US6132419A — Electroporetic gene and drug therapy

Claim 1

Independent Claim 188 words

A method of in vivo introduction of molecules into living blood cells of a patient for therapeutic purposes, comprising the steps of: providing an inductance device including an induction coil, the induction coil comprising at least one conductor having opposite ends adapted for connection to an electrical power source and at least one turn forming a coil intermediate the ends; positioning said inductance device external of and closely adjacent to a body of the patient directly over a selected blood vessel for inducing an electric field at a preselected location within the selected blood vessel; infusing preselected ones of said molecules into the selected blood vessel upstream of the inductance device; and applying time varying electric signals to the applied inductance device to generate time varying magnetic fields and repeatedly subject a quantity of blood flowing past the preselected location in the selected blood vessel to electric fields of a predetermined amplitude and duration, induced by the time varying magnetic fields, sufficient to make walls of preselected cells in said quantity of blood transiently permeable to permit the molecules to enter said preselected cells without killing said cells.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 188 words

A method of in vivo introduction of molecules into living blood cells of a patient for therapeutic purposes, comprising the steps of: providing an inductance device including an induction coil, the induction coil comprising at least one conductor having opposite ends adapted for connection to an electrical power source and at least one turn forming a coil intermediate the ends; positioning said inductance device external of and closely adjacent to a body of the patient directly over a selected blood vessel for inducing an electric field at a preselected location within the selected blood vessel; infusing preselected ones of said molecules into the selected blood vessel upstream of the inductance device; and applying time varying electric signals to the applied inductance device to generate time varying magnetic fields and repeatedly subject a quantity of blood flowing past the preselected location in the selected blood vessel to electric fields of a predetermined amplitude and duration, induced by the time varying magnetic fields, sufficient to make walls of preselected cells in said quantity of blood transiently permeable to permit the molecules to enter said preselected cells without killing said cells.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 20 words

A method according to claim 1 wherein the molecules are selected from the group consisting of genes and pharmaceutical compounds.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 22 words

A method according to claim 1 wherein the preselected cells are selected from the group consisting of red and white blood cells.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 21 words

A method according to claim 1 wherein said induction coil surrounds a portion of the body containing the selected blood vessel.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 19 words

A method according to claim 1 wherein the electric signals have a wave form comprising bipolar oscillating pulse train.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 24 words

A method according to claim 5 wherein each pulse of the train has a duration of between approximately one microsecond and one hundred microseconds.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 33 words

A method according to claim 5 wherein there are between approximately one pulse and one hundred pulses for a given unit of liquid volume as the unit passes through the selected blood vessel.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 21 words

A method according to claim 1 wherein the electric fields have a strength of between approximately 0.2 kV/cm and 20.0 kV/cm.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 16 words

A method according to claim 1 wherein the preselected cells are lymphocytes or red blood cells.

Claim 11

Independent Claim 169 words

A method of in vivo introduction of molecules into living cells of a patient for therapeutic purposes, comprising the steps of: providing an inductance device including an induction coil, the induction coil comprising at least one conductor having opposite ends adapted for connection to an electrical power source and at least one turn forming a coil intermediate the ends; positioning said inductance device adjacent to an external portion of a body of the patient directly over a selected tissue for inducing an electric field at a preselected location within the selected tissue; infusing preselected ones of said molecules into the selected tissue; and applying a time varying electric signal to the applied inductance device to generate time varying magnetic fields and repeatedly subject tissue cells at the preselected location in the selected tissue to induce electric fields of a predetermined amplitude and duration sufficient to make the walls of preselected cells in the tissue transiently permeable to permit the molecules to enter said preselected cells without killing said cells.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 169 words

A method of in vivo introduction of molecules into living cells of a patient for therapeutic purposes, comprising the steps of: providing an inductance device including an induction coil, the induction coil comprising at least one conductor having opposite ends adapted for connection to an electrical power source and at least one turn forming a coil intermediate the ends; positioning said inductance device adjacent to an external portion of a body of the patient directly over a selected tissue for inducing an electric field at a preselected location within the selected tissue; infusing preselected ones of said molecules into the selected tissue; and applying a time varying electric signal to the applied inductance device to generate time varying magnetic fields and repeatedly subject tissue cells at the preselected location in the selected tissue to induce electric fields of a predetermined amplitude and duration sufficient to make the walls of preselected cells in the tissue transiently permeable to permit the molecules to enter said preselected cells without killing said cells.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 20 words

A method according to claim 10 wherein the molecules are selected from the group consisting of genes and pharmaceutical compounds.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 170 words

An apparatus for in vivo introduction of molecules into living blood cells of a patient, comprising: induction means including an induction coil comprising at least one conductor having opposite ends adapted for connection to an electrical power source and at least one turn forming a coil intermediate the ends, the coil adapted for positioning adjacent to an external portion of a body over and inducing an electric field at a preselected location within a blood vessel of the patient; means for injecting a predetermined quantity of a fluid medium carrying preselected ones of said molecules into the blood vessel up stream of the preselected location; and means for applying time varying electric signals to said induction coil for causing it to repeatedly generate magnetic fields and induce electric fields of a predetermined amplitude and duration sufficient to make walls of preselected cells in blood flowing past the preselected location in the blood vessel to be transiently permeable to permit the molecules to enter said preselected cells without killing said cells.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 170 words

An apparatus for in vivo introduction of molecules into living blood cells of a patient, comprising: induction means including an induction coil comprising at least one conductor having opposite ends adapted for connection to an electrical power source and at least one turn forming a coil intermediate the ends, the coil adapted for positioning adjacent to an external portion of a body over and inducing an electric field at a preselected location within a blood vessel of the patient; means for injecting a predetermined quantity of a fluid medium carrying preselected ones of said molecules into the blood vessel up stream of the preselected location; and means for applying time varying electric signals to said induction coil for causing it to repeatedly generate magnetic fields and induce electric fields of a predetermined amplitude and duration sufficient to make walls of preselected cells in blood flowing past the preselected location in the blood vessel to be transiently permeable to permit the molecules to enter said preselected cells without killing said cells.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 21 words

An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the means for injecting the quantity of fluid carrying the molecules includes a pump.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 22 words

An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the means for applying electric signals includes a signal generator for generating the electric signals.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 25 words

An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the induction coil is a pancake coil for placing in contact with the patient over the blood vessel.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 22 words

An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the induction coils a ring shaped coil for placing around a finger of the patient.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 28 words

An apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the induction coil is a plurality of ring shaped coils for placing around a plurality of the fingers of the patient.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 25 words

An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the induction coil is a pancake coil for placing in contact with the patient over the blood vessel.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 22 words

An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the induction coil is a ring-shaped coil for placing around a finger of the patient.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 28 words

An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the induction coil is a plurality of ring shaped coils for placing around a plurality of the fingers of the patient.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 22 words

An apparatus according to claim 20 wherein the means for applying electric signals includes a signal generator to generating the electric signals.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2003-10-17	2004-04-17	2004-10-17	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2007-10-17	2008-04-17	2008-10-17	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2011-10-17	2012-04-17	2012-10-17	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Electroporetic gene and drug therapy

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