System and method for enhancing particle delivery to biological tissue
A device for delivery of particles into biological tissue includes at least one conduit and a propellant source configured to release a propellant into the conduit. A source of first particles is configured to release first particles into the conduit. A source of second particles is configured to release second particles into the conduit. The second particles comprise a functional material intended to interact with the biological tissue and having a density less than a density of the first particles. The propellant source and the conduit are configured to propel the particles in a collimated stream toward the biological tissue. The first particles are configured to penetrate the biological tissue to create micropores that increase porosity of the biological tissue and the second particles configured to enter the porous biological tissue.
1. A device for delivery of particles into biological tissue comprising:
at least one conduit;
a propellant source configured to release a propellant into the conduit;
a source of first particles configured to release first particles into the conduit;
a source of second particles configured to release second particles into the conduit, the second particles comprising a functional material intended to interact with the biological tissue and having a density less than a density of the first particles; and
a focusing mechanism configured to focus the first and second particles into a focused particle stream using a sheath fluid,
wherein the propellant source and the conduit are configured to propel the particles in a collimated stream toward the biological tissue, the first particles configured to penetrate the biological tissue to create micropores that increase porosity of the biological tissue and the second particles configured to enter the porous biological tissue.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the focused particle stream has a focused cross sectional area with an average largest cross sectional width that is less than about 1/10 of an inner width of the conduit in a focus region of the conduit.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the conduit has an outlet located a distance from a tissue interfacing surface of the particle delivery device and a width of the focused particle stream increases over the distance by less than about 10% of a width of the focused particle stream at the outlet.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the focusing mechanism is configured to provide aerodynamic focusing using the sheath fluid.
5. The device of claim 4 , further comprising a mechanism located near an outlet of the conduit and configured to decelerate, reduce an amount, or redirect the sheath fluid.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the particle delivery device is further configured to provide at least one of electrostatic and magnetic particle acceleration.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the source of first particles and the source of second particles are configured to release the first particles and the second particles into the conduit substantially simultaneously.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the source of first particles and the source of second particles are configured to release the first particles and the second particles into the conduit sequentially.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the density of the first particles is greater than about 10 g/cm 3 and the density of the first particles is at least three times the density of the second particles.
10. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second particles comprises a core and plurality of elongations extending from the core.
11. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and the second particles are elongated particles having a width, w, a length, l>w, and an aspect ratio, l/w, greater than 5.
12. The device of claim 11 , further comprising an alignment mechanism configured to align the elongated particles.
13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first particles are biologically inert and the second particles comprise a drug, a cosmetic, a tissue nourishing material, or a marking material.
14. A method for delivery of particles into biological tissue comprising:
propelling first particles in a collimated stream toward the biological tissue;
propelling second particles in a collimated stream toward the biological tissue, the second particles comprising a functional material intended to interact with the biological tissue and having a density less than a density of the first particles;
creating micropores in the biological material by penetration of the first particles into the biological tissue, the creation of the micropores increasing porosity of the biological tissue; and
depositing the second particles into the porous biological tissue.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising focusing the collimated stream of at least one of the first and second particles.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein focusing comprises focusing the collimated stream using a sheath fluid.
17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising electrostatically or magnetically accelerating or decelerating at least one of the first and second particles.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
at least one of the first and second particles are elongated particles; and
further comprising aligning the elongated particles in the collimated stream.
19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising applying a pre or post treatment to the biological tissue before or after releasing the first and second particles.