Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N1/00—Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor
  • A61N1/18—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes
  • A61N1/20—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes continuous direct currents
  • A61N1/30—Apparatus for iontophoresis, i.e. transfer of media in ionic state by an electromotoric force into the body, or cataphoresis
  • A61N1/303—Constructional details

Definitions

• the present invention generally relates to iontophoretic systems for delivering drugs or medicines to patients transdermally, i.e., through the skin, and more specifically relates to an iontophoretic drug delivery system including a disposable drug-filled patch, and a removable, reusable controller.
• Transdermal drug delivery systems have, in recent years, become an increasingly important means of administering drugs. Such systems offer advantages clearly not achievable by other modes of administration such as avoiding introduction of the drug through the gastro-intestinal tract or punctures in the skin to name a few.
• Passive systems deliver drug through the skin of the user unaided, an example of which would involve the application of a topical anesthetic to provide localized relief, as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,814,095 (Lubens) .
• Active systems deliver drug through the skin of the user using, for example, iontophoresis, which according to Stedman's Medical Dictionary, is defined as "the introduction into the tissues, by means of an electric current, of the ions of a chosen medicament.”
• Conventional iontophoretic devices such as those described in U.S. Patent Nos.
• a iontophoretic drug delivery system particularly suited for single use and/or disposable use, while providing sufficient energy, and which is particularly suited for application to the body, while providing direct contact even during prolonged use can be constructed in accordance with the present invention.
• the controller for the system of the present invention can be reused to further reduce costs.
• the iontophoretic drug delivery system of the present invention for delivering at least one active agent to an applied area of a patient, such as the skin, mucous membrane and the like, includes housing means for containing first power means for supplying a high rate of current and sufficient energy to drive the active agent into the patient, electrode assembly means including at least two electrodes for driving the at least one active agent into the applied area of the patient along electrical field lines generated by the electrical current, a first rpservoir situated in electrical communication with a first one of the electrodes and the first reservoir containing the at least one active agent to be delivered to the applied area of the patient, and a second reservoir situated in electrical communication with a second one of the electrodes and the second reservoir, and controller means being removably engageable with the housing means for controlling and monitoring the electrical energy delivered during operation so that the at least one active agent is delivered to the applied area of the patient proximate the first reservoir, whereby upon delivery of the active agent, the controller means and the housing means may be disengaged for reuse of the controller and for disposal of
• the controller means includes a second power means having a high current density for powering the controller means.
• the at least one active agent includes a local anesthetic and a vasoconstrictor, with the local anesthetic being Lidocaine and the vasoconstrictor being Epinephrine.
• the controller means further includes timing means for controlling the amount of electrical current delivered and the first power means is selected from the group including silver oxide batteries, alkaline batteries, zinc air batteries and the like, and the second power means is selected from the group including lithium batteries and the like.
• the iontophoretic drug delivery system for delivering at least one active agent to an applied area of a patient includes a single use patch including first power means for supplying a high rate of current and sufficient energy to drive the medicament into the patient, electrode assembly means situated within the disposable patch including at least two electrodes for driving the at least one active agent into the applied area of the patient along electrical field lines generated by the electrical current, a first reservoir situated in electrical communication with a first one of the electrodes and the first reservoir containing the at least one active agent to be delivered to the applied area of the patient, a second reservoir situated in electrical communication with a second one of the electrodes and the second reservoir, and reusable controller means being removably engageable with the patch and including a second power means having a high current density for powering the controller means to provide sufficient energy for controlling and monitoring the electrical energy delivered during operation so that the at least one active agent is delivered to the applied area of the patient proximate the first reservoir, whereby upon delivery of the
• the iontophoretic drug delivery system for delivering at least one active agent to an applied area of a patient includes housing means having two or more electrically interconnected pods for containing electrode assembly means including at least two electrodes for driving the at least one active agent into the applied area of the patient along electrical field lines generated by the electrical current, a first reservoir situated in electrical communication with a first one of the electrodes and the first reservoir containing the at least one active agent to be delivered to the applied area of the patient, and a second reservoir situated in electrical communication with a second one of the electrodes and the second reservoir, with at least one of the pods for containing power means for supplying sufficient energy to drive the medicament into the patient, and controller means contained in one of the pods for controlling and monitoring the electrical energy delivered during operation so that the at least one active agent is delivered to the applied area of the patient proximate the first reservoir, whereby the housing conforms to the contours of the applied area.
• electrode assembly means including at least two electrodes for driving the at least one active agent into the applied area of the patient along electrical field
• the pods are interconnected by a flexible web.
• the housing means includes an upper portion, a lower portion and an intermediate portion, with the intermediate portion including at least one tab for electrical interconnection with the power means.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of the iontophoretic system of the present invention
• Figure 2 is a plan view of the iontophoretic system illustrated in Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a partly exploded view of the iontophoretic system illustrated in Figure 1 showing connection/disconnection of the controller;
• Figure 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the iontophoretic system of the present invention.
• Figure 5 is an exploded view of the iontophoretic system illustrated in Figure 1;
• Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the iontophoretic system illustrated in Figure 1 taken along lines 6-6; and
• Figure 7 is a partly exploded view of an alternative embodiment of the iontophoretic system of the present invention utilizing a reusable controller.
• the iontophoretic drug delivery system of the present invention is illustrated in Figures 1-7, with the device generally designated 10.
• the device 10 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 12, a controller 14 having an electronic array 15 ( Figure 5) , a controller power source 16, a drug delivery power source 18 electrically connected to an electrode assembly 20 having two or more electrodes for establishing an electric field between the electrodes for use in delivering at least one active agent iontophoretically to an applied area of the patient.
• the electrodes may be combined in the electrode assembly 20 or separately provided as is well known in the art.
• the housing 12 may include a drug filled patch 22, by integrally forming the two.
• the housing 12 includes at least two pods, and preferably three pods 24, 26, 28 as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, with the electrode assembly 20 divided or otherwise separated into two portions, the first portion 30 includes an electrode 32 and a reservoir 34, with the reservoir 34 being situated adjacent to and in electrical communication with the electrode 32.
• the second portion 36 also includes an electrode 38 and a reservoir 40, with the reservoir 40 being situated adjacent to and in electrical communication with the electrode 38.
• the pod 24 includes the drug delivery power source 18, such as, for example, a silver oxide, alkaline or zinc air battery, connected in a circuit with electrodes 32 and 38.
• the other pod 28, removably contains the controller 14 and the controller power source 16, such as, for example a small lithium battery.
• the lithium battery 16 has a long shelf life and has a high current density but it is not necessarily capable of high current discharge.
• the patch is only used once, i.e., to apply a "single shot," the need for a lithium battery to supply the drug delivering current is eliminated, with a resulting reduction in cost.
• the housing 12 since the silver oxide, alkaline or zinc air battery is provided in the housing 12, the housing 12, along with the patch, can be disposed of after a single use. While, the controller 14 can be disengaged or otherwise disconnected from the housing, as illustrated in Figure 3, and reused, along with the corresponding lithium battery.
• the controller 14 and the battery 16 are connected in a circuit, with the controller 14 preferably including an electronic array, such as for example, a microprocessor, a dc/dc converter to increase the battery supply to approximately 30 volts, a current regulator which is controlled by the microprocessor and a timer for monitoring the period of time the electrical current flows in a particular direction and/or the amount of current applied.
• an electronic array such as for example, a microprocessor, a dc/dc converter to increase the battery supply to approximately 30 volts, a current regulator which is controlled by the microprocessor and a timer for monitoring the period of time the electrical current flows in a particular direction and/or the amount of current applied.
• current flowing through the reservoirs 34, 40 and the applied area can be controlled with a compliance voltage sufficient to account for variations in skin impedance and losses within the reservoirs.
• the pod 28 houses the controller and includes the electronic array 15 as well as the power source 16 connected in a circuit with electrodes 32 and 38.
• the particular electrode assembly and the electronic array are not essential to the present invention and may include, for example, those disclosed in co-pending U.S. Application S.N. 08/129,887, filed September 30, 1993, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
• the controller 14 includes means for controlling the level of current to be applied over time and also for varying the current.
• the device 10 can be utilized, for example, to vary the current I, during time period T.,, current I 2 during time period T 2 , current l 3 during time period T 3 , current I 4 during time period T 4 , and current I 5 during time period T 5 and additional currents and time intervals as needed.
• the controller may be adapted to include means for controlling the voltage V or the power I-V as well.
• the device can be situated on the area of the patient to which the active agent is to be applied (the applied area) such as the skin and a voltage impressed across the electrodes 32 or 34 of the electrode assembly 20 to cause electrical current to flow through the skin of the patient to drive or otherwise transport the ionic active agent into the skin and the tissue to be absorbed by the body of the patient.
• the electric field lines are sufficiently long, however, so that the active agent is transported to the desired depth within the skin, and possibly to the vasculature, to provide the desired effect, e.g., anesthetic, therapeutic or diagnostic.
• the device of the present invention can be applied to other areas of the body such as mucous membranes depending upon the desired therapy and drugs to be delivered.
• FIG. 4 An alternative embodiment of the system 50 is illustrated in Figure 4 showing two pods 52 and 54, with the power source 56 being contained with pod 52 and the controller 58 being interconnectable with pod 54.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
• Radiology & Medical Imaging (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Electrotherapy Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

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• 1995
  • 1995-09-29 JP JP51210596A patent/JP2001520527A/ja active Pending
  • 1995-09-29 AU AU38254/95A patent/AU3825495A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1995-09-29 WO PCT/US1995/012634 patent/WO1996010441A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1995-09-29 CA CA 2201378 patent/CA2201378A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1995-09-29 EP EP95936232A patent/EP0783345A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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