Apparatus and method for treating and dispensing a material into tissue

• US 8,066,659 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2006
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ActiveO, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ceramatec, Inc.
• Inventors: Murphy, Kieran P., Nachlas, Jesse, Steppan, James, Meaders, Thomas A., Joshi, Ashok V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sirmons; Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): OSINSKI, BRADLEY JAMES
• Application Number:
  US11/616,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20070154363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,799 Days
• Field of Search: 604/25, 604/181, 604/183, 604/184, 604/226, 422/120, 422/186.04, 422/186.07, 422/186.12
• US Class Current: 604/25
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3478 Endoscopic needles, e.g. for infusion biopsy needles A61B10/0233; catheters with injection needles A61M25/0067
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00261 Discectomy
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 13/02 Preparation of oxygen by liquefying F25J
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 13/10 Preparation of ozone

Abstract

An apparatus for administering a therapeutic is provided. In various embodiments, the apparatus includes a syringe having a barrel and a plunger and having a material treatment module associated therewith. The material treatment module may be an ozone generator that is initiated such that material containing ozone accumulates within the barrel. The material can then be delivered from the barrel into a target site via a needle, thereby delivering therapeutic effects to that target site.

Claims

1. A handheld dispensing apparatus comprising:

a plunger;

a barrel configured to receive and movably engage the plunger, the plunger and the barrel defining a chamber for retaining a precursor material;

a material treatment module in material communication with the chamber configured to treat said precursor material to create a treated material, wherein the material treatment module is positioned within the plunger;

a power source in electrical communication with the material treatment module; and

an outlet in material communication with said chamber for releasing the treated material.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the precursor material comprises one of the group consisting of air, oxygen, water, salt solution, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, chlorine, bromine, fluorine, iodine, and combinations thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the treated material comprises one of the group consisting of:

ozone, oxygen, oxygen radicals, oxygen treated with energy, hydroxyl radicals, ionic oxygen, nitric oxide, chlorine, fluorine, chlorine dioxide, nitrogen, helium, iodine, carbon dioxide, bromine, bromine dioxide, and combinations thereof.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the treated material comprises precursor material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chamber is less than about 150 cubic centimeters.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the chamber is greater than about 0.1 cubic centimeters.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a switch for controlling the delivery of power by the power source.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the material treatment module comprises an electrochemical cell comprising an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte, at least a portion of said electrolyte positioned between the anode and the cathode.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the power source provides voltage across the anode and the cathode.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the material treatment module is a corona cell comprising a dielectric material positioned between a pair of electrodes, the electrodes in electrical communication with the power source.

11. The apparatus of claim of 1, wherein the material treatment module comprises an ozone generator.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a battery.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller in communication with the power source for controlling the amount of material treated by the material treatment module.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is a timing circuit for controlling the length of time the material treatment module is permitted to treat material.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display to indicate a status of the material treatment module.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a needle in material communication with the outlet.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a valve for controlling the movement of material between the chamber and the needle.

18. A handheld dispensing apparatus comprising:

a barrel;

a plunger comprising a plunger housing, the plunger movably attached to the barrel, the plunger and the barrel defining a chamber for retaining a material;

an ozone generator in communication with the chamber for interacting with the material to generate a mixture comprising ozone;

a controller positioned within the plunger housing for controlling the amount of ozone generated by the ozone generator;

a power source positioned within the plunger in operable communication with the controller and the ozone generator;

a switch for controlling the power delivered by the power source; and

an outlet in material communication with the chamber, the outlet configured to receive a needle, the outlet comprising a valve for releasing the ozone mixture into the needle.

19. A handheld dispensing apparatus comprising:

a plunger;

a barrel configured to receive and movably engage the plunger, the plunger and the barrel defining a chamber for retaining a precursor material;

a material treatment module in material communication with the chamber configured to treat said precursor material to create a treated material, wherein the material treatment module is positioned within the barrel;

a power source in electrical communication with the material treatment module; and

an outlet in material communication with said chamber for releasing the treated material.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the precursor material comprises one of the group consisting of air, oxygen, water, salt solution, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, chlorine, bromine, fluorine, iodine, and combinations thereof.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the treated material comprises one of the group consisting of:

ozone, oxygen, oxygen radicals, oxygen treated with energy, hydroxyl radicals, ionic oxygen, nitric oxide, chlorine, fluorine, chlorine dioxide, nitrogen, helium, iodine, carbon dioxide, bromine, bromine dioxide, and combinations thereof.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the treated material comprises precursor material.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the chamber is less than about 150 cubic centimeters.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the chamber is greater than about 0.1 cubic centimeters.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a switch for controlling the delivery of power by the power source.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the material treatment module comprises an electrochemical cell comprising an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte, at least a portion of said electrolyte positioned between the anode and the cathode.

27. The apparatus of claim of 19, wherein the material treatment module comprises an ozone generator.

28. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the power source provides voltage across the anode and the cathode.

29. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the power source comprises a battery.

30. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the material treatment module is a corona cell comprising a dielectric material positioned between a pair of electrodes, the electrodes in electrical communication with the power source.

31. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a controller in communication with the power source for controlling the amount of material treated by the material treatment module.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the controller is a timing circuit for controlling the length of time the material treatment module is permitted to treat material.

33. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a display to indicate a status of the material treatment module.

34. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a needle in material communication with the outlet.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising a valve for controlling the movement of material between the chamber and the needle.

36. A handheld dispensing apparatus comprising:

a plunger;

a barrel configured to receive and movably engage the plunger, the plunger and the barrel defining a chamber for retaining a precursor material;

a material treatment module in material communication with the chamber configured to treat said precursor material to create a treated material, wherein the material treatment module is positioned within the plunger, and wherein the material treatment module comprises an ozone generator; and

an outlet in material communication with said chamber for releasing the treated material.

37. A handheld dispensing apparatus comprising:

a plunger;

a barrel configured to receive and movably engage the plunger, the plunger and the barrel defining a chamber for retaining a precursor material;

a material treatment module in material communication with the chamber configured to treat said precursor material to create a treated material, wherein the material treatment module is positioned within the barrel, and wherein the material treatment module further comprises an electrochemical cell comprising an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte, at least a portion of said electrolyte positioned between the anode and the cathode; and

an outlet in material communication with said chamber for releasing the treated material.

38. A handheld dispensing apparatus comprising:

a plunger;

a barrel configured to receive and movably engage the plunger, the plunger and the barrel defining a chamber for retaining a precursor material;

a material treatment module in material communication with the chamber configured to treat said precursor material to create a treated material, wherein the material treatment module is positioned within the barrel, and wherein the material treatment module comprises an ozone generator;

an outlet in material communication with said chamber for releasing the treated material.