KR102198944B1 - Intratympanic drug delivery device and intratympanic drug delivery method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention has a curved shape on one side, a container capable of storing drugs, a tube part connected to the one side of the container, a tube part capable of transferring the drug to a round window, and an end of the tube part And, it provides a drug supply device in the tympanic chamber having a canopy portion that is seated in the cochlea to cover at least a portion of the garden window.

Description

Intratympanic drug delivery device and intratympanic drug delivery method using the same.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a drug supply device in the tympanic cavity and a method for supplying drugs in the tympanic cavity using the same, and more particularly, a drug supply device in the tympanic cavity capable of repeatedly and easily supplying drugs into the tympanic cavity, and drug supply in the tympanic cavity using the same It's about how.

Recently, the number of people with hearing loss is increasing.

There are two main causes of such hearing loss, one of which is damage to the inner ear due to chronic noise. As the industry advances, modern people are more likely to be exposed to environments that emit noise, such as vehicles, airplanes, TVs, radios, and vacuum cleaners. In this way, repeated exposure to noise for a long period of time may cause damage to the auditory organ, especially the inner ear.

Another cause is an increase in the elderly population. In general, due to aging, the auditory organs, like other body organs, become old. Therefore, as the average life span increases and the elderly population increases, the number of patients with hearing loss naturally increases.

Various treatments have been developed for the treatment of such patients with hearing loss, among which hearing aids and cochlear implants are widely used.

However, in the case of wearing a hearing aid, there is a disadvantage that it does not have a great effect on patients with a high degree of hearing loss with a degree of hearing loss of 70 to 90 dB or a patient with a deep hearing loss of 90 dB or more. In addition, in the case of cochlear implantation, since electrodes are inserted into the cochlea (cochlea) by drilling a round window, there is a disadvantage in that there is a high risk of hearing loss during this insertion process.

Therefore, in addition to the above treatments, drug treatments in which drugs are injected into the cochlea are in the spotlight. At this time, a process of perforating the eardrum in order to supply drugs to the round window is involved.

However, in the case of repeating the operation of perforating the eardrum each time a drug is injected, anesthesia must be preceded, which is very cumbersome, and side effects such as trauma may occur in the patient during the process of perforating the eardrum. .

In addition, when a drug is supplied by penetrating a microwick through the eardrum, there is a concern that infection may occur through the microwick.

The present invention is to solve a number of problems including the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an intratympanic drug supply device capable of repeatedly and easily supplying drugs into the tympanic cavity, and a method of supplying drugs in the tympanic cavity using the same. However, these problems are exemplary, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereby.

According to one aspect of the present invention, one surface has a curved shape, a container capable of storing drugs, a tube part connected to the one side of the container, and a tube part capable of transferring the drug to a round window, and the tube part A drug supply device in the tympanic chamber is provided, which is coupled to an end portion and has a canopy portion that is seated on the cochlea and covers at least a portion of the round window.

An injection unit disposed on the outer ear side and injecting a drug into the container may be further provided.

The injection part may have a funnel shape.

The canopy portion may be unfolded to cover the garden window when the tube portion is inserted into the tympanic chamber.

The canopy portion may be radially spread around the tube portion.

An adhesive member may be coupled to an edge mounted on the cochlea of the canopy part.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a drug supply device in the tympanic chamber having a container having a curved shape on one side, a tube part connected to the one side of the container, and a canopy part coupled to an end of the tube part is provided in an outer canal. Inserting into the inside, passing the tube through the perforated hole of the eardrum, contacting the one surface of the container with the eardrum, and transferring the drug stored in the container to a round window through the tube part. Including, the step of contacting the tympanic membrane, when the tube portion is inserted into the tympanic cavity, the canopy portion is seated in the cochlea and unfolded to cover at least a portion of the garden window, there is provided a drug supply method in the tympanic cavity.

The step of transferring to the round window may include injecting a drug into the container through an injection unit disposed on the outer ear side.

Contacting the eardrum may include perforating the eardrum using a catheter inserted into the tube part.

The step of contacting the eardrum includes the step of moving the catheter to guide the end of the tube portion toward the round window, and the step of guiding the round window side may be performed after the step of puncturing the eardrum.

The injection part may have a funnel shape.

The step of spreading so as to cover at least a portion of the garden window may be a step of radially spreading the canopy part around the tube part.

It may further include the step of coupling an adhesive member to the edge of the canopy seated on the cochlea.

According to an embodiment of the present invention made as described above, it is possible to reduce the risk of damage to the auditory organ that may occur during the process of administering a drug into the tympanic cavity.

In addition, it is possible to repeatedly supply the drug into the tympanic cavity without perforating the tympanic membrane each time, and it is possible to minimize the trauma that the patient may experience when the eardrum is punctured.

It can also reduce the likelihood of infection.

Of course, the scope of the present invention is not limited by these effects.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing a drug supply device in the tympanic chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a state in which a drug is supplied using the drug supply device in the tympanic chamber of FIG. 1.
3 to 6 are cross-sectional views sequentially illustrating a process of supplying a drug into the tympanic cavity by installing the drug supply device in the tympanic cavity of FIG. 1 in the ear.

Since the present invention can apply various transformations and have various embodiments, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings, and will be described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific embodiment, it should be understood to include all conversions, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. In describing the present invention, when it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may obscure the subject matter of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Terms such as first and second used in the present specification may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by terms. The terms are only used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, and in the description with reference to the drawings, substantially identical or corresponding components are given the same reference numbers, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. do. In the drawings, the thicknesses are enlarged to clearly express various layers and regions. In addition, in the drawings, the thicknesses of some layers and regions are exaggerated for convenience of description.

1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a drug supply device in the tympanic cavity according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a state of supplying a drug using the drug supply device in the tympanic cavity of FIG. 1 .

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an intratympanic drug supply device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a container 100, a tube part 200, and a canopy part 300.

The container 100 is a member that is seated on the inner surface of the eardrum, and has a first surface S1 that is positioned on the eardrum when installed in the ear, and a second surface S2 that is an opposite surface of the first surface S1. At this time, the first surface S1 is formed in a curved shape so as to be easily in close contact with the inner surface of the eardrum.

In the container 100, a drug (D) may be stored, and the drug (D) may be a steroid, gentamicin, etc., and other drugs that can be administered to patients with sudden hearing loss, Meniere, etc. Can be stored within.

The container 100 may be formed of a flexible material to facilitate insertion into the ear, has chemical resistance to the drug (D), and needs to be formed of a material harmless to the human body.

The tube part 200 is connected to the first surface S1 of the container 100. The tube part 200 is a member for transferring the drug D stored in the container 100 to a target location in the tympanic chamber, and the drug D transferred in the longitudinal direction of the tube part 200 is the tube part 200 ) Is discharged toward the target position through the open tip 200t located at the end of the ).

The target position may be a round ear, and accordingly, the tube part 200 has a length corresponding to a distance from the eardrum to the round window.

Of course, the target position may be an auditory organ other than the round window, and the length of the tube part 200 varies depending on where the target position is. In addition, the width of the tube part 200 is also changed according to the amount of drug administration and the rate of administration to the target location.

The canopy part 300 is coupled to the tip 200t side of the tube part 200. The canopy part 300 is disposed to cover at least a part of the garden window when installed in the ear, and at this time, the canopy part 300 is seated in the cochlea around the garden window to support the drug supply device 1 in the tympanic cavity. Accordingly, the drug D discharged through the tip 200t of the tube part 200 can be stably supplied to the round window.

The canopy part 300 may be folded as shown in FIG. 1 and then unfolded as shown in FIG. 2. That is, in the middle of the canopy part 300 being inserted into the tympanic chamber, it is folded as shown in FIG. 1 to facilitate insertion, and when the tip 200t of the tube part 200 reaches the cochlea side, FIG. As shown, the canopy part 300 is unfolded and seated in the cochlea.

At this time, the canopy part 300 is folded and the unfolding process can be performed in various ways. After the canopy part 300 is temporarily folded and inserted into the tympanic chamber, the folding is mechanically or electrically released and unfolded. I can.

In one embodiment, the canopy portion 300 may be radially unfolded around the tube portion 200, and thereby may be stably seated around a round window having a round shape. At this time, an adhesive member may be coupled to the edge of the canopy part 300 so that the canopy part 300 can be stably seated. The adhesive member may be, for example, an adhesive tape, or may be applied with an adhesive.

As described above, the canopy unit 300 may be folded and unfolded, but is not limited thereto, and the volume of the canopy unit 300 may be expanded through separate air injection. In addition, a rib extending from the center to the edge of the canopy part 300 may be provided in the canopy part 300 to facilitate folding and unfolding of the canopy part 300 like an umbrella.

On the other hand, since the distance from the eardrum to the garden window is different for each patient, the canopy part 300 can be seated on the cochlea by adjusting the degree to which the canopy part 300 is spread. To this end, a method of subdividing the step of unfolding the canopy part 300 into several steps, or adjusting the amount of air injected into the canopy part 300 may be employed.

Hereinafter, a process of installing the above-described intratympanic drug supply device 1 in the ear will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6.

3 to 6 are cross-sectional views sequentially illustrating a process of supplying a drug into the tympanic cavity by installing the drug supply device in the tympanic cavity of FIG. 1 in the ear.

First, a step of inserting a drug supply device in the tympanic cavity including the container 100, the tube part 200, and the canopy part 300 into the ear canal 9 is performed.

At this time, the size and shape of the container 100 may be manufactured in an appropriate size and shape to be inserted into the external ear canal 9, and the material of the container 100 may also be formed flexibly for ease of insertion.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3, the tube part 200 is passed through the hole H formed in the eardrum 10. Therefore, the operation of perforating the eardrum 10 so that the tube portion 200 can penetrate the eardrum 10 and be inserted into the tympanic chamber 10C must be accompanied. Since the perforation of the eardrum 10 is a highly difficult operation performed after anesthetizing the patient, it is desirable to reduce the number of operations as much as possible.

In an embodiment, a catheter CA may be inserted into the tube part 200 and used for perforating the eardrum 10.

Specifically, a hole H is formed in the eardrum 10 by pressing the catheter CA inserted into the tube part 200. The tip CAt of the catheter CA may be sharply formed so that such perforation can be easily performed.

In this step, the catheter (CA) and the tube part 200 pass through the hole (H) drilled together, and at this time, the tube part 200 is a tube so that it can easily pass through the hole (H) of the eardrum (10). The canopy part 300 coupled to the end of the part 200 is in a folded or closed state.

Of course, in addition to using the catheter CA as described above, the eardrum 10 may be perforated by various methods. For example, instead of using a catheter (CA), the eardrum 10 may be punctured in advance before installing the intratympanic drug supply device in the ear.

Afterwards, as shown in FIG. 4, while the catheter CA is inserted into the tube part 200, the catheter CA is moved toward the round window RW, while one surface of the container 100 is brought into contact with the eardrum. Go through the steps. In this step, as the tube portion 200 moves together with the catheter CA, the end of the tube portion 200 may be guided toward the round window RW.

At this time, since the container 100 is preferably in close contact with the eardrum 10 for stable support of the drug supply device in the tympanic cavity, the first surface of the container 100 facing the eardrum 10 has a curved shape. In addition, the container 100 may be fixed by contacting the bottom surface of the ear canal 9 so that the container 100 does not deviate from the eardrum 10 due to external impact or the like. For this purpose, it is preferable to form a hole H passing through the tube part 200 on the lower side of the eardrum 10.

In addition, in this step, when the tip of the tube portion 200 reaches the round window RW, the canopy portion 300 coupled to the end of the tube portion 200 covers at least a portion of the round window RW. As it unfolds, it lands in the cochlea.

As the canopy part 300 is seated in the cochlea in this way, the canopy part 300 also plays a role of helping the stable support of the drug supply device in the tympanic chamber. At this time, the canopy part 300 may be radially spread around the tube part 200 so that the canopy part 300 can be stably seated around the rounded garden window. In addition, in order to increase the seating effect, an adhesive member may be attached to the edge of the canopy unit 300 by attaching an adhesive tape or applying an adhesive.

On the other hand, the canopy part 300 is folded and unfolded may be performed in various ways.

Specifically, the canopy portion 300 may be relatively weakly coupled to the tube portion 200 and then expand or expand as the coupling is released after passing through the perforated hole H of the eardrum 10. Such a method of releasing the coupling may be that the coupling force is weakened due to vibration when passing through the hole (H), and the coupling is released by pressing a button provided on the canopy part 300 or the tube part 200 as in an umbrella. May be.

In another embodiment, a micro sensor is provided in the canopy unit 300 or the tube unit 200 to generate a control signal so that the canopy unit 300 expands or expands when it is close to the garden window RW. .

After the canopy part 300 is seated in the cochlea as described above, the catheter CA may be pulled out of the ear canal 9 and removed.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5, a step of injecting a drug into the container 100 by connecting the injection unit 90 to the container 100 may be performed.

That is, by connecting the injection unit 90 to the second surface of the container 100 facing the outer ear OE, the drug may be injected into the container 100. Accordingly, the injection unit 90 may be disposed to extend from the container 100 to the outside of the outer ear OE.

The injection unit 90 may be manufactured in various forms, and in one embodiment, the injection unit 90 may have a funnel shape open to the outside. Therefore, the outer ear (OE) side end of the injection unit 90 is wider than the middle ear (ME) side end of the injection unit 90, so that the drug in the drug container DT can be easily introduced to the container 100. have.

Meanwhile, the injection unit 90 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 5, and in another embodiment, the injection unit 90 may be a syringe. In this case, the needle of the injection unit 90 may be inserted into the second surface of the container 100 to inject the drug into the container 100.

However, the step of injecting a drug using the injection unit 90 is only an example, and an amount of a drug that can be administered for a long time may be stored in the container 100 from the time the drug supply device is inserted in the tympanic chamber. In this case, the step shown in FIG. 5 may be omitted.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6, the drug stored in the container 100 is transferred to the round window RW through the tube part 200.

At this time, the tube part 200 may be connected to the lower part of the container 100 in correspondence with the position of the round window RW so that the drug can be quickly administered to the inner ear IE through a flow path as short as possible. At this time, in order to easily transfer the drug to the round window RW side, the tube part 200 may be disposed inclined in the direction of gravity in the tympanic chamber 10C. Alternatively, the flow of the drug through the tube unit 200 may be promoted by introducing air into the container 100 or reducing the internal space of the container 100.

If the drug supply device in the tympanic cavity is placed in the ear for a long time through the above process, only a simple operation of injecting the drug into the container 100 using the injection unit 90 or the like at each required drug administration period, without additional perforation of the eardrum (IE) can be supplied with drugs repeatedly.

As described above, when a drug is supplied into the tympanic cavity using the drug supply device in the tympanic cavity according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the risk of hearing loss and the like that occur when a round window is punctured, such as cochlear implantation. .

In addition, by injecting the drug into the container while the intratympanic drug supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed in the patient's ear, it is possible to repeatedly supply the drug to the patient's round window without perforating the eardrum every time. As a result, the number of perforation of the eardrum itself can be reduced, thereby minimizing the trauma that a patient may experience when perforating the eardrum.

In addition, it is possible to reduce the risk of infection that may occur when the eardrum is punctured and the drug is transferred to the round window through a microwick.

As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings, but this is only exemplary, and those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that various modifications and variations of the embodiments are possible therefrom. . Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

1: drug delivery device in the tympanic chamber
9: the ear canal
10: eardrum
10C: tympanic chamber
20: cochlea
OE: outer ear
ME: middle ear
IE: inner ear
RW: round window
H: Hall
100: Courage
200: tube part
200t: tube tip
300: canopy
D: drugs
DT: Drug container

Claims (13)

A container having a curved shape on one side and capable of storing drugs;
A tube part connected to the one side of the container and capable of transferring the drug to a round window; And
It is coupled to the end of the tube portion, and is seated in the cochlea to cover at least a portion of the garden window; and includes,
The drug supply device in the tympanic chamber extending radially around the tube portion of the canopy portion. The method of claim 1,
The device for supplying drugs in the tympanic cavity, further comprising: an injection unit disposed on the outer ear side and injecting a drug into the container. The method of claim 2,
The injection unit has a funnel shape, the drug supply device in the tympanic cavity. The method of claim 1,
The canopy portion, when the tube portion is inserted into the tympanic cavity, the drug supply device in the tympanic cavity is spread to cover the garden window. delete The method of claim 1,
A drug supply device in the tympanic chamber, in which an adhesive member is coupled to an edge mounted on the cochlea of the canopy part. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete

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