Electroactive pore

• US 7,187,969 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Valeritas, Inc. (Zealand Pharma A/S)
• Original Assignee: Biovail Laboratories Incorporated (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Willis, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kennedy; Sharon E.
• Application Number:
  US10/306,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20040006300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 604/20, 604/21, 604/500, 604/501
• US Class Current: 604/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/028 Microscale sensors, e.g. electromechanical sensors [MEMS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/30 Apparatus for iontophoresis, i.e. transfer of media in ionic state by an electromotoric force into the body, or cataphoresis

Abstract

Electroactive pores, devices including one or more electroactive pores are described, and methods of delivering therapeutic agents using one or more electroactive pores are described.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

(1) a member having a pore passing therethrough;

(2) an electroactive polymer disposed so that when the electroactive polymer has a first state of charge, a therapeutic agent has a first ability to pass through the pore, and when the electroactive polymer has a second state of charge different from the first state of charge, the therapeutic agent has a second ability to pass through the pore different from the first ability to pass through the pore; and

(3) a BETA (Biologically Active Transfer Agent) associated with the electroactive polymer.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the electroactive polymer is at least partially disposed within the pore.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the electroactive polymer is at least partially disposed outside the pore.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the BETA is associated with the electroactive polymer so that electronic charge can be transferred between the BETA and the electroactive polymer.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the BETA is associated with the electroactive polymer by an association selected from the group consisting of crosslinking, ionic bonding, covalent bonding and combinations thereof.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the BETA comprises an enzyme.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the BETA comprises glucose oxidase.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a mediator.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the mediator mediates charge transfer between the electroactive polymer and the member.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the mediator mediates charge transfer between the electroactive polymer and an analyte.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising a reservoir in fluid communication with the pore.

12. The device of claim 11, further comprising a therapeutic agent disposed within the reservoir.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the first state of charge has a smaller absolute value than the second state of charge.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the first ability of the therapeutic agent to pass through the pore is greater than the second ability of the therapeutic agent to pass through the pore.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the electroactive polymer comprises a polymer comprising a component selected from the group consisting of thiophen, derivatives of thiopen, phenylene, derivatives of phenylene, diamine, derivatives of diamine, pyrrole, derivatives of pyrrole, aniline, derivatives of aniline, and combinations thereof.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the BETA comprises glucose oxidase.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the member is a layer of a material.

18. A method of administering a therapeutic agent, comprising:

passing the therapeutic agent through a device, comprising;

(1) a layer of a material having a pore passing therethrough;

(2) an electroactive polymer disposed so that when the electroactive polymer has a first state of charge, the therapeutic agent has a first ability to pass through the pore, and when the electroactive polymer has a second state of charge different from the first state of charge, the therapeutic agent has a second ability to pass through the pore different from the first ability to pass through the pore; and

(3) a BETA (Biologically Active Tranfer Agent) associated with the electroactive polymer.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising charging the electroactive polymer.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein charging the electroactive polymer includes applying a bias current or voltage to the member.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the bias current or voltage is selected from the group consisting of a fixed, a variable bias and a cyclical current or voltage.

22. A method of administering a therapeutic agent, comprising:

charging an electroactive polymer, the electroactive polymer being disposed relative to a pore so that when the electroactive polymer has a first state of charge, the therapeutic agent has a first ability to pass through the pore, and when the electroactive polymer has a second state of charge different from the first state of charge, the therapeutic agent has a second ability to pass through the pore different from the first ability to pass through the pore; and

passing the therapeutic agent through the pore.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein charging the electroactive polymer includes applying a bias current or voltage to the member.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the bias current or voltage is selected from the group consisting of a fixed, a variable and a cyclical current or voltage.