Methods and devices for thermal treatment

• US 8,690,865 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Original Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Inventors: Prausnitz, Mark R., Allen, Mark G., Park, Jung-Hwan, Yoon, Yong-Kyu, Park, Jin-Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): HUPCZEY, JR, RONALD JAMES
• Application Number:
  US11/597,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20080045879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,234 Days
• Field of Search: 606 27- 50, 606/131, 606/159, 607/96, 604 19- 20, 604/200, 604/500, 604/290, 600309-310, 600/316, 600/365, 600/573
• US Class Current: 606/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/082 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/10 Power sources therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00005 Cooling or heating of the probe or tissue immediately surrounding the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00613 Irreversible electroporation reversible electroporation A61N1/327
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14514 using means for aiding extraction of interstitial fluid, e.g. microneedles or suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 41/0047 Sonopheresis, i.e. ultrasonically-enhanced transdermal delivery, electroporation of a pharmacologically active agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0004 Osmotic delivery systems; Sustained release driven by osmosis, thermal energy or gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/7023 Transdermal patches and similar drug-containing composite devices, e.g. cataplasms galenical aspects of iontophoretic devices A61K9/0009; microneedle arrays A61K9/0021; buccal patches A61K9/006
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2037/0007 having means for enhancing the permeation of substances through the epidermis, e.g. using suction or depression, electric or magnetic fields, sound waves or chemical agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2037/0046 Solid microneedles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0015 by using microneedles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0092 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0412 Specially adapted for transcutaneous electroporation, e.g. including drug reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0476 Array electrodes (including any electrode arrangement with more than one electrode for at least one of the polarities)
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0492 Patch electrodes A61N1/0412, A61N1/0428 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/327 for enhancing the absorption properties of tissue, e.g. by electroporation

Abstract

The present invention comprises methods and devices for thermal treatment of a barrier to increase the permeability of the barrier. One form of increasing the permeability of the barrier comprises forming micropores which may be used for administration of active agents across the barrier, or may be used for sampling or collecting fluids, or may be used for detecting, measuring or determining analytes, or may be used for monitoring of physiological or other conditions. Devices of the present invention may comprise microheaters that are activated by inductive or ohmic heating power supply components.

Claims

1. A method for increasing the permeability of a barrier, comprising the steps of:

a) applying an effective amount of an ablation material to a selected site on a surface of a barrier;

b) providing a thermal treatment device including a microheater component having at least one microheater, and positioning the thermal treatment device relative to the surface of the barrier;

c) energizing the at least one microheater of the microheater component with a power supply component, wherein the power supply component is separate from the thermal treatment device and energizes the microheater component by creating a wireless magnetic field that interfaces between the power supply component and the microheater component; and

d) heating the ablation material to a temperature from greater than 100°

C. to about 200°

C. to induce a phase change in the ablation material, thereby increasing the volume of the ablation material which is effective to ablate the surface of the barrier thereby increasing the permeability of the barrier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the barrier is selected from the group consisting of human skin, animal skin and mucous membrane.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the ablation material is selected from the group consisting of liquids, gels, solutions, multiphase materials, and solids.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the geometric configuration of the microheater is selected from the group consisting of a disk, a cone, a donut, a hollow post, and a loop, all of which range from less than 1 micron to hundreds of microns in length.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the microheater is selected from the group consisting of single type metals, layers of metals, conductive oxides, conductive polymers or alloys, nickel, nickel-iron, ferromagnetic materials, copper, NiCu, PdCo, gadolinium-silicon-germanium alloy, aluminum, ceramic materials, electrodeposited or vapor-deposited gold, platinum, or palladium, outer layer coatings of nickel or nickel iron, magnetic stainless steel-type alloy, 4OO-series alloy, indium tin oxide, lanthanum strontium cobalt oxide, and aluminum doped zinc oxide.

6. A method for increasing the permeability of a barrier, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a microheater component including at least one microheater having an ablation material disposed therein;

b) energizing the microheater component with a power supply component, wherein the power supply component is separate from the microheater component and energizes the microheater component by creating a wireless magnetic field that interfaces between the power supply component and the microheater component; and

c) heating the ablation material to a temperature from greater than 100°

C. to about 200°

C. to induce a phase change in the ablation material, thereby increasing the volume of the ablation material which, in turn, ablates the surface of the barrier thereby increasing the permeability of the barrier.

7. A thermal treatment device, comprising:

a) a microheater component including at least one microheater having a thermal member including a base end and a tip end;

b) an ablation material in contact with the microheater, wherein a volume of the ablation material increases upon heating the ablation material to a temperature from greater than 100°

C. to about 200°

C. to induce a phase change within the ablation material; and

c) a power supply component which is configured to activate the at least one microheater of the microheater component, wherein the power supply component is separate from the microheater component and activates the microheater component by creating a wireless magnetic field that interfaces between the power supply component and the microheater component.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the ablation material is selected from the group consisting of liquids, gels, solutions, multiphase materials, and solids.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the ablation material contacts an open space area of the microheater.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the ablation material contacts a tip end of the microheater.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the geometric configuration of the microheater is selected from the group consisting of a disk, a cone, a donut, a hollow post, and a loop, all of which range from less than 1 micron to hundreds of microns in length.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the microheater is selected from the group consisting of single type metals, layers of metals, conductive oxides, conductive polymers or alloys, nickel, nickel-iron, ferromagnetic materials, copper, NiCu, PdCo, gadolinium-silicon-germanium alloy, aluminum, ceramic materials, electrodeposited or vapor-deposited gold, platinum, or palladium, outer layer coatings of nickel or nickel iron, magnetic stainless steel-type alloy, 400-series alloy, indium tin oxide, lanthanum strontium cobalt oxide, and aluminum doped zinc oxide.