Handheld transdermal drug delivery and analyte extraction

• US 8,337,493 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2011
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Syneron Medical Limited (Syneron Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Syneron Medical Limited (Syneron Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sohn, Ze'ev
• Primary Examiner(s): Stigell, Theodore
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLICK, JASON E
• Application Number:
  US13/013,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20110178518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 606/41
• US Class Current: 606/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00208 actively driven, e.g. by a motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 using more than two electrodes on a single probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1861 with an instrument inserted into a body lumen or cavity, e.g. a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/00 Other apparatus for introducing media into the body for reproduction or fertilisation A61B17/425; apparatus for iontophoresis or cataphoresis A61N1/30; Percutany, i.e. introducing medicines into the body by diffusion through the skin salt baths A61H33/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0424 Shape of the electrode
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/044 Shape of the electrode
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0476 Array electrodes (including any electrode arrangement with more than one electrode for at least one of the polarities)
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/306 Arrangements where at least part of the apparatus is introduced into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/327 for enhancing the absorption properties of tissue, e.g. by electroporation

Abstract

Apparatus (20) for application to skin of a subject is provided. The apparatus includes a board (30) having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface including a plurality of ablation electrodes (41), which are adapted to be applied to the skin, and the second surface including one or more contact pads (32), each one of the contact pads electrically coupled to at least one of the ablation electrodes. The apparatus further includes one or more driving electrodes (28). An energy applicator (e.g., motor 22), coupled to the driving electrodes, is adapted to pass the driving electrodes over the contact pads. A power source (e.g., power unit 102) is adapted to drive a current from the driving electrodes, to the contact pads, and to the ablation electrodes. The current is capable of ablating at least a portion of stratum corneum of the skin in a vicinity of the ablation electrodes, so as to facilitate transdermal transport of a substance.

Claims

1. Apparatus for ablating stratum corneum, comprising:

a housing;

a set of two or more wires coupled to and supported by the housing so as not to touch each other, each wire having

two ends, each end defining an electrode; and

an intermediate portion coupled to a coupling element; and

wherein each of the wires is bent so that both electrodes of one wire together with the electrodes of at least the other wire substantially form a plane; and

wherein the electrodes are configured to function as electrodes for ablating stratum corneum of skin of a subject when applied to the skin.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each wire has a shape generally like a parabola.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each wire is adapted to be supported by the housing by passing through the housing, and wherein a portion of each wire that passes through the housing is shaped so as to define an angular bend within the housing.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the electrodes is configured to have a contact area with the skin characterized by a diameter of 10-150 microns.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each of the electrodes is configured to have a contact area with the skin characterized by a diameter of 60-100 microns.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit configured to ablate the stratum corneum by driving a current into the stratum corneum via the electrodes.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is configured to detect electrical impedance of the stratum corneum, and to terminate driving the current in response thereto.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is configured to ablate the stratum corneum by driving the current for a fixed length of time, determined in advance to be sufficient to achieve a desired degree of ablation of the stratum corneum.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is configured to ablate the stratum corneum by driving a current into the stratum corneum via the electrodes, the current having a frequency of between 10 kHz and 4000 kHz.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to ablate the stratum corneum by driving a current into the stratum corneum via the electrodes, the current having a frequency of between 50 kHz and 500 kHz.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of the electrodes in each set is double the number of the wires in the set.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate portion and the coupling element are also electrically coupled.