Dispensing device and method for forming material

• US 6,252,129 B1
• Filed: 01/21/1999
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Electrosols, Ltd. (Battelle Memorial Institute)
• Inventors: Coffee, Ronald Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Kim M.
• Application Number:
  US09/230,171
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 128/200.14, 128/200.12, 128/200.13, 128/200.19, 128/200.21, 128/200.22, 128/200.23, 602/41-59, 602/900, 239/3, 239/690, 239/691, 239/697, 239/704-709, 361/226
• US Class Current: 602/42
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/00085 having means for facilitating the application on the skin, e.g. single hand handling facilities A61F13/0259 takes precedence; bandage applicators separate from the bandage or the packaging A61F15/005
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/00995 for mechanical treatments
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/0011 spray
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00157 for burns or skin transplants A61F2013/00187 takes precedence; not adhering to the wound A61F2013/00217
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00519 for treating burn bandages for burns or skin transplants A61F2013/00157
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/0091 with disinfecting or anaesthetics means, e.g. anti-mycrobic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00914 with deodorising or perfuming means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00927 with biological activity, e.g. enzymes for debriding wounds or others, collagen or growth factors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/02 with activated or ionised fluids, e.g. electrohydrodynamic [EHD] or electrostatic devices; Ozone-inhalators with radioactive tagged particles
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/1691 Apparatus to be carried on or by a person or with a container fixed to the discharge device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/836 having biological reactive capability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/892 Liquid phase deposition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/90 having step or means utilizing mechanical or thermal property, e.g. pressure, heat
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/915 Therapeutic or pharmaceutical composition

Abstract

A dispensing device and method for forming a least partially solid or gel-like material from a liquid. At least one liquid issuing from an outlet is subjected to an electric field causing the liquid to form at least one electrically charged jet which, after formation, forms a fiber (F) or breaks up into fiber fragments (FF) or particles (D). The thus formed at least partially solid or gel-like material may be directly deposited, by virtue of the energy in the electrical field, onto a surface area, for example an area of skin enabling, for example, formation of a dressing for a wound or burn which is of high specific area and extremely absorbent. A biologically active ingredient such as a pharmaceutical ingredient or biological matter such as DNA may be incorporated into the fibers (F), fragments (FF) or particles (D). Fibrils, particles or microcapsules incorporating a biologically active ingredient may be supplied for oral or nasal administration to an animal such as a human being.

Claims

1. A method of forming composite matter, which comprises supplying a liquid to a first outlet and supplying a further liquid to a second outlet located adjacent the first outlet and subjecting the liquids to an electric field so as to form at least one jet, the liquids being such that, after formation, the jet forms a fiber which has a core formed substantially by one of the two liquids and a coating formed substantially by the other of the two liquids or breaks up into fiber fragments or particles which have a core formed substantially by one of the liquids and a coating formed substantially by the other of the two liquids.

2. A method of forming a dressing for an area of animal such as a wound, a burn or an area exposed by a surgical procedure, the method comprising the step of subjecting first and second liquids to an electric field at an outlet in the vicinity of the area to be dressed thereby causing the liquids to form at least one jet of electrically charged liquid, the first and second liquids being such that, after formation, the at least one jet forms a fiber that has a core formed substantially by one of the first and second liquids and a coating formed substantially by the other of the first and second liquids or breaks up into fiber fragments or particles which have a core formed substantially by one of the first and second liquids and a coating formed substantially by the other of the first and second liquids.

3. A method according to claim 2, which comprises repeating or continuing the deposition process to deposit a number of layers one on top of the other.

4. A method according to claim 2, which further comprises depositing a different type of material onto said surface or area.

5. A method according to claim 4, which comprises depositing the different material by electrohydrodynamically processing a different liquid to form material comprising at least one of a fiber, fiber fragments and particles.

6. A method according to claim 2, which comprises effecting relative movement between the at least one jet and the surface or area during deposition.

7. A method of forming composite matter comprising the steps of:

supplying a first liquid to a first outlet;

supplying a second liquid to a second outlet located adjacent to the first outlet;

and subjecting the first and second liquids to an electric field so as to form at least one jet, the first and second liquids being such that, after formation, the jet forms a fiber that has a core formed substantially by one of the first and second liquids and a coating formed substantially by the other of the first and second liquids or breaks up into fiber fragments or particles having a core formed substantially by one of the first and second liquids and a coating formed substantially by the other of the first and second liquids or breaks up into fiber fragments or particles having a core formed substantially by one of the first and second liquids and a coating formed substantially by the other of the first and second liquids, the liquid forming the coating being adapted to be degraded by chemical or enzymic attack to enable slow or controlled release of an active ingredient provided by the liquid forming the core as the coating is degraded.

8. A method of forming a dressing for an area of an animal such as a wound, a burn or an area exposed by a surgical procedure, the method comprising the steps of subjecting first and second liquids to an electric field at an output in a vicinity of a substrate to be applied to the area thereby causing the liquids to form at least one jet of electrically charged liquid, the first and second liquids being such that, after formation, the at least one jet forms a fiber that has a core formed substantially by one of the first and second liquids and a coating formed substantially by the other of the first and second liquids or breaks up into fiber fragments or particles that have a core formed substantially by one of the first and second liquids and a coating formed substantially by the other of the first and second liquid, so as to form a mat or web on said substrate to provide said dressing.

9. A method depositing material into a cavity or onto a concave surface, the method comprising subjecting first and second liquids to an electric field, thereby causing the liquid to form at least one jet of electrically charged liquid, the first and second liquids being such that, after formation, the at least one jet forms a fiber that has a core formed substantially by one of the first and second liquids and a coating formed substantially by the other of the first and second liquids or breaks up into fiber fragments or articles that have a core formed substantially by one of the first and second liquids and a coating formed substantially by the other of the first and second liquids.

10. A method for producing material for supply to the respiratory system of an animal, the method comprising the steps of:

supplying first and second liquids to a communition site;

generating at the communition site an electric field to cause the liquids to form at least one jet of liquid, the first and second liquids being such that, after formation, the at least one jet breaks up into electrically charged communited matter comprising fiber fragments or electrically charged at least partially solid particles each having a core formed substantially by one of the first and second liquids and a coating formed substantially by the other of the first and second liquids; and

at least partially electrically discharging the communited matter prior to the supply to the respiratory system of the animal.

11. A method according to claim 10, which further comprises supplying the at least partially electrically discharged matter to the said cavity or concave surface from a location remote from said cavity or concave surface.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the liquids comprises one or more biologically active ingredients selected from the group consisting of DNA, a peptide or polypeptide, insulin and growth factor.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the liquid is selected to form fiber fragments or particles comprising a biologically active material such as DNA coated or complexed with a liposome.

14. A method of forming at least partially solid material, comprising the steps of subjecting first and second liquids to an electric field to cause the liquids to form at least one jet of electrically charged liquid, the two liquids being such that after formation the at least one jet forms a fiber which has a core formed substantially by one of the two liquids and a coating formed substantially by the other of the two liquids or breaks up into fiber fragments or particles which have a core formed substantially by one of the liquids and a coating formed substantially by the other of the two liquids.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein at least one of the liquids comprises a biologically active ingredient.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the liquids comprises one or more biologically active ingredients selected from the group consisting of a proteolytic enzyme, a cytokine, a growth factor such as one of fibroblast growth factor, epithelial growth factor and transforming growth factor, collagen, fibrinogen, an antibiotic, an antiseptic, an antifungal, an analgesic, an antiparasitic, a bactericide, DNA or other genetic matter, cells, a peptide or polypeptide, insulin, and adjuvant, an immune suppressant or stimulant, a surface binding or surface recognizing agent such as surface protein A, a surfactant, and a vaccine.

17. A method according to claim 14, wherein one of the liquids comprises a polymer or resin.

18. A method according to claim 14, wherein one of the liquids comprises a bioresorbable or biodegradable material.

19. A method according to claim 14, wherein one of the liquids comprises animal collage or fibrinogen.

20. A method according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the liquids comprises polyvinyl alcohol, polyhydroxybutyric acid, polygklycolic acid, polyactic acid, nitrocellulose or a polysaccharide.

21. A method according to claim 14, which comprises coating a fiber, fibril or particle with another material.

22. A method according to claim 21, which comprises coating a fiber, fibril or particle with a biologically active material such as DNA, a surfactant, a surface recognition protein or a lipid.

23. A fiber, fiber fragment or capsule having a core of an active ingredient and a protective coating of, for example, a polymer, formed by electrohydrodynamic processing of at least two liquids.

24. A device for producing composite material, which device comprises a housing having an outlet, the housing containing:

a first reservoir of a first liquid;

a second reservoir of a second liquid;

a first liquid supply tube for supplying the first liquid to a first liquid supply outlet;

a second supply tube for supplying the second liquid to a second liquid outlet adjacent to the first liquid outlet; and

means for subjecting liquid issuing from the first and second liquid outlets to an electric field to cause the liquids to form at least one jet of electrically charged liquid, the liquids being such that, after formation, the at least one jet forms a fiber that has a core formed substantially by one of the first and second liquids and a coating formed substantially by the other of the first and second liquids or breaks up into fiber fragments or particles that have a core formed substantially by one of the first and second liquids and a coating formed substantially by the other of the first and second liquids.

25. A device according to claim 24, further comprising a discharger for at least partially electrically discharging the charged matter.

26. A device according to claim 25 further comprising an air or inert gas flow provider to assist supply of the at least partially electrically discharged matter.