Electrokinetic delivery system and methods therefor
First Claim
1. A device for delivering a medicament to a treatment site underlying a layer of an individual'"'"'s skin having a higher electrically resistant layer than a skin layer at the treatment site, comprising:
- an applicator for overlying the treatment site and the electrically resistant skin layer, said applicator having a plurality of needles projecting from a first surface thereof for penetrating the electrically resistant layer of the individual'"'"'s skin, said needles and said surface being formed of a non-electrically conductive material;
a matrix carried by said applicator for containing the medicament or the medicament and an electrical carrier therefor, the needles having one or more orifices in communication with the medicament or the medicament and the electrical carrier therefor contained in the matrix and opening at locations spaced from the matrix for delivering the medicament to the treatment site;
said applicator having a second surface formed of electrically conductive material.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The electrokinetic medicament delivery system includes at least one applicator having a multiplicity of non-conductive micro-needles carried on a non-conductive surface of the applicator. The opposite surface is formed of electrically conductive material for contact with an active electrode. The applicator includes a matrix containing a medicament or a carrier therefor between the opposite surfaces. When the applicator is applied to the individual'"'"'s skin with the micro-needles penetrating the skin, an electrical current is completed through the power source, the active electrode, medicament, or electrically conductive carrier therefor, the targeted treatment site, the individual'"'"'s body, a ground electrode and the power supply, thereby electokinetically driving the medicament through the non-conductive micro-needles into the targeted treatment site.
-
Citations
48 Claims
-
1. A device for delivering a medicament to a treatment site underlying a layer of an individual'"'"'s skin having a higher electrically resistant layer than a skin layer at the treatment site, comprising:
-
an applicator for overlying the treatment site and the electrically resistant skin layer, said applicator having a plurality of needles projecting from a first surface thereof for penetrating the electrically resistant layer of the individual'"'"'s skin, said needles and said surface being formed of a non-electrically conductive material;
a matrix carried by said applicator for containing the medicament or the medicament and an electrical carrier therefor, the needles having one or more orifices in communication with the medicament or the medicament and the electrical carrier therefor contained in the matrix and opening at locations spaced from the matrix for delivering the medicament to the treatment site;
said applicator having a second surface formed of electrically conductive material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A system for delivering a medicament to a treatment site underlying an electrically resistant layer of an individual'"'"'s skin, comprising:
-
an applicator for overlying the treatment site and the electrically resistant skin layer, said applicator having a plurality of needles projecting from one side thereof for penetrating the electrically resistant layer of the individual'"'"'s skin;
a matrix carried by said applicator for containing the medicament or the medicament and an electrical carrier therefor, the needles having one or more orifices in communication with the medicament or the medicament and the electrical carrier therefor contained in the matrix and opening at locations spaced from the matrix for delivering the medicament to the treatment site;
a first electrode for electrical connection with a power source;
whereby, upon application of the applicator to the individual'"'"'s skin overlying the treatment site and connection to the power source and a second electrode for electrical connection with the power source enabling completion of an electrical circuit through the first electrode, the medicament or the electrical carrier therefor, a portion of the individual'"'"'s body, the second electrode and the power source, the system enables an electrical current to flow for electrokinetically driving the medicament or the medicament and the electrical carrier therefor through the needle orifices into the treatment site bypassing the electrically resistant layer of the individual'"'"'s skin. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A system for delivering a medicament to a treatment site underlying an electrically resistant layer of an individual'"'"'s skin, comprising:
-
a power source;
an applicator for overlying the treatment site and the electrically resistant skin layer, said applicator having a plurality of needles projecting from one side thereof for penetrating the electrically resistant layer of the individual'"'"'s skin;
a matrix carried by said applicator for containing the medicament or the medicament and an electrical carrier therefor, the needles having one or more orifices in communication with the medicament or the medicament and the electrical carrier therefor contained in the matrix and opening at locations spaced from the matrix for delivering the medicament to the treatment site;
a first electrode carried by said applicator in electrical connection with said power source;
a second electrode in electrical connection with the power source;
whereby, upon application of the applicator to the individual'"'"'s skin overlying the treatment site and electrical connection to the power source and a second electrode for electrical connection with the power source enabling completion of an electrical circuit through the first electrode, the medicament or the electrical carrier therefor, a portion of the individual'"'"'s body, the second electrode and the power source, the system enables an electrical current to flow to electrokinetically drive the medicament or the medicament and the electrical carrier therefor through the needle orifices into the treatment site bypassing the electrically resistant layer of the individual'"'"'s skin. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
35. A system for delivering a medicament to a treatment site underlying an electrically resistant layer of an individual'"'"'s skin, comprising:
-
a sheet of discrete applicators selectively separable from one another enabling one or more of the applicators to overlie the treatment site and the electrically resistant skin layer, each said applicator having a plurality of needles projecting from one side thereof for penetrating the electrically resistant layer of the individual'"'"'s skin;
a matrix carried by each said applicator for containing the medicament or the medicament and an electrical carrier therefor, the needles of each applicator having one or more orifices in communication with the medicament or the medicament and the electrical carrier therefor contained in the matrix and opening at locations spaced from the matrix for delivering the medicament to the treatment site;
a first electrode carried by each applicator for electrical connection with a power source;
whereby, upon application of one or more of the applicators to the individual'"'"'s skin overlying the treatment site and connection to the power source and a second electrode in electrical connection with the power source enabling completion of an electrical circuit through the first one or more electrodes, the medicament or the electrical carrier therefor of the one or more applicators, a portion of the individual'"'"'s body, the second electrode and the power source, the system enables an electrical current to flow for electrokinetically driving the medicament or the medicament and the electrical carrier therefor through the needle orifices of the one or more applicators into the treatment site bypassing the electrically resistant layer of the individual'"'"'s skin. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
-
-
45. A method for delivering medicament to a treatment site underlying an electrically resistant layer of an individual'"'"'s skin, comprising the steps of:
-
applying a plurality of micro-needles to the individual'"'"'s skin to penetrate the electrically resistant layer of the individual'"'"'s skin; and
electrokinetically driving the medicament or the medicament and an electrical carrier therefor through the micro-needles into the treatment site bypassing the electrically resistant layer of the individual'"'"'s skin. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48)
-
Specification