# US 10,869,832 B2 · Substance delivery device and substance delivery method using the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,869,832 B2 - Document ID: US10869832B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/009,920 - Filed: 2018-06-15 - Published: 2018-10-11 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2013-07-12 - Assignees: National Cheng Kung University - Applicants: National Cheng Kung University - Inventors: Mei-Chin Chen; Zih-Yao Lin; Chia-Sui Chen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10869832B2 ## CPC - A61K 9/0021: {Intradermal administration, e.g. through microneedle arrays or needleless injectors} - A61K 9/7084: {Transdermal patches having a drug layer or reservoir, and one or more separate drug-free skin-adhesive layers, e.g. between drug reservoir and skin, or surrounding the drug reservoir; Liquid-filled reservoir patches} - A61M 37/0015: {by using microneedles} - A61K 41/00: Medicinal preparations obtained by treating materials with wave energy or particle radiation {; Therapies using these preparations} - A61K 47/32: Macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds, e.g. carbomers {, poly(meth)acrylates, or polyvinyl pyrrolidone} - A61K 47/36: Polysaccharides; Derivatives thereof, e.g. gums, starch, alginate, dextrin, hyaluronic acid, chitosan, inulin, agar or pectin - A61M 2037/0023: {Drug applicators using microneedles} - A61M 2037/0046: {Solid microneedles} - A61K: PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES (devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms A61J3/00; chemical aspects of, or use of materials for deodorisation of air, for disinfection or sterilisation, or for bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles A61L; soap compositions C11D) - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} ## Abstract A substance delivery device comprises a substrate, a plurality of dissolvable supporting structures and a plurality of carriers. The substrate attaches to a tissue. The dissolvable supporting structures are disposed on the substrate. The carriers are disposed on the dissolvable supporting structures and encapsulating substances. The present invention further provides a substance delivery method. The substance delivery device and the substance delivery method of present invention is advantageous for providing sustained release effect and rising the applicability of transdermal or transmucosal delivery techniques. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substance delivery device comprises: a dissolvable substrate configured to be attached to a tissue; a plurality of dissolvable supporting structures disposed on the dissolvable substrate, wherein each of the dissolvable supporting structures is a square and straight column, and each of the dissolvable supporting structures has a section whose area remains the same along a longitudinal axis of the dissolvable supporting structures; a plurality of degradable carriers disposed on the dissolvable supporting structures and encapsulating a plurality of first substances which are configured to be delivered into the tissue; and an adhesive, which is disposed on each of the dissolvable supporting structures to stick with each of the corresponding degradable carriers; wherein the dissolvable supporting structures are configured to be dissolved in the tissue after the degradable carriers and the dissolvable supporting structures are inserted into the tissue, so as to make the dissolvable substrate separate from the degradable carriers, and the degradable carriers are configured to swell and degrade to release the first substances into the tissue when the degradable carriers are left in the tissue, wherein the dissolvable substrate and the dissolvable supporting structures are integrally formed, wherein the dissolvable substrate and the dissolvable supporting structures have the same material, and the material includes γ-poly-glutamic acid, hyaluronic acid, starch, gelatin, or their combinations. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substance delivery device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of second substances are encapsulated in the dissolvable supporting structures and configured to be delivered into the tissue, and the second substances are the same as the first substances encapsulated in the degradable carriers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The substance delivery device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of second substances are encapsulated in the dissolvable supporting structures and configured to be delivered into the tissue, and the second substances are different from the first substances encapsulated in the degradable carriers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The substance delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the degradable carriers include a material capable of melting after exposure to a radiation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The substance delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the degradable carriers include chitosan, chitin, silk, carboxymethyl cellulose, chondroitin, collagen, gelatin, polycaprolactone, poly(methyl vinyl ether-maleic anhydride), polyacrylic acid, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, N,N-dimetyl acrylamide, maltose, hyaluronic acid, polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), or their combinations. ### Claim 6 A substance delivery method applied with a substance delivery device, wherein the substance delivery device includes a dissolvable substrate, a plurality of dissolvable supporting structures, a plurality of degradable carriers and an adhesive, the dissolvable supporting structures are disposed on the dissolvable substrate, the dissolvable substrate and the dissolvable supporting structures are integrally formed with the same material, the degradable carriers are disposed on the dissolvable supporting structures and encapsulate a plurality of first substances which are configured to be delivered into the tissue, the adhesive is disposed on each of the dissolvable supporting structures to stick with each of the corresponding degradable carriers, each of the dissolvable supporting structures is a square and straight column, each of the dissolvable supporting structures has a section whose area remains the same along a longitudinal axis of the dissolvable supporting structures, the substance delivery method comprising the following steps: adhering the dissolvable substrate to a tissue so as to make the degradable carriers and the dissolvable supporting structures are inserted into the tissue; and after the degradable carriers and the dissolvable supporting structures are inserted into the tissue, dissolving the dissolvable supporting structures in the tissue so as to make the degradable carriers separate from the dissolvable substrate and swelling and degrading the degradable carriers to release the first substances into the tissue when the degradable carriers are left in the tissue, wherein the dissolvable supporting structures includes γ-poly-glutamic acid and hyaluronic acid. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The substance delivery device according to claim 6, further comprising: providing water or solution to the tissue or its surrounding. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The substance delivery device according to claim 6, wherein the dissolvable supporting structures further include starch, gelatin, or their combinations. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The substance delivery device according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of second substances are encapsulated in the dissolvable supporting structures, and the second substances are the same as the first substances encapsulated in the degradable carriers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The substance delivery device according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of second substances are encapsulated in the dissolvable supporting structures, and the second substances are different from the first substances encapsulated in the degradable carriers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The substance delivery device according to claim 6, wherein the degradable carriers include a material capable of melting after exposure to a radiation. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) The substance delivery device according to claim 6, wherein the degradable carriers include chitosan, chitin, silk, carboxymethyl cellulose, chondroitin, collagen, gelatin, polycaprolactone, poly(methyl vinyl ether-maleic anhydride), polyacrylic acid, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, N,N-dimetyl acrylamide, maltose, hyaluronic acid, polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), or their combinations. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The substance delivery device according to claim 6, wherein the tissue includes skin, mucosa, cornea or sclera. ### Claim 14 A substance delivery device comprises: a dissolvable substrate configured to be attached to a tissue; a plurality of dissolvable supporting structures disposed on the dissolvable substrate, wherein each of the dissolvable supporting structures is a square and straight column, each of the dissolvable supporting structures has a section whose area remains the same along a longitudinal axis of the dissolvable supporting structures, a height of the dissolvable supporting structures ranges from 600 μm to 900 μm and a width of the dissolvable supporting structures ranges from 200 μm to 400 μm; a plurality of degradable carriers disposed on the dissolvable supporting structures and encapsulating a plurality of first substances which are configured to be delivered into the tissue; and an adhesive, which is disposed on each of the dissolvable supporting structures to stick with each of the corresponding degradable carriers; wherein a height of the degradable carriers ranges from 400 μm to 800 μm and a width of one end of the degradable carriers connected to the dissolvable supporting structures ranges from 200 μm to 400 μm; and wherein the dissolvable supporting structures are configured to be dissolved in the tissue after the degradable carriers and the dissolvable supporting structures are inserted into the tissue, so as to make the dissolvable substrate separate from the degradable carriers, and the degradable carriers are configured to swell and degrade to release the first substances into the tissue when the degradable carriers are left in the tissue, wherein the dissolvable substrate and the dissolvable supporting structures are integrally formed, wherein the dissolvable substrate and the dissolvable supporting structures have the same material, and the material includes γ-poly-glutamic acid, hyaluronic acid, starch, gelatin, or their combinations. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The substance delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the dissolvable substrate is configured to cover the tissue for less discomfort for user. ### Claim 16 (depends on 6) The substance delivery method according to claim 6, wherein the dissolvable substrate is configured to cover the tissue for less discomfort for user. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The substance delivery device according to claim 14, wherein the dissolvable substrate is configured to cover the tissue for less discomfort for user.