Granted Patent B2

US 7,392,080 · App. 10/384,779 · Granted Jun 24, 2008

Abstract

Claims (88)

1. A method of delivering a drug to a patient in need thereof, comprising the steps of:

a) contacting a poration device to a tissue membrane of said patient, said a poration device comprising:

i) an outer body defining a top of said poration device, said outer body containing a cavity;

ii) a controller board comprising driving electronics and a battery, said controller board being positioned within said cavity; and

iii) a tissue interface layer for contacting a tissue membrane of an animal, said tissue interface layer containing at least one probe element, wherein each at least one probe element is a heated resistive element configured to conductively deliver thermal energy to cause ablation of the issue to a desired depth for formation of the cavity, and wherein said tissue interface layer forms a portion of the bottom of said poration device;

b) actuating said poration device to form at least one micropore in said tissue membrane;

c) removing said poration device from said tissue membrane; and

d) applying a reservoir drug patch to said microporated area of said tissue membrane after poration.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said reservoir drug patch comprises:

a) a top layer;

b) a middle layer that has at least one cavity for containing said drug or other permeant composition to be applied to said membrane; and

c) a bottom layer, said bottom layer containing pores through which said drug is applied to said tissue membrane, wherein at least a portion of said bottom layer containing an adhesive for attachment of said reservoir patch to said microporated area of said tissue membrane.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said reservoir drug patch further comprises a cover layer attached to said bottom layer to retain said drug in said middle layer until said patch is applied to said tissue membrane.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said tissue interface layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a woven material, a film, a supporting layer and a sheet.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said at least one porator element comprises a plurality of probe elements.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the plurality of probe elements forms an array.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein said tissue interface layer is removably attached to said outer body.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising a control button for initiating actuation of said poration device.

9. A transdermal drug delivery patch system for delivering a drug across a tissue membrane comprising:

a) an actuator;

b) a porator array removably connected to said actuator, said porator array comprising at least one microporator which is actuated by said actuator and forms at least one micropore in said tissue membrane; wherein each at least one microporator a heated resistive element configured to conductively deliver thermal energy to cause ablation of the tissue membrane to a desired depth for formation of a cavity in the tissue membrane, and

c) a reservoir patch, said reservoir patch separate from said porator array and applied to said tissue membrane following formation of said at least one micropore.

10. The transdermal drug delivery patch system according to claim 9 wherein said reservoir patch further comprises:

a) a top layer;

b) a middle layer that has at least one cavity for containing a drug or other permeant composition to be applied to said membrane; and

c) a bottom layer, said bottom layer containing pores through which said drug is applied to said tissue membrane, and said bottom layer containing an adhesive for attachment of said reservoir patch to said microporated area of said tissue membrane.

11. The transdennal drug delivery patch system according to claim 10 wherein said reservoir patch further comprises a cover layer attached to said bottom layer to retain said drug in said middle layer until said patch is applied to said tissue membrane.

12. The transdermal drug delivery patch system according to claim 9 further comprising a tissue interface layer that comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a woven material, a film, a supporting layer and a sheet.

13. The transdermal drug delivery patch system according to claim 9 wherein the plurality of probe elements forms an array.

14. The transdermal drug delivery patch system according to claim 9 wherein said actuator further comprises a control button for initiating poration of said membrane.

15. An integrated poration device comprising:

a) a poration device comprising:

i) an outer body defining a top of said poration device, said outer body containing a cavity;

ii) a controller board comprising driving electronics and a battery, said controller board being positioned within said cavity; and

iii) a tissue interface layer for contacting a tissue membrane of an animal, said tissue interface layer containing at least one probe element, wherein each at least one probe element is a heated resistive element configured to conductively deliver thermal energy to cause ablation of the issue to a desired depth for formation of the cavity, and wherein said tissue interface layer forms a portion of the bottom of said poration device; and

b) a reservoir patch, said reservoir patch being applied to said porated area of said tissue membrane after poration.

16. The integrated poration device according to claim 15 wherein said reservoir patch further comprises:

a) atop layer;

b) a middle layer that has at least one cavity for containing a drug or other permeant composition to be applied to said membrane; and

c) a bottom layer, said bottom layer containing pores through which said drug is applied to said tissue membrane, and said bottom layer containing an adhesive for attachment of said reservoir patch to said microporated area of said tissue membrane.

17. The integrated poration device according to claim 16 wherein said reservoir patch further comprises a cover layer attached to said bottom layer to retain said drug in said middle layer until said patch is applied to said tissue membrane.

18. The integrated poration device according to claim 15 wherein said tissue interface layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a woven material, a film, a supporting layer and a sheet.

19. The integrated poration device according to claim 15 wherein said at least one porator element comprises a plurality of probe elements.

20. The integrated poration device according to claim 19 wherein the plurality of probe elements forms an array.

21. The integrated poration device according to claim 15 wherein said tissue interface layer is removably attached to said outer body.

22. The integrated poration device according to claim 15 further comprising a control button for initiating poration of said membrane.

23. The integrated poration device system according to claim 15 wherein said tissue interface layer further comprises an adhesive layer for attachment of said poration device to said tissue membrane.

24. A method of delivering a drug to a patient in need thereof comprising the steps of:

a) contacting a poration device to a tissue membrane of said patient, the poration device comprising:

i) an outer body defining a cavity;

ii) a controller board comprising driving electronics, said controller board being positioned within said cavity; and

iii) a tissue interface layer configured for contacting a tissue membrane of an animal, said tissue interface layer comprises a thin film defining a plurality of probe elements, wherein each probe element of the plurality of probe elements is a heated resistive element configured to conductively deliver thermal energy to cause ablation of the issue to a desired depth for formation of the cavity, and wherein said tissue interface layer forms a portion of the bottom of said poration device;

b) actuating said poration device to form at least one micropore in said tissue membrane;

c) removing said poration device from said tissue membrane; and

d) applying a reservoir drug patch to said microporated area of said tissue membrane after poration.

25. The method according to claim 24 wherein said reservoir drug patch comprises:

a layer, wherein at least a portion of the layer comprises an adhesive for attachment of said reservoir drug patch to said microporated area of said tissue membrane a drug reservoir; and

a drug reservoir mounted thereto a portion of the layer.

26. The method according to claim 25 wherein said reservoir drug patch further comprises a cover layer attached to the layer to retain said drug in the drug reservoir.

27. The method according to claim 24 wherein the plurality of probe elements forms an array.

28. A method of delivering a drug to a patient in need thereof, comprising the steps of:

a) contacting a poration device to a tissue membrane of the patient, said poration device comprising a tissue interface layer configured for contacting the tissue membrane and selectively forming a plurality of micropores therein the tissue membrane, the tissue interface layer comprising a thin film that defines a plurality of probe elements, wherein each probe element of the plurality of probe elements is a heated resistive element configured to conductively deliver thermal energy to cause ablation of the tissue membrane to a desired depth for formation of one micropore in the tissue membrane;

b) actuating the poration device to form the plurality of micropores in the tissue membrane;

c) removing said poration device from said tissue membrane; and

d) applying a reservoir drug patch to a microporated area of said tissue membrane after poration.

29. A transdermal drug delivery patch system for delivering a drug across a tissue membrane comprising:

a) an actuator;

b) a porator array removably connected to the actuator, the porator array comprising a plurality of microporators which is actuated by the actuator to form a plurality of micropores in the tissue membrane; wherein each microporator of the plurality of microporators comprises a heated resistive element configured to conductively deliver thermal energy to cause ablation of the tissue membrane to a desired depth for formation of one micropore in the tissue membrane, and

c) a reservoir patch separate from the porator array configured to be applied to the tissue membrane following formation of the plurality of micropores.

30. The transdermal drug delivery patch system according to claim 29 wherein the actuator comprises an interface connection port for receiving the porator array, the interface connection port having an anode and a cathode configured for being selectively placed in electrical communication with respective portions of the porator array.

31. The transdermal drug delivery patch system according to claim 29 wherein said reservoir patch further comprises a cover layer configured to retain the drug in the reservoir patch until the reservoir patch is applied to the tissue membrane.

32. The transdermal drug delivery patch system according to claim 29 further comprising a film, wherein the plurality of microporators of the porator array are formed therein a portion of the film.

33. The transdermal drug delivery patch system according to claim 29 further comprising a tissue interface layer that comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a woven material, a film, a supporting layer and a sheet.

34. The transdermal drug delivery patch system according to claim 29 wherein said actuator further comprises a control button for initiating poration of said membrane.

35. A poration system for selective formation of a plurality of micropores therein a tissue membrane of an animal, comprising:

a) an outer body defining a cavity;

b) a controller board comprising driving electronics, said controller board being positioned within said cavity;

c) a thin film configured for contacting the tissue membrane, wherein the thin film comprises a plurality of probe elements that are configured for selective formation of the plurality of micropores, wherein each probe element of the plurality of probe elements is a heated resistive element that is configured to conductively deliver thermal energy to cause ablation of the issue to a desired depth for formation of one micropore in the tissue membrane, and wherein the thin film is in select electrical communication with the controller board; and

d) a reservoir patch, said reservoir patch being applied to the plurality of micropores in the tissue membrane after poration.

36. The integrated poration device according to claim 35 wherein said reservoir patch further comprises means for releasably adhereing a drug reservoir containing a drug or other permeant composition to the plurality of micropores of the tissue membrane.

37. The integrated poration device according to claim 36 wherein said reservoir patch further comprises a cover layer to retain the drug or other permeant composition in the drug reservior.

38. The integrated poration device according to claim 35 wherein the plurality of probe elements forms an array.

39. The integrated poration device according to claim 35 wherein the thin film is removably attached to the outer body.

40. The integrated poration device according to claim 35 further comprising a control button for initiating poration of the tissue membrane.

41. The integrated poration device system according to claim 35 further comprises:

a tissue interface layer; and

an adhesive layer for selectively releasable attachment of the tissue interface layer to the tissue membrane,

wherein the thin film is positioned therein the tissue interface layer.

Assignments (10)