Method for applying flowable hydrogels to a cornea

• US 8,961,501 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Incept LLC
• Original Assignee: Incept LLC
• Inventors: Jarrett, Peter, Bassett, Michael, Biggins, James, El Hayek, Rami
• Primary Examiner(s): Crandall, Lynsey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lukjan, Sebastian X
• Application Number:
  US12/884,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20120071865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 606/4, 424/427
• US Class Current: 606/4
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 47/34 Macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds, e.g. polyesters, polyamino acids, polysiloxanes, polyphosphazines, copolymers of polyalkylene glycol or poloxamers A61K47/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0048 Eye, e.g. artificial tears
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/06 Ointments; Bases therefor; Other semi-solid forms, e.g. creams, sticks, gels composition of ointments, creams or gels A61K47/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 27/02 Ophthalmic agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 29/00 Non-central analgesic, antipyretic or antiinflammatory agents, e.g. antirheumatic agents; Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs [NSAID]

Abstract

Materials and methods of treating an eye with a hydrogel formed on the eye. Embodiments are provided that include post-keratectomy bandages. A method of treating a patient by application of a hydrogel bandage to a cornea by providing a first hydrogel precursor in a dry form immobilized in a first deposit at a first location in a well, providing a second hydrogel precursor in a dry form immobilized in a second deposit at a second location in the well, mixing the deposits together to form a mixture, and transferring at least some of the mixture to the cornea, with the mixture forming a covalently crosslinked hydrogel on the cornea.

Claims

1. A method of treating a patient by application of a hydrogel bandage to a cornea comprising:

providing a first hydrogel precursor in a dry form immobilized in a first deposit at a first location in a well,

providing a second hydrogel precursor in a dry form immobilized in a second deposit at a second location in the well,

adding less than 1000 μ

l of aqueous solution to one or more of the deposits to thereby dissolve the first and/or the second hydrogel precursor;

mixing the deposits together to form a mixture comprising the first hydrogel precursor and the second hydrogel precursor,

introducing a delivery surface to the mixture and recovering a volume between 1 and 100 μ

l of the mixture

transferring at between 1 and 100 μ

l of the volume from the delivery surface to the cornea,

with the mixture forming a covalently crosslinked hydrogel on the cornea,

wherein said immobilization prevents the hydrogel precursor from moving from the location until such time as it is dissolved in the aqueous solution and wherein said immobilization prevents the first hydrogel precursor in the dry form and the second hydrogel precursor in the dry form from mixing together before being dissolved.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first precursor comprises a first functional group and the second precursor comprises a second functional group, with the first functional group and the second functional group reacting with each other to form covalent bonds to thereby form the covalently crosslinked hydrogel.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and/or second deposit further comprises a visualization agent that, before application to the eye, is visible without a machine aid to a user applying the solution.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrogel is fully degraded on the cornea within less than 10 days.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the mixture has a pH of between 6 and 8.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the first precursor comprises polyethylene glycol and the first functional group or the second functional group comprises a succinimidyl ester.

7. The method of claim 2 with the mixture further comprising a drug subsequently released from the hydrogel.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the covalently crosslinked hydrogel has a solids content of between 3% and 15% w/w.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the mixture further comprises a visualization agent that, before application to the eye, is visible without a machine aid to a user applying the mixture.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the mixture further comprises a drug subsequently released from the covalently crosslinked hydrogel.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the deposits are mixed using an applicator comprises a first and second end, with a mixing rod forming the first end and the delivery surface being on the second end.