Apparatus and method for administering a therapeutic agent into tissue

• US 20070025890A1
• Filed: 08/01/2005
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ActiveO, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ceramatec, Inc.
• Inventors: Nachlas, Jesse, Steppan, James, Joshi, Ashok
• Granted Patent: US 8,777,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/186.70
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3478 Endoscopic needles, e.g. for infusion biopsy needles A61B10/0233; catheters with injection needles A61M25/0067
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00261 Discectomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/006 for gases, e.g. CO2
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3132 having flow passages for injection agents at the distal end of the barrel to bypass a sealing stopper after its displacement to this end due to internal pressure increase
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0216 Ozone
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/00 Other apparatus for introducing media into the body for reproduction or fertilisation A61B17/425; apparatus for iontophoresis or cataphoresis A61N1/30; Percutany, i.e. introducing medicines into the body by diffusion through the skin salt baths A61H33/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/286 upon internal pressure increase, e.g. pierced or burst A61M5/283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3129 Syringe barrels A61M5/3205 and A61M5/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31511 Piston or piston-rod constructions, e.g. connection of piston with piston-rod A61M5/5066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 13/02 Preparation of oxygen by liquefying F25J
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 13/10 Preparation of ozone
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/13 Ozone

Abstract

An apparatus for administering a therapeutic is provided. In various embodiments, the apparatus includes a syringe having a barrel and a plunger and having an ozone generator associated therewith. The generator is initiated and a therapeutic gas is accumulated within the barrel, at which point it can be delivered from the barrel into a target site via a needle, thereby delivering therapeutic effects to that target site.

Claims

1. A syringe comprising:

a barrel;

a plunger for insertion into a first end of said barrel and delivering said agent from a second end of said barrel;

a generator attached to one of said plunger and said barrel, said generator for producing a gaseous therapeutic agent; and

,

an accumulator within said barrel having an accumulation configuration in communication with said generator for accumulating said agent;

said accumulator having a delivery configuration placing said accumulator in communication with said second end;

said accumulator automatically changeable from said accumulation configuration to said delivery configuration when a desired level of agent has been generated in said accumulator such that said agent can be delivered from said second end.

2. The syringe of claim 1 wherein said therapeutic agent is an oxygen-ozone mixture at concentrations ranging from about 0 to about 10 weight percent ozone with a balance of high purity oxygen.

3. The syringe of claim 2 wherein and said generator is a corona discharge ozone generator.

4. The syringe of claim 3 wherein said accumulator is an interior space within said barrel and said accumulator contains oxygen.

5. The syringe of claim 3 wherein said plunger includes a power supply connected to said generator, said power supply for delivering a varying electrical signal to said generator.

6. The syringe of claim 5 further including a switch intermediate said power supply and said generator for selectively activating and deactivating said generator.

7. The syringe of claim 5 wherein a frequency of said signal is between about one-tenth of a kilohertz (“

kHz”

) and about one thousand kHz.

8. The syringe of claim 5 wherein a frequency of said signal is between about thirty kHz and about sixty kHz.

9. The syringe of claim 5 wherein a voltage of said electrical signal is between about one kilovolt and about twenty kilovolts.

10. The syringe of claim 5 wherein a voltage of said electrical signal is between about three kilovolts and about six kilovolts.

11. The syringe of claim 1 wherein said syringe is sterilized.

12. The syringe of claim 5 wherein an ambient temperature of said oxygen is between about ten °

C. and about forty °

C.

13. The syringe of claim 2 wherein said generator comprises an open vessel for storing an ozonated gel and a heating element, such that activation of said heating element elevates a temperature of said gel causing desorption of the oxygen-ozone mixture from said gel.

14. The syringe of claim 13 wherein said gel is formed by sparging ozone through olive oil and then chilling said olive oil.

15. The syringe of claim 14 wherein said olive oil is chilled to a temperature of between about zero degrees Celsius and about five degrees Celsius.

22. The syringe of claim 1 wherein the syringe is disposable.

23. The syringe of claim 1 wherein the said therapeutic agent is pure oxygen treated with ultraviolet light, corona discharge, or combination thereof.

24. The syringe of claim 1 wherein the gaseous therapeutic agent comprises an oxidizing gas.

25. The syringe of claim 24 wherein the oxidizing gas comprises at least one of oxygen (O₂);

a mixture containing oxygen plus ozone (O₃);

oxygen radicals;

hydroxyl radicals;

ionic oxygen;

oxygen treated with energy; and

/or combinations thereof.

26. The syringe of claim 1 wherein the gaseous therapeutic agent comprises an inert gas.

27. The syringe of claim 26 wherein the inert gas comprise at least one of nitrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, and/or combinations thereof.

16. An ozone generator for producing therapeutic oxygen-ozone mixture, said generator comprising:

an attachment point for affixing said generator to one of a plunger and a barrel;

said barrel having a first end for receiving said plunger and a second end for delivering said ozone therefrom upon depression of said plunger.

17. The generator of claim 16 wherein said generator communicates with an accumulator disposed within said barrel in an accumulation configuration in order to accumulate said ozone;

said accumulator having a delivery configuration placing said accumulator in communication with said second end;

said accumulator automatically changeable from said accumulation configuration to said delivery configuration when a desired level of agent has been generated in said accumulator such that said agent can be delivered from said second end.

18. The generator of claim 16 wherein said generator comprises a vessel for housing an ozonated gel and a heating element for increasing a temperature of said gel to cause an emission of oxygen-ozone mixtures therefrom.

19. The generator of claim 16 wherein said generator is an electrical chemical cell.

20. The generator of claim 16 wherein said generator is a corona discharge device.

21. The generator of claim 16 wherein said generator is an ultraviolet light source.

28. A method of producing a gaseous therapeutic agent comprising:

placing an accumulator within a barrel of a syringe into an accumulation configuration;

generating said therapeutic agent within said accumulator; and

,

automatically changing said accumulator into a delivery configuration from said accumulation configuration when a desired level of said agent has been generated.

29. A syringe comprising:

a barrel;

a plunger for insertion into a first end of said barrel and delivering said agent from a second end of said barrel;

a corona-discharge device within said barrel for producing an oxidizing gas;

an accumulator within said barrel holding oxygen and having an accumulation configuration in communication with said generator for producing said oxidizing gas from said oxygen when said accumulator is in said accumulation configuration;

said accumulator having a delivery configuration for expressing said oxidizing gas from said second end when a desired level of oxidizing gas has been generated in said accumulator.