Method and apparatus for in-vivo transdermal and/or intradermal delivery of drugs by sonoporation
First Claim
1. An apparatus for performing in-vivo sonoporation of skin area and transdermal and/or intradermal delivery of a drug solution comprising:
- an ultrasound horn having a tip submerged in said drug solution and applying ultrasound radiation to said drug solution wherein said ultrasound radiation has a frequency in the range of 15 KHz and 1 MHz and is applied at an intensity, for a period of time and at a distance from said skin area effective to generate cavitation bubbles, wherein said cavitation bubbles collapse and transfer their energy into the skin area thus causing the formation of pores in the skin area; and
wherein said ultrasound radiation intensity and distance from the skin area are also effective in generating ultrasonic jets, said ultrasonic jets driving said drug solution transdermally and said formed pores into skin area.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for performing in-vivo sonoporation of a skin area and transdermal and/or intradermal delivery of a drug solution includes a container having an end adjacent the skin area and containing the drug solution. The container further includes an ultrasound horn having a tip submerged in the drug solution for applying ultrasound radiation to the drug solution. The ultrasound radiation has a frequency in the range of 15 KHz and 1 MHz and is applied at an intensity, for a period of time and at a distance from said skin area effective to generate cavitation bubbles. The cavitation bubbles collapse and transfer their energy into the skin area, thus causing the formation of pores in the skin area. The ultrasound radiation intensity and distance from the skin area are also effective in generating ultrasonic jets, which ultrasonic jets then drive the drug solution through the end adjacent the skin area and the formed pores into the skin.
47 Citations
42 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for performing in-vivo sonoporation of skin area and transdermal and/or intradermal delivery of a drug solution comprising:
an ultrasound horn having a tip submerged in said drug solution and applying ultrasound radiation to said drug solution wherein said ultrasound radiation has a frequency in the range of 15 KHz and 1 MHz and is applied at an intensity, for a period of time and at a distance from said skin area effective to generate cavitation bubbles, wherein said cavitation bubbles collapse and transfer their energy into the skin area thus causing the formation of pores in the skin area; and
wherein said ultrasound radiation intensity and distance from the skin area are also effective in generating ultrasonic jets, said ultrasonic jets driving said drug solution transdermally and said formed pores into skin area.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
24. A method of performing in-vivo sonoporation of a skin area and transdermal and/or intradermal delivery of a drug solution comprising:
-
providing a container containing a predetermined amount of said drug solution;
submerging a tip of ultrasound horn in said drug solution through said container;
placing said container in contact with said skin area; and
applying ultrasound radiation to said drug solution wherein said ultrasound radiation has a frequency in the range of 15 KHz and 1 MHz and is applied at an intensity, for a period of time and at a distance from said skin area effective to generate cavitation bubbles, wherein said cavitation bubbles collapse and transfer their energy into the skin area thus causing the formation of pores in the skin area; and
wherein said ultrasound radiation intensity and distance from the skin area are also effective in generating ultrasonic jets, said ultrasonic jets driving said drug solution transdermally through said formed pores into the skin area. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
-
Specification