Device, system, and method for targeted delivery of anti-inflammatory medicaments to a mammalian subject

• US 9,050,303 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2010
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Eckhoff, Philip A., Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Kare, Jordin T., Leuthardt, Eric C., Rivet, Dennis J., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHMIDT, EMILY LOUISE
• Application Number:
  US12/661,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20110118698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,918 Days
• Field of Search: 60/20, 60/22, 608/901, 608/911, 604/20, 604/22, 604/890.1, 604/891.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/192 having aromatic groups, e.g. sulindac, 2-aryl-propionic acids, ethacrynic acid cannabinoids A61K31/658
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/195 having an amino group
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3022 Worn on the body, e.g. as patches pressure infusion of the skin patch type A61M5/14248
• 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 2037/0023 Drug applicators using microneedles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2037/0061 Methods for using microneedles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0015 by using microneedles
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 29/00 Non-central analgesic, antipyretic or antiinflammatory agents, e.g. antirheumatic agents; Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs [NSAID]

Abstract

A device, a system, or a method is described for treating a disease or a condition of one or more joints of articulating bone in a mammalian subject. The device provides one or more medicaments to one or more joints of the mammalian subject. A device is described that includes one or more sheaths configured to contact one or more body contours in proximity to one or more joints of articulating bone of a mammalian subject; one or more sensors configured to detect one or more physiological conditions of the one or more joints; and one or more applicators supported by the one or more sheaths and configured to respond to the one or more sensors by injecting one or more medicaments to the one or more joint tissues of the mammalian subject.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

positioning a device over one or more body contours of a mammalian subject, the one or more body contours at least partially covering one or more joints of articulating bone of the mammalian subject, wherein the device includes,

one or more sheaths that contact the one or more body contours, the one or more sheaths including a tourniquet configured to selectively apply a constricting force;

one or more sensors configured to detect one or more physiological conditions of the one or more joints;

a plurality of applicators supported by the one or more sheaths, the plurality of applicators configured to respond to the one or more sensors by injecting one or more medicaments to the one or more joint tissues of the mammalian subject; and

a controller operably coupled to the one or more sensors and the plurality of applicators, the controller configured to activate the plurality of applicators in response to the one or more sensors detecting the one or more physiological conditions; and

detecting the one or more physiological conditions of the one or more joints with the one or more sensors;

responsive to the one or more sensors detecting the one or more physiological conditions,

via the controller, substantially positioning the one or more of the plurality of applicators at least near the one or more joints detected to exhibit the one or more physiological conditions

selectively causing the one or more applicators to penetrate into a portion of epidermal tissue and into one or more joint tissues of the one or more body contours near the one or more joints detected to exhibit the one or more physiological conditions using the tourniquet, and

selectively injecting the one or more analgesic medicaments from one or more of the plurality of applicators penetrated into the portion of the epidermal tissue and one or more steroids, corticosteroid, anti-inflammatories, or NSAIDS medicaments from other of the plurality of applicators penetrated into corresponding ones of the one or more joint tissues of the mammalian subject detected to exhibit the one or more physiological conditions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of applicators includes one or more high speed microjets, one or more microneedles, one or more microfine lances, one or more microfine cannulas, or one or more microprojections.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of applicators includes one or more high speed microjets.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of applicators further includes one or more microneedles, one or more microfine lances, or one or more microfine cannulas.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the high speed microjets are nanoliter-volume pulsed microjets.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sheaths includes a sleeve-shaped article of clothing or a sleeve-shaped body covering.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more sheaths includes a shirt sleeve, a pant, a leg covering, a stocking, a bandage-like-covering, a brace, a knee brace, an elbow brace, an ankle brace, a foot brace, a hand brace, or a spinal brace.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more joint tissues includes one or more of a fibrous capsule, subsynovium, synovial membrane, synovium, joint cavity, synovial fluid, articular cartilage, subchondral bone, or ligament.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more joints includes a synovial joint, cartilaginous joint, or fibrous joint.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are further configured to detect movement of the one or more body contours.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more sensors are further configured to monitor joint movement, body movement, or gait of the mammalian subject.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more sensors are further configured to monitor posture of the mammalian subject.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect tissue swelling, tissue pressure, tissue color, tissue temperature, environmental temperature, electrical property of tissue, optical property of tissue, perspiration, or presence of an analyte.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the analyte includes an inflammatory marker, antibody, or cytokine.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are further configured to determine quality of location or quality of contact placement of the one or more sheaths on the one or more body contours.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control a timed-release dosage of the one or more analgesic medicaments.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to report quantity and frequency of dosage of the analgesic one or more medicaments.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control a maximum dosage of the one or more analgesic medicaments for a time period.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to respond to the one or more sensors.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to selectively control release of the one or more analgesic medicaments at the one or more joints of the mammalian subject.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising two or more sensors are configured to detect one or more physiological conditions of the mammalian subject other than a physiological condition of the joints.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the two or more sensors are configured to detect movement of the one or more body contours.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of applicators further includes tissue permeabilization components including one or more of electronics, ultrasonics, chemical permeation enhancer, iontophoresis, microdialysis, ultrafiltration, electromagnetic, electroosmosis, sonophoresis, microdialysis, suction, electroporation, thermal poration, microporation, heating component, or laser.

24. The method of claim 2, further including providing a component for transient mechanical/electrical acceleration of the one or more medicaments from the high speed microjets.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the component for transient mechanical/electrical acceleration includes a fluid displacement actuator configured as one or more piezoelectric actuators, one or more springs, one or more solenoids, one or more magnets, one or more motors, or one or more compressed gas actuators.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the component for mechanical/electrical acceleration applies concentration gradients of the one or more medicaments in a time-dependent manner.

27. The method of claim 1, further including providing a pharmaceutical composition including the one or more analgesic medicaments in a thixotropic medium.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is implanted in the mammalian subject.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of applicators are configured to apply the one or more analgesic medicaments in concentration gradients in a time-dependent manner.