Method and Apparatus for Enhancement of Transdermal Transport

• US 20130035566A1
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Published: 02/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Echo Therapeutics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Echo Therapeutics Incorporated
• Inventors: Kost, Joseph, Kellogg, Scott C., Warner, Nicholas F., Elstrom, Tuan A., Mitragotri, Samir S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,870,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/309
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/0004 Screening or testing of compounds for diagnosis of disorders, assessment of conditions, e.g. renal clearance, gastric emptying, testing for diabetes, allergy, rheuma, pancreas functions
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0092 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis

Abstract

According to the present invention, a method for enhancing transdermal transport is disclosed. The method includes the steps of increasing a permeability an area of a membrane with a permeabilizing device. The membrane may be, inter alia, biologic skin or synthetic skin. The permeabilizing device may be an ultrasound-producing device. A substance is transported into and through the area the membrane. The substance may be a drug, a vaccine, or a component of interstitial fluid.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing transdermal transport, comprising

(a) increasing the permeability of an area of skin with a skin permeabilizing device, wherein the device comprises a permeability monitoring circuit for monitoring at least one electrical parameter of the area of skin indicative of skin permeability, and wherein the device permeabilizes the skin using mechanical force;

(b) monitoring the at least one electrical parameter of the area of skin using the permeability monitoring circuit;

(c) controlling the mechanical force applied to the area of skin by the device based on the at least on electrical parameter; and

(d) transporting a substance into and through the area of skin via passive diffusion.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

applying electricity to the area of skin.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a first electrode in electrical contact with the area of skin;

providing a second electrode in electrical contact with the area of skin; and

measuring the at least one electrical parameter using the electrodes.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transporting a substance across the area of skin comprises:

extracting a body fluid from or through said area of skin;

collecting said body fluid; and

sensing the presence of said at least one analyte in said body fluid.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the substance is a drug.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the substance includes at least one component of interstitial fluid.

3-7. -7. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

14-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A method for enhancing a permeability of an area of skin for drug delivery or analyte extraction comprising:

increasing the permeability of the area of skin with a skin permeabilizing device, wherein the skin permeabilizing device comprises a permeability monitoring circuit for monitoring at least one electrical parameter of the area of skin indicative of skin permeability and wherein the skin permeabilizing device permeabilizes the skin using mechanical force;

applying electricity to the area of skin;

measuring the at least one electrical parameter of the area of skin using the permeability monitoring circuit of the skin permeabilizing device; and

controlling the mechanical force applied to the area of skin by the skin permeabilizing device based on the at least one electrical parameter.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

applying electricity to the area of skin before increasing the permeability of the area of skin with a skin permeabilizing device; and

measuring a baseline for the at least one electrical parameter.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

coupling a first electrode with the area of skin;

coupling a second electrode with the skin; and

measuring the at least one electrical parameter using the first electrode and the second electrode.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first electrode is coupled with a portion of stratum corneum of the area of skin.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the second electrode is coupled with a portion of epidermis over which the stratum corneum has been removed.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the second electrode is coupled with a portion of stratum corneum of the skin.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one of the first and second electrode is coupled through a conductive medium.

29. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

comparing the at least one electrical parameter with the baseline, and

wherein the step of controlling the skin permeabilizing device comprises discontinuing the application of the skin permeabilizing device based on the comparison.

66. The method of claim 17, wherein said application of said skin permeabilizing device is continuous.

67. The method of claim 17, wherein said application of said skin permeabilizing device is discontinuous.

70. The method of claim 67, further comprising the steps of

performing analog to digital conversion on said information on a time-variation of skin conductance;

and

filtering said digital data.

19-20. -20. (canceled)

26-28. -28. (canceled)

30-35. -35. (canceled)

36. An apparatus for enhancing permeability of an area of skin comprising:

a skin permeabilizing device configured to increase a permeability of the area of skin using mechanical force;

an electrical source operable to apply electricity to the area of skin;

a permeability monitoring circuit to monitor at least one electrical parameter of the area of skin indicative of skin permeability; and

a controller responsive to the circuit and operable to control the mechanical force applied to the area of the skin by the skin permeabilizing device based on the at least one electrical parameter of the area of skin.

47. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of impedance, conductance, capacitance, current, and voltage.

37-46. -46. (canceled)

48-65. -65. (canceled)

68-69. -69. (canceled)

71. The method of claim 158, wherein said step of processing said initial conductivity and said second conductivity to establish information on a time-variation of skin conductance comprises fitting said information into the following equation:

72-157. -157. (canceled)