DISSOLUTION RATE VERIFICATION

• US 20100229636A1
• Filed: 10/22/2008
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Syneron Medical Limited (Syneron Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Syneron Medical Limited (Syneron Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stern, Meir, Levin, Galit
• Granted Patent: US 8,281,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/61.710
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 13/00 Investigating surface or boundary effects, e.g. wetting power; Investigating diffusion effects; Analysing materials by determining surface, boundary, or diffusion effects scanning-probe techniques or apparatus G01Q
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/08 Investigating permeability, pore-volume, or surface area of porous materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/15 Medicinal preparations ; Physical properties thereof, e.g. dissolubility

Abstract

Apparatus (50) is described for use with a drug on a drug patch (28), the drug patch including a drug side and a back side. An absorbent material (54) is configured to be disposed on a surface (56) and underneath the drug patch. A squeezing device (52) having a squeezing surface is configured to squeeze the drug patch together with the absorbent material. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use with a drug on a drug patch, the drug patch including a drug side and a back side, the apparatus comprising:

a surface;

an absorbent material configured to be disposed on the surface and underneath the drug patch; and

a squeezing device having a squeezing surface configured to squeeze the drug patch together with the absorbent material.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the squeezing device comprises a clamp.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the squeezing device comprises a weight configured to be placed on top of the drug patch.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the weight weighs between 1 gram and 35 grams.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the weight weighs between 5 grams and 15 grams.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the weight weighs between 25 grams and 35 grams.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a weight of the weight per unit area of the drug patch is between 3.5 g/sq cm and 5 g/sq cm.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a weight of the weight per unit area of the drug patch is between 4.1 g/sq cm and 4.3 g/sq cm.

9. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a weight of the weight per unit area of the drug patch is between 6 g/sq cm and 7.5 g/sq cm.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a weight of the weight per unit area of the drug patch is between 6.8 g/sq cm and 7 g/sq cm.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising liquid configured to wet the absorbent material.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the liquid comprises between 0.5 microliter and 20 microliters of the liquid per square cm of the absorbent material.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the liquid comprises between 1 microliter and 12 microliters of the liquid per square cm of the absorbent material.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an analysis unit configured to analyze the absorbent material.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the analysis unit is configured to determine a quantity of the drug dissolved by the absorbent material, by analyzing the absorbent material.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the analysis unit comprises a spectrophotometer.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the analysis unit comprises a liquid configured to extract the drug from the absorbent material.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the liquid comprises hydrochloric acid solution.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the liquid comprises phosphate buffer.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the surface comprises a well configured to receive the extracted drug.

21. A method for use with a drug on a drug patch, the drug patch including a drug side and a back side, the method comprising:

placing the drug side of the drug patch on top of an absorbent material;

squeezing the drug patch and the absorbent material together for a period of time; and

determining an indication of a quantity of the drug that dissolved in the period of time, by analyzing the absorbent material.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising wetting the absorbent material prior to squeezing the drug patch and the absorbent material together.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein squeezing the drug patch and the absorbent material together comprises placing a weight above the back side of the drug patch.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein squeezing the drug patch and the absorbent material together comprises clamping the drug patch and the absorbent material together.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein squeezing the drug patch and the absorbent material together comprises squeezing them together for a period of time that is between 2 and 15 minutes.

26. The method according to claim 21, wherein analyzing the absorbent material comprises performing a procedure selected from the group consisting of chromatography and spectroscopy.