Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
Reexamination Certificate
1995-06-07
2002-03-12
Bockelman, Mark (Department: 3762)
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
C604S020000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06355025
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to delivery of therapeutic agents through a body surface by electrotransport. More particularly, the invention relates to a method of varying the drug delivery rate from an electrotransport device utilizing a two-part electrotransport delivery device comprised of an electronic controller adapted to be coupled to, one at a time, a plurality of therapeutic agent (e.g., drug) containing units.
BACKGROUND ART
The transdermal delivery of drugs, by diffusion through the epidermis, offers improvements over more traditional delivery methods, such as subcutaneous injections and oral delivery. Transdermal drug delivery avoids the hepatic first pass effect encountered with oral drug delivery. Transdermal drug delivery also eliminates patient discomfort associated with subcutaneous injections. In addition, transdermal delivery can provide more uniform concentrations of drug in the bloodstream of the patient over time due to the extended controlled delivery profiles of certain types of transdermal delivery devices. The term “transdermal” delivery, broadly encompasses the delivery of an agent through a body surface, such as the skin, mucosa, or nails of an animal.
The skin functions as the primary barrier to the transdermal penetration of materials into the body and represents the body's major resistance to the transdermal delivery of therapeutic agents such as drugs. To date, efforts have been focussed on reducing the physical resistance or enhancing the permeability of the skin for the delivery of drug by passive diffusion. Various methods for increasing the rate of transdermal drug flux have been attempted, most notably using chemical flux enhancers.
Other approaches to increase the rates of transdermal drug delivery include use of alternative energy sources such as electrical energy and ultrasonic energy. Electrically assisted transdermal delivery is also referred to as electrotransport. The term “electrotransport” as used herein refers generally to the delivery of an agent (e.g., a drug) through a membrane, such as skin, mucous membrane, or nails. The delivery is induced or aided by application of an electrical potential. For example, a beneficial therapeutic agent may be introduced into the systemic circulation of a human body by electrotransport delivery through the skin.
A widely used electrotransport process, electromigration (also called iontophoresis), involves the electrically induced transport of charged ions. Another type of electrotransport, electroosmosis, involves the flow of a liquid, which liquid contains the agent to be delivered, under the influence of an electric field. Still another type of electrotransport process, electroporation, involves the formation of transiently-existing pores in a biological membrane by the application of an electric field. An agent can be delivered through the pores either passively (i.e., without electrical assistance) or actively (i.e., under the influence of an electric potential). However, in any given electrotransport process, more than one of these processes, including at least some “passive” diffusion, may be occurring simultaneously to a certain extent. Accordingly, the term “electrotransport”, as used herein, should be given its broadest possible interpretation so that it includes the electrically induced or enhanced transport of at least one agent, which may be charged, uncharged, or a mixture thereof, whatever the specific mechanism or mechanisms by which the agent actually is transported.
Electrotransport devices use at least two electrodes that are in electrical contact with some portion of the skin, nails, mucous membrane, or other surface of the body. One electrode, commonly called the “donor” electrode, is the electrode from which the agent is delivered into the body. The other electrode, typically termed the “counter” electrode, serves to close the electrical circuit through the body. For example, if the agent to be delivered is positively charged, i.e., a cation, then the anode is the donor electrode, while the cathode is the counter electrode which serves to complete the circuit. Alternatively, if an agent is negatively charged, i.e., an anion, the cathode is the donor electrode and the anode is the counter electrode. Additionally, both the anode and cathode may be considered donor electrodes if both anionic and cationic agent ions, or if uncharged dissolved agents, are to be delivered.
Electrotransport delivery systems additionally require at least one reservoir or source of the agent to be delivered to the body, i.e., donor reservoirs. Such donor reservoirs are electrically connected to, and positioned between, the anode or cathode and the body surface, to provide a fixed or renewable source of one or more agents or drugs. Examples of such donor reservoirs include a pouch or cavity, a porous sponge or pad, and a hydrophilic polymer or a gel, particularly a hydrogel, matrix. Hydrogels have become particularly favored for use as the drug and electrolyte reservoir matrices, in part, due to their high equilibrium water content and their ability to quickly absorb water. In addition, hydrogels tend to have good biocompatibility with the skin and with mucosal membranes.
Electrotransport devices also have an electrical power source such as one or more batteries. Typically at any one time, one pole of the power source is electrically connected to the donor electrode, while the opposite pole is electrically connected to the counter electrode. Since it has been shown that the rate of electrotransport drug delivery is approximately proportional to the electric current applied by the device, many electrotransport devices typically have an electrical controller that controls the voltage and/or current applied through the electrodes, thereby regulating the rate of drug delivery. These control circuits use a variety of electrical components to control the amplitude, polarity, timing, waveform shape, etc. of the electric current and/or voltage supplied by the power source. See, for example, McNichols et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,007.
To date, commercial transdermal electrotransport drug delivery devices (e.g., the Phoresor, sold by Iomed, Inc. of Salt Lake City, Utah; the Dupel Iontophoresis System sold by Empi, Inc. of St. Paul, Minn; the Webster Sweat Inducer, model 3600, sold by Wescor, Inc. of Logan, Utah) have generally utilized a desk-top electrical power supply unit and a pair of skin contacting electrodes. The donor electrode contains a drug solution while the counter electrode contains a solution of a biocompatible electrolyte salt. The power supply unit has electrical controls for adjusting the amount of electrical current applied through the electrodes. The “satellite” electrodes are connected to the electrical power supply unit by long (e.g., 1-2 meters) electrically conductive wires or cables. The wire connections are subject to disconnection and limit the patient's movement and mobility. Wires between electrodes and controls may also be annoying or uncomfortable to the patient. Other examples of desk-top electrical power supply units which use “satellite” electrode assemblies are disclosed in Jacobsen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,359 (see FIGS. 3 and 4); LaPrade, U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,108 (see FIG. 9); and Maurer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,081.
More recently, small self-contained electrotransport delivery devices have been proposed to be worn on the skin, sometimes unobtrusively under clothing, for extended periods of time. Such small self-contained electrotransport delivery devices are disclosed, for example, in Tapper, U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,927; Sibalis, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,928; and Haynes et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,418.
There have recently been suggestions to utilize electrotransport devices having a reusable controller which is adapted for use with multiple drug-containing units. The drug-containing units are simply disconnected from the controller when the drug becomes depleted and a fresh drug-containing unit is thereafter connected to the controller. In thi
Lattin Gary A.
Phipps J. Bradley
ALZA Corporation
Bates Owen J.
Bockelman Mark
Miller D. Byron
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