Controlled needle-free transport

• US 20070191758A1
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Ball, Nathan, Hunter, Ian, Hogan, Nora, Wendell, Dawn, Taberner, Andrew, Hemond, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,833,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/20 for vaccinating or cleaning the skin previous to the vaccination diagnosis by vaccination other than by injuring the skin A61B10/0035 ; apparatus for injections A61M
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/205 Vaccinating by means of needles or other puncturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61D 7/00 Devices or methods for introducing solid, liquid, or gaseous remedies or other materials into or onto the bodies of animals for reproduction or fertilisation A61D19/00 ; devices for implanting pellets, radon seeds or the like A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6009 for matching patient with his treatment, e.g. to improve transfusion security
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/825 using mechanical generation of electricity, e.g. hand cranked generators
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2250/00 Specially adapted for animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/19 having more than one chamber , e.g. including a manifold coupling two parallelly aligned syringes through separate channels to a common discharge assembly surgical glue applicators A61B17/00491
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/30 Syringes for injection by jet action, without needle, e.g. for use with replaceable ampoules or carpules
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 33/00 Motors with reciprocating, oscillating or vibrating magnet, armature or coil system arrangements for handling mechanical energy structurally associated with motors H02K7/00, e.g. H02K7/06
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 33/18 with coil systems moving upon intermittent or reversed energisation thereof by interaction with a fixed field system, e.g. permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 41/02 Linear motors; Sectional motors

Abstract

A needle-free transdermal transport device for transferring a substance across a surface of a biological body includes a reservoir for storing the substance, a nozzle in fluid communication with the reservoir and a controllable electromagnetic actuator in communication with the reservoir. The actuator, referred to as a Lorentz force actuator, includes a stationary magnet assembly and a moving coil assembly. The coil assembly moves a piston having an end portion positioned within the reservoir. The actuator receives an electrical input and generates in response a corresponding force acting on the piston and causing a needle-free transfer of the substance between the reservoir and the biological body. The magnitude, direction and duration of the force are dynamically controlled (e.g., servo-controlled) by the electrical input and can be altered during the course of an actuation cycle. Beneficially, the actuator can be moved in different directions according to the electrical input.

Claims

1. A needle-free transdermal transport device for transferring a substance across a surface of a biological body comprising:

a reservoir for storing the substance;

a nozzle in fluid communication with the reservoir; and

a controllable electromagnetic actuator in communication with the reservoir, the actuator comprising;

a stationary magnet assembly providing a magnetic field; and

a coil assembly, slidably disposed with respect to the magnet assembly, the coil assembly receiving an electrical input and generating in response a force corresponding to the received input, the force resulting from interaction of an electrical current within the coil assembly and the magnetic field and causing a needle-free transfer of the substance between the reservoir and the biological body.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the force generated within the coil assembly is dynamically variable according to variations in the received electrical input.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a servo-controller in electrical communication with the controllable electromagnetic actuator, the servo-controller providing the electrical input.

4. The device of claim 3, further comprising at least one sensor in electrical communication with the servo-controller, the sensor sensing a physical property and the servo-controller generating the electrical input responsive to the sensed physical property.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the sensed physical property is one or more of:

position, force, pressure, current, and voltage.

6. The device of claim 3, further comprising a remote communications interface in electrical communication with the controller, the controller generating the electrical input responsive to a communication received through the remote communications interface.

7. The device of claim 3, further comprising an analyzer adapted to analyze a sample collected from the body, the servo-controller adapted to provide the electrical input responsive to the analyzed sample.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the controllable electromagnetic actuator is bi-directional, generating a positive force responsive to a first electrical input and a negative force responsive to a second electrical input.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic actuator forces the substance through a nozzle producing a jet having sufficient velocity to pierce the surface of the biological body.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a rechargeable power source, used in production of the electrical input.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the controllable electromagnetic actuator is adapted to recharge the rechargeable power source.

12. The device of claim 11, further comprising a releasable mechanical attachment adapted to recharge the rechargeable power source using the controllable electromagnetic actuator.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is adapted to provide a plurality of successive independent needle-free transfers.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the reservoir, the nozzle, and the controllable electrical actuator are combined in a portable, hand-held unit.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein a rise-time of the generated force is less than about 5 milliseconds.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the reservoir stores a volume of about 300 micro-liters, the force being sufficient in both magnitude and duration to transfer the full 300 micro-liters or any portion thereof.

17. A linear electromagnetic actuator comprising:

a stationary magnet assembly providing a magnetic field;

a coil assembly receiving an electrical input, the coil assembly slidably disposed with respect to the magnet assembly; and

a stationary bearing surface formed over a length that abuts the magnet assembly

a first bearing surface defined along a distal portion of the coil assembly and adapted to slide relative to the stationary bearing surface.

18. The linear electromagnetic actuator of claim 17 further comprising a second bearing surface defined along a proximal portion of the coil assembly also adapted to slide relative to the stationary bearing surface.

19. A method for transferring a substance across a surface of a body comprising the steps of:

applying an electrical input to a controllable electromagnetic actuator;

producing with the electromagnetic actuator a mechanical force corresponding to the electrical input;

applying the mechanical force to a reservoir coupled at one end to a nozzle, the mechanical force producing a pressure within the reservoir, a magnitude of the pressure varying with the mechanical force and causing transfer of the substance across the surface of the body;

sensing, during the transfer of the substance, a physical property; and

varying the applied electrical input during the transfer of the substance responsive to the sensed physical property to produce a corresponding variation in the applied mechanical force.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the applied force produces a positive pressure ejecting at least a portion of the substance from the reservoir through the nozzle, the ejected substance producing a jet having sufficient velocity to pierce the surface of the body.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the applied force is bi-directional, depending upon the applied electrical input producing a positive pressure responsive to a first electrical input and a negative pressure responsive to a second input, the negative pressure creating a vacuum within the reservoir, the vacuum causing transfer of the substance from the body to the reservoir.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of applying an electrical input comprises applying a first electrical input to the controllable electromagnetic actuator producing therewith a positive force ejecting a portion of the substance through the nozzle at a sufficient velocity.

23. A method of treating a disease comprising:

collecting with a first needle-free transdermal transport device a sample from the body;

determining dosage of an active compound responsive to the collected sample;

transferring with a second needle-free transdermal transport device the determined dosage of active compound to the body.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the collecting step comprises:

injecting with the needle-free transdermal transport device a first substance into the body; and

withdrawing with the needle-free transdermal transport device a sample comprising at least a portion of the first substance and at least a portion of the body.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first substance is a substantially biologically inert substance.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the active compound is insulin.

27. A method for transferring a substance across a surface of a body comprising the steps of:

providing a Lorentz force actuator;

applying an electrical current to the Lorentz force actuator, the current inducing a force to transfer the substance across the surface of the body.

28. A needle-free transdermal transport device for transferring a substance across a surface of a biological body comprising:

electromagnetic actuator means for applying the mechanical force to a reservoir coupled at one end to a nozzle, the mechanical force producing a pressure within the reservoir, a magnitude of the pressure varying with the mechanical force and causing transfer of the substance across the surface of the body;

means for sensing during transfer of the substance a physical property; and

means for varying the applied electrical input responsive to the sensed physical property to produce a corresponding variation in the applied mechanical force.