Administration of antibiotics and therapeutic agents

• US 8,747,384 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2011
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonescence, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Barry Neil Silberg
• Inventors: Silberg, Barry Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Sirmons, Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bosques, Edelmira
• Application Number:
  US13/205,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20110301528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 604/28, 604/36, 604/73, 604/500, 604/511, 604/20, 604/501, 604/21
• US Class Current: 604/501
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3211 Surgical scalpels, knives; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00889 antimicrobial, disinfectant
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/546 containing further heterocyclic rings, e.g. cephalothin
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 38/14 Peptides containing saccharide radicals; Derivatives thereof , e.g. bleomycin, phleomycin, muramylpeptides or vancomycin
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0092 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0004 Applications of ultrasound therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0017 Wound healing
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092

Abstract

Antibiotics are administered in a surgical site subcutaneously via a small or stab incision in the surgical field. Transcutaneous ultrasonic vibrations are applied across the surgical field, which is then opened in the usual manner, to thereby provide a surgical field which contains a vastly higher and more effective level of antibiotic. At the same time the underlying tissue is hydrated.

Claims

1. A method for treating a bacterial infection in a soft tissue in a patient, comprising:

identifying a soft tissue in a patient as comprising a bacterial infection;

delivering one or more antibiotics dissolved in solution to the infected tissue via subcutaneous injection, wherein the one or more antibiotics are not encapsulated in vesicles; and

broadcasting ultrasonic energy at about 2.5 to 4 W/cm² and at a frequency of 0.5 to 5 MHz transcutaneously to the soft tissue to disperse the antibiotics in the infected tissue via microstreaming by cavitation, thereby treating the infection, wherein the ultrasonic energy is broadcast for about 2 to 5 minutes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial concentration of the antibiotics in the tissue is at least 800 micrograms/ml.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the bacterial infection is a methicilin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more antibiotics is a beta lactam antibiotic.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more antibiotics is Cephazolin.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising delivering a fluid to the tissue prior to broadcasting the ultrasonic energy.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the fluid comprises an isotonic solution.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic energy is broadcast with an ultrasonic transducer.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising monitoring the temperature of the tissue.

10. A method of treating a methicilin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in a patient comprising:

identifying an infected tissue in the patient comprising MRSA;

injecting subcutaneously one or more antibiotics dissolved in solution into the infected tissue, wherein the antibiotics are not encapsulated in vesicles; and

dispersing the antibiotics in the infected tissue via microstreaming by transcutaneously applying ultrasound to the tissue at a power density of about 3 W/cm² and a frequency of 0.5 to 5 MHz, wherein the ultrasound is applied to the tissue for about 2 to 5 minutes.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the initial concentration of antibiotics in the tissue is greater than 800 micrograms/ml.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the concentration of antibiotics in the tissue is greater than the concentration that would be achieved by intravenous injection of an equivalent dose.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the antibiotics is a beta lactam antibiotic.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the antibiotics is Cephazolin.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the MRSA infection is a skin infection.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the concentration of antibiotic in the patient'"'"'s serum does not exceed 10 microgram/ml.

17. A method for administering one or more therapeutic agents to a target soft tissue in a patient, comprising:

delivering a fluid comprising one or more therapeutic agents dissolved in solution via subcutaneous injection to the target soft tissue, wherein the therapeutic agents are not encapsulated in vesicles; and

providing an energy field at about 2.5 to 4 W/cm² and at a frequency of 0.5 to 5 MHz transcutaneously to the target tissue to disperse the therapeutic agent in the target soft tissue via microstreaming by cavitation, wherein the energy field is provided to the target tissue for about 2 to 5 minutes, and wherein the concentration of therapeutic agent in a sample of the patients serum following dispersal of the therapeutic agent is 10 times less than the contemporaneous concentration in the target tissue.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more therapeutic agents comprise one or more antibiotics.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the initial concentration of antibiotic in the target tissue is greater than 800 micrograms/ml.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the energy field is an ultrasonic energy field.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the energy field is generated from an energy source selected from sound waves and electromagnetic radiation.