Coating method

• US 9,220,678 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vaxxas Pty Ltd.
• Original Assignee: The University of Queensland
• Inventors: Kendall, Mark Anthony Fernance, Chen, Xianfeng, Prow, Tarl, Fernando, Germain
• Primary Examiner(s): Swartz, Rodney P
• Application Number:
  US12/810,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20110059150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,562 Days
• Field of Search: 604/93.01, 604/173, 604/272, 264/238.1, 424/9.1, 424/9.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 39/39 characterised by the immunostimulating additives, e.g. chemical adjuvants
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0021 Intradermal administration, e.g. through microneedle arrays, needleless injectors mechanical aspects A61M
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2037/0023 Drug applicators using microneedles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2037/0046 Solid microneedles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0015 by using microneedles
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/0466 the gas being a non-reacting gas B05D3/0406 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of coating a material onto projections provided on a patch. The method includes applying a coating solution containing the material to at least the projections and drying the coating solution to at least the projections using a gas flow.

Claims

1. A method of coating a material onto projections provided on a patch, wherein the method includes:

a) applying a coating solution containing the material to at least the projections; and

,

b) using a gas flow to i) distribute the applied coating solution over the projections; and

ii) dry the coating solution.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the material includes at least one of:

a) nanoparticles;

b) a nucleic acid or protein;

c) an antigen, allergen, or adjuvant;

d) parasites, bacteria, viruses, or virus-like particles;

e) quantum dots, SERS tags, Raman tags or other nanobiosensors;

f) metals or metallic compounds; and

,

g) molecules, elements or compounds.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the coating solution includes a therapeutic agent.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the therapeutic agent is at least one of:

a) DNA; and

,

b) protein.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the coating solution includes at least one of:

a) a viscosity enhancer;

b) a surfactant; and

,

c) an adjuvant.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein at least one of:

a) the viscosity enhancer is 0% to 90% of the coating solution; and

,

b) the surfactant is 0% to 90% of the coating solution.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the viscosity enhancer is at least one of methylcellulose (MC), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), gelatin, agar, and agarose.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the coating solution has a viscosity of between 10⁻

3 Pa·

S and 1 Pa·

S.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the coating solution has a viscosity of 0.01-0.06 Pa·

S.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the coating solution has a surface tension of between 0.023 N/m and 0.073 N/m.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the coating solution has a surface tension of 0.03-0.04 N/m.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the gas flow is induced at least in part by extracting gas from a container containing the patch.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the patch has a surface area of approximately 0.16 cm².

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the projections have a length of between 10 to 400 μ

m.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the projections have a length of 90 μ

m.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein the projections have a radius of curvature of greater than 1 μ

m.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the projections have a radius of curvature greater than 5 μ

m.

18. A method according to claim 1, wherein the projections include a support section and a targeting section.

19. A method according to claim 1, wherein the projections are solid.

20. A method according to claim 1, wherein the projections are non-porous and non-hollow.

21. A method according to claim 1, wherein the patch is at least one of:

a) hydrophobic; and

,

b) hydrophilic.

22. A method according to claim 1, wherein the applied coating solution is evenly distributed over the projections using the gas flow.

23. A method according to claim 1, wherein using the gas flow to distribute the applied coating solution causes the projections to be completely wetted by the coating solution.

24. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes providing the gas flow using a gas jet directed towards the patch.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the method includes using the gas jet to evenly disperse the coating solution over the projections.

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein the gas flow is provided at a gas flow rate using the gas jet, the distribution of the applied coating solution over the projections being controlled, at least in part, by selecting the gas flow rate.

27. A method according to claim 24, wherein the method includes using multiple gas jets to distribute and dry the coating solution.