Device for containment and release of a transdermal drug formulation
AssigneeNdm Technologies Limited
InventorDewan Fazlul Hoque Chowdhury
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention relates to a device that uses microneedles to create pores in the skin of a subject and delivers the drug transdermally by inserting it into the pore as a solid or semi-solid mass alongside each needle. The device is sufficiently flexible to allow relative movement of the needle and the drug mass apart from one another. Preferably a chamber holding the drug mass comprises a relatively rigid wall to ensure that the drug remains aligned close to the needle, while an adjacent chamber holding the needle comprises a relatively flexible wall to allow lateral movement of the needle as the drug is inserted alongside it.
Claims15
A transdermal drug delivery device comprising:
- a first chamber wall that defines a needle chamber for receiving and aligning a needle to create a pore in the skin of a patient, the needle defining a longitudinal direction;
- and
- a second chamber wall that defines a drug chamber for receiving and aligning a solid drug mass to be inserted into the pore along the side of the needle, wherein the drug mass tapers towards a leading tip;
- wherein the device is flexible to allow a distance between the first chamber wall and the second chamber wall to increase as the drug mass is inserted along the side of the needle, while the needle chamber and the drug chamber remain arranged side by side relative to the longitudinal direction of the needle.
A transdermal drug delivery device comprising:
- a first chamber wall that defines a needle chamber for receiving and aligning a needle to create a pore in the skin of a patient, the needle defining a longitudinal direction;
- and
- a second chamber wall that defines a drug chamber for receiving and aligning a solid drug mass to be inserted into the pore along the side of the needle, wherein the drug mass tapers towards a leading tip, wherein the device is flexible to allow a distance between the first chamber wall and the second chamber wall to increase as the drug mass is inserted along the side of the needle, while the needle chamber and the drug chamber remain arranged side by side relative to the longitudinal direction of the needle, the needle supported in the needle chamber and the drug mass supported in the drug chamber, and wherein the needle comprises a substantially flat face abutting the drug mass.
A method of transdermal drug delivery comprising:
- aligning a needle in a needle chamber of a drug delivery device, the needle defining a longitudinal direction;
- aligning a solid drug mass in a drug chamber of the drug delivery device, the needle chamber and the drug chamber being arranged side by side relative to the longitudinal direction of the needle;
- placing the device against the skin of a patient;
- inserting the needle into the skin to create a pore;
- simultaneously or subsequently inserting the drug mass into the pore along the side of the needle;
- and
- removing the needle from the skin while leaving the drug mass in place;
- wherein insertion of the drug mass along the side of the needle causes a distance between a first chamber wall of the needle chamber and a second chamber wall of the drug chamber to increase, while the needle chamber and the drug chamber remain arranged side by side relative to the longitudinal direction of the needle, wherein, during insertion of the drug mass along the side of the needle, the first chamber wall flexes to allow the needle to move laterally.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.