US5713845A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Laser assisted drug delivery
Assignee: Thermolase Corp
•
Filing: 1995-06-12
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Granted: 1998-02-03
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Expires: 2015-06-12
Abstract
Abstract The present invention provides a process for laser assisted drug delivery through the skin. A drug and a explosive absorber of light energy are applied topically to the skin. The treated area of the skin is illuminated with very short pulses of light which is preferentially absorbed by the absorber causing a very large number of tiny explosions. The tiny explosion forces portions of the drug to penetrate into the skin. A preferred embodiment utilizes small graphite particles and an Nd:YAG short pulse laser.
Inventors
- 👤 Nikolai Tankovich
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 15:27
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M37/00; A61M37/0092; A45; A45D; A45D26/00; A61B; A61B18/00; A61B18/18; A61B18/20; A61B18/203; A61N; A61N5/00; A61N5/06; A61N5/0613; A61N5/0616; A61N5/062; A61N5/067; A61B18/22; A61B18/26; A61B17/00; A61B2017/00743; A61B2017/00747; A61B2017/00752; A61B2017/00761; A61B17/22; A61B2017/22082; A61B2017/22085; A61B2018/00315; A61B2018/00452; A61B2018/00476; A61M2037/0007
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
91 words
A process for transdermal drug delivery comprising the steps of: (a) topically applying to a section of skin a drug and an explosive absorber, said absorber having a high absorption at at least one frequency band of light, (b) illuminating said section of skin with pulses of said at least one frequency band of light, so as to impart to the absorber sufficient energy to cause at least a portion of said absorber to explode with the resulting explosion forcing at least a portion of said drug into said skin transdermally.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
91 words
A process for transdermal drug delivery comprising the steps of: (a) topically applying to a section of skin a drug and an explosive absorber, said absorber having a high absorption at at least one frequency band of light, (b) illuminating said section of skin with pulses of said at least one frequency band of light, so as to impart to the absorber sufficient energy to cause at least a portion of said absorber to explode with the resulting explosion forcing at least a portion of said drug into said skin transdermally.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process as in claim 1 wherein said absorber comprises a plurality of carbon particles.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process as in claim 2 wherein said carbon particles are graphite particles having dimensions of about 1 micron.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process as in claim 2 wherein said carbon particles have a dimension of about of about 1 micron.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process as in claim 2 wherein said pulses are pulses from a Nd:YAG laser.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
A process as in claim 5 wherein said at least one frequency band of light has a wavelength of about 1.06 microns.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process as in claim 5 wherein said pulses define a pulse duration and the pulse duration is about 12 nanoseconds.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process as in claim 5 wherein the energy of the pulses is about 3 Joules/cm 2 .
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
A process as in claim 2 wherein said pulses are pulses from a CO 2 laser.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process as in claim 5 or 8 wherein the beam of the laser has a cross section of about 0.5 cm 2 .
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
45 words
A process as in claim 1 wherein a confinement means, transparent to said at least one frequency band of light is placed firmly over said topically applied drug and absorber for the duration of said forcing explosion for the purpose of confining said forcing explosion.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process as in claim 1, and further comprising the additional step of forcing said drug and absorber into spaces in said skin section prior to illumination.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
12 words
A process as in claim 11 wherein said spaces comprise hair ducts.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process as in claim 12 wherein said spaces in said skin comprises spaces between superficial epidermal skin cells.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
A process as in claim 12 wherein said spaces in said skin comprises spaces within sebaceous glands.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process as in claim 12 wherein said spaces in said skin comprise spaces adjacent to sebaceous glands.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process as in claim 1 wherein the drag and the absorber are in combination and the weight ratio of the absorber to the drug is about 1:4.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
12 words
A process as in claim 17 wherein the combination is a mixture.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
12 words
A process as in claim 17 wherein the drug coats the absorber.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
46 words
A process as in claim 1 wherein the drug is selected from the group consisting of an antibiotic, an antibacterial, a hormone, a vasodilator, a chemotherapeutic, an anesthetic, an immunomodulator, a PDT sensitizer, an anticoagulant, a nitrite, an enzyme, a radio isotope, and a deposition form.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process as in claim 20 wherein the antibiotic is selected from the group consisting of Bacitracin, Neomycin and PolysinB, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process as in claim 20 wherein the antibacterial is mycostatin.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process as in claim 20 wherein the hormone is hydrocortisone.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process as in claim 20 wherein the vasodilator is minoxidil.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process as in claim 20 wherein the chemotherapeutic is adriamycin.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process as in claim 20 wherein the anesthetic is lidocaine.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process as in claim 20 wherein the immunomodulator is intron A.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process as in claim 20 wherein the PDT sensitizer is selected from the group consisting of ALA, HPD and photophrin, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process as in claim 20 wherein the anticoagulant is heparin.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process as in claim 20 wherein the nitrite is nitroglycerin.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process as in claim 20 wherein the enzyme is streptase.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process as in claim 20 wherein the deposition form is selected from the group consisting of a liposome, a magnetic fluid drug, and a coacervate.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process as in claim 20 wherein the radio isotope is selected from the group consisting of Be and Cd, and mixtures thereof.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-02-02 | 2001-08-04 | 2002-02-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-02-02 | 2005-08-04 | 2006-02-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-02-02 | 2009-08-04 | 2010-02-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |