Electrochemical management of pain

• US 20080288019A1
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Adam Heller
• Original Assignee: Adam Heller
• Inventors: Heller, Adam
• Application Number:
  US12/012,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20080288019A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/13 Amines A61K31/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0428 Specially adapted for iontophoresis, e.g. AC, DC or including drug reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/30 Apparatus for iontophoresis, i.e. transfer of media in ionic state by an electromotoric force into the body, or cataphoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 17/04 Antipruritics
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 25/00 Drugs for disorders of the nervous system
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 29/00 Non-central analgesic, antipyretic or antiinflammatory agents, e.g. antirheumatic agents; Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs [NSAID]

Abstract

The invention features electrochemical methods and devices for the treatment of pain.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device for the treatment of pain comprising a DC power supply in electrical communication with a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein said first electrode comprises an oxidation catalyst and said second electrode comprises either no catalyst, a reduction catalyst, or a reducible metal salt or metal oxide.

3. The implantable medical device of claims 1 or 2, wherein said first electrode comprises an oxidation catalyst and said second electrode comprises a reduction catalyst or a reducible metal salt or metal oxide.

4. The implantable medical device of claims 1 or 2, wherein said first electrode comprises an oxidation catalyst for catalyzing the electrooxidation of chloride anion.

5. The implantable medical device of claim 4, wherein said oxidation catalyst comprises an oxide of ruthenium or an oxide of iridium.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 5, wherein said oxidation catalyst is coated on an underlayer of an oxide of titanium metal or an oxide of tantalum.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 5, wherein said oxidation catalyst wherein said oxidation catalyst comprises ruthenium dioxide.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 7, wherein said oxidation catalyst comprises iridium dioxide.

9. The implantable medical device of claims 1 or 2, wherein said second electrode comprises a reducible metal salt or metal oxide.

10. The implantable medical device of claim 9, wherein said reducible metal salt or metal oxide is a silver salt or nickel oxide.

11. The implantable medical device of claim 10, wherein said reducible metal salt or metal oxide is silver chloride.

12. The implantable medical device of claims 1 or 2, wherein said second electrode comprises a reduction catalyst selected from platinum, palladium, silver, gold, copper, a porphyrin-metal complex, a phthalocyanin-metal complex, a polyoxometalate of molybdenum, a polyoxometalate of tungsten, a quinone, or a multicopper oxidase enzyme.

13. The implantable medical device of claims 1 or 2, wherein said first electrode is an anode comprising graphite.

14. The implantable medical device of claims 1 or 2, wherein said first electrode and said second electrode are separated by an ion conducting membrane.

15. The implantable medical device of claim 14, wherein said ion conducting membrane conducts both anions and cations.

16. The implantable medical device of claims 1 or 2, wherein said implantable medical device when implanted in a patient generates hypochlorous acid in an amount sufficient to treat pain.

25. The implantable medical device of claims 1, 2, 17, or 21, further comprising a reservoir in fluid communication with said first electrode, said reservoir comprising an oxidizable agent selected from amines, amides, thiols, and salts thereof.

26. The implantable medical device of claim 25, wherein said reservoir further comprises a chloride salt.

38. The implantable medical device of any of claims 1, 2, or 17, wherein said power supply is operating at a voltage from 0.6 V to 5.0 V.

39. The implantable medical device of any of claims 1, 2, or 17, wherein said power supply is operating at a current density of less than 5 mA/cm².

40. A method of treating pain in a patient in need thereof, said method comprising (i) implanting an electrolytic device of any of claims 1-39 in said patient at the site of pain and (ii) operating said device to generate an oxidant in an amount sufficient to treat said pain.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said pain is nociceptive pain, somatic pain, visceral pain, procedural pain, or inflammatory pain caused by trauma or surgery.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said pain is caused by trauma, surgery, herniation of an intervertebral disk, spinal cord injury, shingles, HIV/AIDS, cancer related pain, amputation, carpal tunnel syndrome, diabetic neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, or a musculoskeletal disorder.

2. An implantable medical device for the treatment of pain comprising a DC power supply in electrical communication with a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein said first electrode comprises either no catalyst or an oxidation catalyst and said second electrode comprises a reduction catalyst or a reducible metal salt or metal oxide.

17. An implantable medical device for the treatment of pain comprising a DC power supply in electrical communication with a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein said first electrode and said second electrode are separated by an ion conducting membrane.

18. The implantable medical device of claim 17, wherein said first electrode comprises an oxidation catalyst or said second electrode comprises a reduction catalyst or a reducible metal salt or metal oxide.

19. The implantable medical device of claim 18, wherein said ion conducting membrane conducts both anions and cations.

20. The implantable medical device of claim 19, wherein said ion conducting membrane is a charge mosaic membrane.

24. The implantable medical device of claim 17 or 21, wherein said implantable medical device when implanted in a patient generates hypochlorous acid in an amount sufficient to treat pain.

21. An implantable medical device for the treatment of pain comprising an AC power supply in electrical communication with a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein each of said first electrode and said second electrode comprise an oxidation catalyst.

22. The implantable medical device of claim 21, wherein said oxidation catalyst comprises an oxide of ruthenium or an oxide of iridium.

23. The implantable medical device of claim 21, wherein said AC power supply has a frequency of less than 100 Hz.

27. An implantable medical device for the treatment of pain comprising (i) a power supply in electrical communication with a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein an oxidant is electrochemically generated at least at the first electrode;

(ii) a reservoir comprising a solution of an oxidizable agent in fluid communication with the electrochemically generated oxidant, wherein said oxidant oxidizes said oxidizable agent to produce an oxidized agent; and

(iii) an exit port in fluid communication with said oxidized agent, wherein after implantation said implantable medical device generates oxidized agent in an amount sufficient to treat pain.

28. The implantable medical device of claim 27, wherein said oxidizable agent is selected from amines, amides, thiols, and salts thereof.

29. The implantable medical device of claim 28, wherein said oxidizable agent is selected from ammonia, taurine, glutathione, glutathione sulfonamide, and salts thereof.

30. The implantable medical device of claim 28, wherein said reservoir further comprises a chloride salt.

31. The implantable medical device of claim 27, wherein said reservoir is configured to be completely implanted within said patient.

32. The implantable medical device of claim 27, wherein said reservoir is configured to be positioned external to said patient and further comprising a cannula in fluid communication with said oxidant and said port, wherein said port is implanted within said patient.

33. The implantable medical device of claim 27, wherein said reservoir is configured to sit on the skin of said subject.

34. The implantable medical device of claim 27, wherein said reservoir is refillable.

35. The implantable medical device of claim 27, wherein said power supply is a DC power supply.

36. The implantable medical device of claim 27, wherein said power supply is an AC power supply.

37. The implantable medical device of claim 36, wherein said AC power supply has a frequency of less than 100 Hz.

43. A biocompatible implantable matrix comprising (i) glucose oxidase or lactate oxidase;

and (ii) myeloperoxidase.

44. The biocompatible implantable matrix of claim 43, wherein said matrix is a hydrogel.

45. The biocompatible implantable matrix of claim 43, further comprising an oxidizable agent is selected from amines, amides, thiols, and salts thereof.

46. A method of treating pain in a patient in need thereof, said method comprising implanting into said patient the biocompatible implantable matrix of any of claims 43-45.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein said biocompatible implantable matrix is implanted at the site of pain.