Ellebeau, Inc. (Ease Asset Management Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Transcutaneous Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Tanioka, Akihiko, Nakayama, Mizuo, Matsumura, Akihiko, Matsumura, Takehiko, Akiyama, Hidero, Shibata, Tsutomu
• Granted Patent: US 7,437,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/306 Arrangements where at least part of the apparatus is introduced into the body

Abstract

An iontophoresis device includes: a first electrode; a biological interface contact member including a substrate having a front surface and a rear surface, and a plurality of needles that protrude from the front surface of the substrate and can be inserted into a biological interface, the biological interface contact member allowing selective permeation of ions of a first polarity; and a drug holding part applied with an electrical potential or voltage through the first electrode and holding a drug solution containing drug ions charged in the first polarity, the drug holding part being interposed between the first electrode and the biological interface contact member.

Claims

1. An iontophoresis device having a working electrode structure, said working electrode structure comprising:

a first electrode;

a biological interface contact member including a substrate having a front surface and a rear surface, and a plurality of needles that protrude from the front surface of the substrate and can be inserted into a biological interface, the biological interface contact member allowing selective permeation of ions of a first polarity; and

a drug holding part applied with an electrical potential through the first electrode and holding a drug solution containing drug ions charged in the first polarity, the drug holding part being interposed between the first electrode and the biological interface contact member.

2. The iontophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein:

the biological interface contact member has a plurality of holes formed therein, each of the holes communicating between a tip end of each of the needles and the rear surface of the substrate; and

at least a part of each of the holes is filled with an ion-exchange resin introduced with an ion-exchange group whose counter ion is the first polarity.

3. The iontophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein:

the biological interface contact member has a plurality of holes formed therein, each of the holes communicating between a tip end of each of the needles and the rear surface of the substrate; and

the biological interface contact member further includes a first ion-exchange membrane that is interposed between the drug holding part and the substrate and allows selective permeation of the ions of the first polarity.

4. The iontophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of columnar members made of an ion-exchange resin introduced with an ion-exchange group whose counter ion is the first polarity, are embedded in the biological interface contact member; and

each of the columnar members is exposed to the rear surface of the substrate at one end and protrudes by a predetermined length from the front surface of the substrate at the other end to form the needle insertable into the biological interface.

5. The iontophoresis device according to claim 4, wherein a hole is formed inside the columnar member to communicate with an opening formed at the rear surface of the substrate.

6. The iontophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of multineedle members having a plurality of needle-like projections radially protruding therefrom and made of an ion-exchange resin introduced with an ion-exchange group whose counter ion is the first polarity, are embedded in the biological interface contact member; and

at least a part of a surface of the multineedle member is exposed to the rear surface of the substrate, and any one of the needle-like projections of the multineedle member protrudes by a predetermined length from the front surface of the substrate to form the needle insertable into the biological interface.

7. The iontophoresis device according to claim 6, wherein a hole is formed in the multineedle member to communicate with an opening formed at the rear surface of the substrate.

8. The iontophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein the biological interface contact member is formed of an ion-exchange membrane allowing selective permeation of the ions of the first polarity.

9. The iontophoresis device according to claim 8, wherein holes are formed in the biological interface contact member, each of the holes extending from an inner portion of each of the needles to an opening at the rear surface of the substrate.

10. The iontophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein the working electrode structure further includes:

a first electrolyte holding part for holding an electrolyte that is in contact with the first electrode; and

a second ion-exchange membrane that is interposed between the first electrolyte holding part and the drug holding part and allows selective permeation of ions of a second polarity, opposite to the first polarity.

11. The iontophoresis device according to claim 1, further comprising a nonworking electrode structure including:

a second electrode;

a second electrolyte holding part for holding an electrolyte that is in contact with the second electrode;

a third ion-exchange membrane that is arranged on a front side of the second electrolyte holding part and allows selective permeation of the ions of the first polarity;

a third electrolyte holding part that is arranged on a front side of the third ion-exchange membrane and holds an electrolyte; and

a fourth ion-exchange membrane that is arranged on a front side of the third ion-exchange membrane and allows selective permeation of ions of a second polarity.