Selective administration of drug with ocular therapeutic system

Claim 3

The method for administering drug according to claim 1, wherein the drug is released by diffusion, osmosis, or bioerosion from the system.

Claim 8

The method for administering drug according to claim 4, wherein the preselected surface of the lid is the palpebral conjunctiva and the portal is in intimate contact with a preselected area thereof for selectively administering drug thereto.

Claim 9

The method for administering drug according to claim 4, wherein the portal releases drug into the tear film of the eye positioned between the portal and the internal surface of the lid, which film functions as a drug reservoir for transferring drug to the preselected internal surface of the lid.

Claim 10

The method for administering drug according to claim 4, wherein the portal is a rate controller for governing the rate of release of drug in a therapeutically effective amount from the system.

Claim 13

The method for administering drug internally to the eye according to claim 8, wherein the portal of the system is oriented towards the sclera of the globe of the eye for releasing drug thereto.

Claim 14

The method for administering drug internally to the eye according to claim 9, wherein the portal of the system is oriented towards the cornea of the globe of the eye for releasing drug thereto.

Claim 15

The method for administering drug internally to the eye according to claim 9, wherein the portal of the system is oriented towards the bulbar conjunctiva, and the system releases drug by means selected from the group consisting of diffusion, osmosis and bioerosion.

Claim 16

The method for administering drug internally to the eye according to claim 9, wherein the module is formed of a polymeric material which material is the reservoir housing drug, and the portal is a single drug emitting surface with the remaining surfaces of the system substantially impermeable to the passage of drug.

Claim 19

The method for administering drug according to claim 13, wherein the module is formed of a polymeric material, which material is the reservoir housing drug, and the drug emitting portal is a surface of the module.

Claim 20

In a method for administering drug into systemic circulation comprising the steps of: (a) inserting in the eye of a warm blooded animal a therapeutic system comprising a drug delivery module sized, shaped and adapted for prolonged retention in the eye, said module formed of a pharmaceutically acceptable polymeric material comprising: (1) a reservoir; (2) a drug confined in the reservoir; (3) a portal defining a sole surface area of the material with the remaining surfaces of the system substantially impermeable to the passage of drug, said portal a means for emitting drug from the reservoir; and, (b) orienting the portal towards a preselected part of the eye capable of receiving a drug for administering the drug into systemic circulation for producing a beneficial response at a drug receiving tissue site distant from the eye.

Claim 21

In a method for administering drug into systemic circulation comprising the steps of: (a) inserting in the eye of a warm blooded animal a therapeutic system comprising a drug delivery module sized, shaped and adapted for prolonged retention in the eye, said module formed of a pharmaceutically acceptable polymeric material comprising: (1) a reservoir; (2) a drug confined in the reservoir; (3) a portal defining a sole surface area of the material with the remaining surfaces of the system substantially impermeable to the passage of drug, said portal a means for emitting drug from the reservoir; and, (b) orienting the portal towards a preselected part of the eye capable of receiving a drug for administering the drug into systemic circulation for producing a beneficial response at a drug receiving tissue site distant from the eye.

Claim 22

In a method for administering drug into systemic circulation according to claim 15, wherein the module is a monolithic structure formed of a solid polymeric material with the drug confined therein.

Claim 23

In a method for administering drug into systemic circulation according to claim 15, wherein the portal is a rate controller means for controlling the rate of release of drug from the reservoir in a therapeutically effective amount over a prolonged period of time, and the drug is a systemically acting drug.

Claim 24

The method for administering a drug internally into the eye according to claim 4 wherein the drug is hydrocortisone, dexamethasone, fluocinolone, medrysone, prednisolone, fluoromethalone, bethethasone or triaminolone.

Claim 25

The method for administering a drug internally into the eye according to claim 4 wherein the drug is pilocarpine, physotigmine, eserine, carbachol, insulin, phospholine iodine, demecarium bromide, atropine, cyclopentolate, homatropine, scopolamine, tropicamide, eucatropine, hydroxyamphetamine, ephedrine, or epinephrine.

Claim 26

The method for administering a drug internally into the eye according to claim 4 wherein the drug is tetracycline, chlortetracycline, bacitacin, neomycin, polymyxin, gramicidin, cephalexin, oxytetracycline, chloramphenicol, kanamycin, gentamycin, erythromycin, penicillin, sulfamethiazole, sulfisoxazole, nitrofurazon, interferon, or idoxuridine.

Claim 27

The method for administering a drug to the surface of the lid of the eye according to claim 6 wherein the drug is hydrocortisone, dexamethasone, fluocinolone, merdysone, prednisolone, fluoromethalone, bethethasone, or triaminolone.

Claim 28

The method for administering a drug to the surface of the lid of the eye according to claim 6 wherein the drug is tetracycline, chlortetracycline, bacitracin, neomycin, polymyxin, gramicidin, cephalexin, oxytetracycline, chloramphenicol, kanamycin, gentamycin, erythromycin, penicillin, sulfonamide, sulfadrazine, sulfacetamide, sulfamethiazole, sulfisoxazole, nitrofurazone, interferon, or idoxuridine.

Claim 29

The method for administering a drug to the surface of the lid of the eye according to claim 6 wherein the drug is pilocarpine, physotigmine iodine, demecarium bromide, atropine, cyclopentoloate, homatropine, scopolamine, tropicamide, eucatropine, hydroxyamphetamine, ephedrine, or epiniphrine.

Claim 30

The method for administering drug according to claim 6 wherein the module is formed of a polymeric material which material is a reservoir for housing the drug and the portal is the single drug emitting surface of the system.

Claim 31

The method for administering drug internally into the eye according to claim 14 wherein the drug housed in the reservoir is pilocarpine, physotigmine, eserine, carbachol, insulin, atropine, homatropine, scopolamine, ephedrine, or epinephrine.

Claim 32

The method for administering drug internally to the eye according to claim 14 wherein the portal releases drug into the tear film of the eye positioned between the portal and the bulbar conjunction of the globe, which tear film serves as a drug reservoir for transferring drug internally to the eye and the portal functions as a controller means for regulating the rate of release of drug in a therapeutically effective amount from the system.

Claim 33

The method for administering drug into systemic circulation according to claim 23, wherein the module is formed of a pharmaceutically acceptable polymeric material and the reservoir is a container therein, with drug administered from the portal of the ocular therapeutic system with minimal lateral dispersion of drug from said system.