Microporator for Creating a Permeation Surface

• US 20090299262A1
• Filed: 04/18/2005
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pantec Biosolutions AG
• Original Assignee: Pantec Biosolutions AG
• Inventors: Bragagna, Thomas, Gfrerer, Daniel, Nussbaumer, Bernhard, Braun, Reinhard
• Application Number:
  US11/911,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20090299262A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/12 by passing a current through the tissue to be heated, e.g. high-frequency current
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/203 applying laser energy to the outside of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin

Abstract

There is disclosed a method for creating an initial permeation surface (A) in a biological membrane (1) comprising: a) creating a plurality of individual micropores (2i) in the biological membrane (1), each individual micropore (2i) having an individual permeation surface (Ai); and b) creating such a number of individual micropores (2i) and of such shapes, that the initial permeation surface (A), which is the sum of the individual permeation surfaces (Ai) of all individual micropores (2i), having a desired value. A Microporator performing the method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for creating an initial permeation surface (A) in a biological membrane (1), the method comprising:

a) creating a plurality of individual micropores (2i) in the biological membrane (1), each individual micropore (2i) having an individual permeation surface (Ai); and

b) creating such a number of individual micropores (2i) and of such shapes, that the initial permeation surface (A), which is the sum of the individual permeation surfaces (Ai) of all individual micropores (2i), has a desired value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired value of the initial permeation surface (A) is between 2 mm² and 1000 mm².

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a characteristic of a selected one of the plurality of individual micropore (2i), the characteristic including at least one of:

depth, diameter, cross section, shape, surface, and kind of tissue.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising detecting the characteristic of the individual micropore (2i) at least twice during creation of the individual micropore (2i).

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

c) evaluating decrease of the individual permeation surface (Ai) of the individual micropore (2i) due to cell growth;

d) evaluating total permeation surface over time (A(t)), which is the sum of the individual permeation surfaces (Ai), and

e) selecting an appropriate number and an appropriate shape of individual micropores (2i) so that the total permeation surface over time (A(t)) corresponds to a given permeation surface over time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating at least 10 micropores (2).

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the micropores (2i) have the same shape.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of micropores are distributed to form a plurality of different groups, in which all micropores (2i) of the same group have having the same shape and size.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating each individual micropore (2i) ablates at the outer surface of the biological membrane (1) an individual puncture surface (Bi), and wherein the sum of puncture surfaces (Bi) of all micropores (2) corresponds to a total puncture surface (B).

10. The method of claim 9, comprising creating the micropores (2) with such a shape that the initial permeation surface (A) is between 2 and 10 times bigger than the total puncture surface (B).

11. The method of claim 1, comprising creating the plurality of micropores (2) with a diameter between 1 μ

m and 500 μ

m.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising creating the plurality of micropores (2) with a depth between 5 μ

m and 200 μ

m.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising creating the plurality of micropores (2) having a lower end within the epidermis.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising creating a group of micropores (2) having a lower end close to or at the transition of stratum corneum (1a) and epidermis (1b).

15. The method of claim 1, comprising creating the plurality of micropores (2) by the of mechanical, hydraulic, sonic, electromagnetic, or thermal energy.

16. The method of claim 1, comprising creating the plurality of micropores (2) by a pulsed laser beam.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of micropores (2) provide an initial permeation surface (A) that becomes zero within a time range of 1 hour to 10 days.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a thickness of the stratum corneum.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising increasing a depth of the individual micropore (2i) by a respective thickness of the stratum corneum.

20. The method of claim 18, further subtracting a surface of the individual micropore (2i), which is part of the stratum corneum, from the individual permeation surface (Ai).

21. The method of claim 18, further creating an additional micropore (2i) comprising a surface within the epidermis which compensates for the surface of the individual micropores (2i), which is part of the stratum corneum.

22. Use of the method of claim 1 as a cosmetic method for the stimulation of cell growth in a biological membrane (1).

23. A method for administering a cosmetic substance, the method comprising:

e) creating a microporation in skin (1) according to the method of claim 1;

f) applying the cosmetic substance to the microporation such that the cosmetic substance is absorbed into the skin through micropores (2) of the microporation; and

g) wherein intradermal delivery of the cosmetic substance is a function of the initial permeation surface (A).

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising determining a total permeation surface over time (A(t)) to determine a flux rate of the cosmetic substance into the skin.

25. A Microporator (10) configured to allow operation according to a method of claim 1.

26. A Microporation created according to a method of claim 1, and comprising an initial permeation surface (A) of predetermined size.

27. The microporation of claim 26, comprising a predetermined total permeation surface over time (A(t)).

28. A method for administering a drug, the method comprising:

e) creating a microporation in a biological membrane (1) according to a method of claim 1;

f) applying the drug to the microporation such that the drug is delivered into the biological membrane through a plurality of micropores (2); and

g) wherein the delivery of the drug is determined by the initial permeation surface (A).

29. A method of claim 28, further comprising determining a total permeation surface over time (A(t)) which determines the delivery of the drug into the biological membrane.