MAGNETIC PATCH COUPLING

• US 20100286588A1
• Filed: 10/12/2008
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Syneron Medical Limited (Syneron Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: TransPharma Ltd.
• Inventors: Arbel, Giora, Bar-El, Yossi
• Granted Patent: US 9,037,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0424 Shape of the electrode
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/044 Shape of the electrode
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/327 for enhancing the absorption properties of tissue, e.g. by electroporation

Abstract

Apparatus is described for facilitating delivery of a substance through skin (70) of a subject. A skin preparation device (50), and a patch assembly (20) that comprises the substance and is magnetically couplable to the skin preparation device, are described. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. Apparatus for facilitating delivery of a substance through skin of a subject, comprising:

a skin preparation device; and

a patch assembly comprising the substance and magnetically couplable to the skin preparation device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the skin preparation device comprises one or more electrodes configured to ablate the skin.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the patch assembly comprises a first portion and a second portion foldably coupled to the first portion.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the first portion comprises a frame that surrounds at least in part an open portion of the patch assembly, such that a region of the skin is exposed through the open portion when the first portion is placed on the skin, and

the second portion comprises a pad comprising the substance, the pad being adapted to be brought into contact, through the open portion, with at least a portion of the region of the skin.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising one or more patch magnets coupled to the patch assembly, wherein the one or more patch magnets are configured to couple the patch assembly to the skin preparation device when the patch assembly is aligned with the skin preparation device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the skin preparation device comprises a magnetic material and wherein the one or more patch magnets are configured to magnetically couple the patch assembly to the skin preparation device via the magnetic material.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a distal end of the skin preparation device comprises one or more device magnets, and wherein the one or more patch magnets are configured to couple the patch assembly to the skin preparation device via the device magnets.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the patch magnets are configured not to couple the patch assembly to the skin preparation device when the patch assembly is not aligned with the skin preparation device.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the patch assembly comprises a frame that surrounds an open portion,

wherein the patch magnets are configured to couple the patch assembly to the skin preparation device when the distal end of the skin preparation device is placed near the open portion, and

wherein the distal end of the skin preparation device is configured to be inserted through the open portion.

10. The apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the patch assembly comprises a rectangular portion having long sides and short sides thereof,

wherein a distal end of the skin preparation device is rectangular having long sides and short sides thereof, and

wherein the patch magnets are configured to couple the patch assembly to the skin preparation device when the long sides of the distal end of the skin preparation device are aligned with the long sides of the rectangular portion of the patch assembly.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the patch magnets are configured not to couple the patch assembly to the skin preparation device when the long sides of the distal end of the skin preparation device are not aligned with the long sides of the rectangular portion of the patch assembly.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the one or more patch magnets comprise four magnets, and wherein each of the four magnets is coupled to a respective corner of the rectangular portion of the patch assembly.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the patch magnets are configured to couple the patch assembly to the skin preparation device when the long sides of the distal end of the skin preparation device are aligned with the long sides of the rectangular portion of the patch assembly in a first direction, and wherein the magnets are configured not to couple the patch assembly to the skin preparation device when the long sides of the distal end of the skin preparation device are aligned with the long sides of the rectangular portion of the patch assembly in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the skin preparation device is configured to be magnetically coupled to the patch assembly while the skin preparation device is applied to the skin during a skin preparation treatment.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the skin preparation device is configured to adhere the patch assembly to the skin.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the skin preparation device, by being removed from the skin subsequent to the skin preparation treatment, is configured to:

leave a first portion of the patch assembly adhered to the skin; and

remove a second portion of the patch assembly from the first portion.

17. A method for facilitating delivery of a substance through skin of a subject, comprising:

magnetically coupling a skin preparation device to a patch assembly;

adhering the patch assembly to the skin;

preparing the skin for delivery of the substance by activating the skin preparation device; and

applying to the skin a portion of the patch assembly that includes the substance.

18. The method according to claim 17,

wherein the patch assembly includes:

a first portion, comprising a frame that surrounds an open portion of the patch assembly, such that a region of the skin is exposed through the open portion when the first portion is placed on the skin; and

a second portion, comprising a pad comprising the substance,

wherein adhering the patch assembly to the skin comprises adhering the first portion to the skin, and

wherein applying the portion of the patch assembly to the skin comprises bringing the pad into contact with the skin, through the open portion.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein preparing the skin for delivery of the substance comprises ablating the skin.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein magnetically coupling the skin preparation device to the patch assembly comprises aligning a distal end of the skin preparation device with the patch assembly.

21. The method according to claim 20,

wherein the patch assembly includes a frame that surrounds an open portion,

wherein magnetically coupling the skin preparation device to the patch assembly comprises placing the distal end of the skin preparation device near the open portion, and

wherein preparing the skin for delivery of the substance comprises inserting the distal end of the skin preparation device through the frame.

22. The method according to claim 20,

wherein the patch assembly includes a rectangular portion having long sides and short sides thereof,

wherein the distal end of the skin preparation device is rectangular, having long sides and short sides thereof, and

wherein aligning the distal end of the skin preparation device with the patch assembly comprises aligning the long sides of the distal end of the skin preparation device with the long sides of the rectangular portion of the patch assembly.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein aligning the distal end of the skin preparation device with the patch assembly comprises aligning the distal end of the skin preparation device in a first direction and not in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

24. The method according to claim 17, wherein adhering the patch assembly to the skin comprises applying the skin preparation device to the skin subsequent to the coupling of the skin preparation device to the patch assembly.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising leaving a first portion of the patch assembly adhered to the skin, and removing a second portion of the patch assembly from the first portion by removing the skin preparation device from the skin.