Apparatus and Method For Treating and Dispensing a Material Into Tissue

• US 20070154363A1
• Filed: 12/26/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ActiveO, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ceramatec, Inc.
• Inventors: Joshi, Ashok, Steppen, James, Nachias, Jesse
• Granted Patent: US 8,066,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/186.40
• 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: C01B 13/02 Preparation of oxygen by liquefying F25J
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 13/10 Preparation of 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 a material treatment module associated therewith. The material treatment module may be an ozone generator that is initiated such that material containing ozone accumulates within the barrel. The material can then be delivered from the barrel into a target site via a needle, thereby delivering therapeutic effects to that target site.

Claims

1. A handheld dispensing apparatus comprising:

a housing defining a chamber configured to retain a precursor material;

a material treatment module in material communication with the chamber for treating precursor material to create a treated material; and

an outlet in material communication with said chamber for releasing the treated material from the housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the precursor material comprises one of the group consisting of air, oxygen, water, salt solution, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and combinations thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the treated material comprises one of the group consisting of:

ozone, oxygen, oxygen radicals, oxygen treated with energy, hydroxyl radicals, ionic oxygen, nitric oxide, chlorine, fluorine, chlorine dioxide, nitrogen, helium, iodine, carbon dioxide, bromine, bromine dioxide, and combinations thereof.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the treated material comprises precursor material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the material treatment module is positioned within the housing.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing is less than about 150 cubic centimeters.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chamber is less than about 150 cubic centimeters.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chamber is greater than about 0.1 cubic centimeters.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power source in electrical communication with the material treatment module.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the material treatment module comprises an electrochemical cell comprising an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte, at least a portion of said electrolyte positioned between the anode and the cathode.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the power source provides voltage across the anode and the cathode.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the power source comprises a battery.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the material treatment module comprises a corona cell comprising a dielectric material positioned between a pair of electrodes, the electrodes in electrical communication with the power source.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller for controlling the amount of material treated by the material treatment module.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller comprises a timing circuit for controlling the length of time the material treatment module is permitted to treat material.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the material treatment module further comprises a valve for controlling the interaction of the first material and the second material.

17. A handheld dispensing apparatus comprising:

a plunger;

a barrel configured to receive and movably engage the plunger, the plunger and the barrel defining a chamber for retaining a precursor material;

a material treatment module in material communication with the chamber for treating said precursor material to create a treated material;

an outlet in material communication with said chamber for releasing the treated material; and

a needle in material communication with the outlet for delivering said treated material into a body.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the precursor material comprises one of the group consisting of air, oxygen, water, salt solution, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, chlorine, bromine, fluorine, iodine, and combinations thereof.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein at least a portion of the treated material comprises one of the group consisting of:

ozone, oxygen, oxygen radicals, oxygen treated with energy, hydroxyl radicals, ionic oxygen, nitric oxide, chlorine, fluorine, chlorine dioxide, nitrogen, helium, iodine, carbon dioxide, bromine, bromine dioxide, and combinations thereof.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein at least a portion of the treated material comprises precursor material.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the material treatment module is positioned within the plunger.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the material treatment module is positioned within the barrel.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the chamber is less than about 150 cubic centimeters.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the chamber is greater than about 0.1 cubic centimeters.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a power source in electrical communication with the material treatment module.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a switch for controlling the delivery of power by the power source.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the material treatment module comprises an electrochemical cell comprising an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte, at least a portion of said electrolyte positioned between the anode and the cathode.

28. The apparatus of claim of 27, wherein the material treatment module comprises an ozone generator.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the power source provides voltage across the anode and the cathode.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the power source comprises a battery.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the needle comprises the material treatment module.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the material treatment module is a corona cell comprising a dielectric material positioned between a pair of electrodes, the electrodes in electrical communication with the power source.

33. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a controller in communication with the power source for controlling the amount of material treated by the material treatment module.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the controller is a timing circuit for controlling the length of time the material treatment module is permitted to treat material.

35. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a display to indicate a status of the material treatment module.

36. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a valve for controlling the movement of material between the chamber and the needle.

37. A handheld dispensing apparatus comprising:

a barrel;

a plunger comprising a plunger housing, the plunger movably attached to the barrel, the plunger and the barrel defining a chamber for retaining a material;

an ozone generator in communication with the chamber for interacting with the material to generate a mixture comprising ozone;

a controller positioned within the plunger housing for controlling the amount of ozone generated by the ozone generator;

a power source positioned within the plunger in operable communication with the controller and the ozone generator;

a switch for controlling the power delivered by the power source; and

an outlet in material communication with the chamber, the outlet configured to receive a needle, the outlet comprising a valve for releasing the ozone mixture into the needle.

38. A method of dispensing a material using a handheld dispensing apparatus, the dispensing apparatus comprising a housing defining a chamber, a material treatment module in material communication with the chamber, an outlet in material communication with the chamber, and a needle in material communication with the outlet for releasing the material from the housing, the method comprising:

collecting a precursor material in the chamber;

activating the material treatment module;

treating the precursor material collected in the chamber with the material treatment module to create a treated material;

positioning the needle in a body; and

dispensing the treated material out of the apparatus into the body.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the precursor material comprises one of the group consisting of air, oxygen, water, salt solution, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and combinations thereof.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein at least a portion of the treated material comprises one of the group consisting of:

ozone, oxygen, oxygen radicals, oxygen treated with energy, hydroxyl radicals, ionic oxygen, nitric oxide, chlorine, fluorine, chlorine dioxide, nitrogen, helium, iodine, carbon dioxide, bromine, bromine dioxide, and combinations thereof.

41. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein at least a portion of the treated material comprises precursor material.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein activating the material treatment module comprises engaging a switch to allow power from a power source to be delivered to the material treatment module.

43. The method of claim 38, further comprising deactivating the material treatment module.

44. The method of claim 38, further comprising detecting an amount of material treated by the material treatment module.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein detecting an amount of material comprises monitoring a display.

46. The method of claim 38, wherein the housing comprises a barrel movably attached to a plunger.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein dispensing the material further comprises moving the plunger relative to the barrel such that treated material is delivered through the needle into the body.