Impedance sensor
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsAimee B. Angel, Ian W. Hunter, Laura L. Proctor, James Tangorra
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A transdermal transport device includes a reservoir for holding a formulation of an active principle, a needle with a bore through which the formulation is transported between the reservoir and a target area of a biological body, and an impedance sensor. The impedance sensor has an electrode positioned to measure the impedance of a portion of the target area between the needle and the electrode to indicate the depth of penetration of the needle into the target area.
Claims29
A transdermal transport device, comprising:
- a reservoir for holding a formulation of an active principle;
- a needle having a bore through which the formulation is transported between the reservoir and a target area of a biological body;
- and
- an impedance sensor having an electrode positioned to measure the impedance of a portion of the target area between the needle and the electrode, the impedance being indicative of the depth of penetration of the needle into the target area.
A device to measure the penetration into a biological body, comprising:
- an impedance sensor including an electrode positioned to measure the impedance of a portion of a target area of a biological body between the electrode and a ground, the impedance being indicative of the depth of penetration of the electrode into the target area.
A transdermal transport device, comprising:
- a reservoir for holding a formulation of an active principle;
- at least two needles, each needle having a bore through which the formulation is transported between the reservoir and a target area of a biological body;
- and
- an impedance sensor which measures the impedance of a portion of the target area between two of the at least two needles when the two needles have penetrated into the target area, the impedance being indicative of the depth of penetration of the needles into the target area.
A transdermal transport device, comprising:
- a means for driving an array of two or more needles into a target area of a biological body, each needle having a bore through which a formulation is transported to and from the target area;
- and
- a means for measuring the impedance of a portion of the target area between the two needles when the needles have penetrated into the target area, the impedance being indicative of the depth of penetration of the needles into the target area.
A method to measure penetration into a biological body, comprising:
- penetrating a target area of the body with a needle having a bore through which a formulation of an active principle is transported to and from the target area;
- and
- measuring the impedance of a portion of the target area between an electrode and the needle to determine when the needle has penetrated to a desired depth into the target area.
A method for measuring the penetration into a biological body, comprising:
- measuring the impedance of a portion of a biological body between an electrode in contact with the portion and a ground, the impedance being indicative of the depth of the electrode into the body.
A method of measuring the penetration into a biological body, comprising:
- penetrating a target area of the body with at least two needles, each needle having a bore through which a formulation of an active principle is transported to and from the target area;
- and
- measuring the impedance of a portion of the target area between the two of the at least two needles to determine when the needles have penetrated to a desired depth into the target area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.