Granted Patent B2

US 8,388,569 · App. 13/089,769 · Granted Mar 5, 2013

Abstract

Claims (39)

1. A delivery device for the delivery of particles into a biological tissue comprising:

a housing;

a gas source comprising a gas or capable of selectively producing a gas;

a first particle source comprising a first plurality of particles;

a first collimator fluidly connected with the gas source and comprising a plurality of conduits adapted to form a first plurality of collimated streams of the first plurality of particles entrained in the gas; and

a tissue-interfacing surface located at one end of the housing and adapted to interface with a surface of the tissue and orient the first collimator with the tissue such that the first plurality of collimated streams of the first plurality of particles will penetrate the tissue in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the tissue.

2. The delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of particles comprise tissue abrasive particles.

3. The delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of particles comprise tissue marking particles, nourishing particles, nutritional particles, or cosmetic particles.

4. The delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of particles comprise drug particles.

5. The delivery device of claim 1 , further comprising a second particle source comprising a second plurality of particles; and wherein the first collimator is adapted to form a second plurality of collimated streams of the second plurality of particles entrained in the gas.

6. The delivery device of claim 5 , wherein the delivery device is adapted to form the second plurality of collimated streams of particles after forming the first plurality of collimated streams of particles.

7. The delivery device of claim 5 , wherein the first collimator, the first particle source, and the second particle source are provided in a removable cartridge.

8. The delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the first collimator and the first particle source are provided in a removable cartridge.

9. The delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the first collimator has an inlet end and an outlet end; and wherein the first particle source is positioned and configured to release the first plurality of particles into the gas between the inlet end and the outlet end of the first collimator.

10. A method of delivering particles into a biological tissue comprising:

delivering a pressurized gas into a plurality of conduits of a collimator to produce a plurality of streams of gas; and then

releasing a first plurality of particles into the plurality of streams of gas to produce a plurality of collimated streams of the first plurality of the particles entrained in the gas; and

delivering the first plurality of particles through a surface of the tissue in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the tissue.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first plurality of particles comprise drug particles.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first plurality of particles comprise abrasive particles.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of delivering the first plurality of particles through the surface of the tissue forms a plurality of microconduits in the surface of the tissue.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

applying a drug-delivery patch to the tissue over the plurality of microconduits, the drug-delivery patch comprising a drug; and

allowing the drug to diffuse into the tissue through the plurality of microconduits.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the drug-delivery patch comprises a drug-permeable tissue-interfacing surface and a drug-impermeable backing layer, and wherein the drug is contained between the tissue-interfacing surface and the backing layer.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, after the step of delivering the first plurality of particles through the surface of the tissue,

releasing a drug into the plurality of streams of gas to produce a plurality of collimated streams of the drug entrained in the gas; and

delivering the drug through the surface of the tissue in the direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the tissue.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first plurality of particles are released from a release-activatable tape having the first plurality of particles disposed thereon.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of releasing the first plurality of particles into the plurality of streams of gas comprises rupturing a rupturable membrane separating the first plurality of particles from the collimator.

19. A drug delivery system for delivering a drug into a biological tissue comprising:

a particle delivery device for the delivery of particles into a tissue comprising:

a housing;

a gas source comprising a gas;

a first particle source comprising a first plurality of particles;

a first collimator fluidly connected with the gas source and comprising a plurality of conduits adapted to form a first plurality of collimated streams of the first plurality of particles entrained in the gas; and

a tissue-interfacing surface located at one end of the housing and adapted to interface with a surface of the tissue and align the first collimator with the tissue such that the first plurality of collimated streams of the first plurality of particles will penetrate the tissue in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the tissue; and

a drug-delivery patch comprising a drug-permeable tissue-interfacing surface, a drug-impermeable backing layer, and a drug contained between the tissue-interfacing surface and the backing layer.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the first plurality of particles comprise tissue abrasive particles.

Assignments (10)