Vaginal drug delivery system made from polymer
AssigneeAlza Corporation
InventorPatrick S. Wong
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An intravaginal therapeutic system for the pre-programmed, unattended delivery of a drug is disclosed. The system comprises (a) a drug, (b) a delivery module comprising a reservoir for storing the drug in an amount for execution of the program, a rate controller which maintains the rate of drug delivered in a therapeutically effective amount throughout the life of the system, an energy source for transferring drug from the reservoir to the vagina, and a portal for releasing the drug from the module to the vagina, (c) a platform which integrates the module into a unit sized, shaped and adapted for insertion and retention in a vagina, and (d) therapeutic program which provides for the controlled release of drug to produce a beneficial effect over a prolonged period of time.
Claims25
A method for delivering a drug to a vagina, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. positioning in a vagina a device for delivering a drug, said device consisting essentially of:
- 1. a continuous curved shaped body sized and adapted for easy positioning and comfortable retention in a vagina, said body consisting of;
- 2. a wall formed of a non-toxic tubular shaped, thermoplastic moldable polymeric material, united at its ends by a coupling placed in the tubular wall in mated relation with the inside of the wall to form as essentially liquidtight union, which wall surrounds and defines;
- 3. an internal reservoir;
- 4. a drug housed in the reservoir in an amount for performing a therapeutic program;
- 5. a carrier for the drug in the reservoir;
- and
- b. delivering the drug at a preprogrammed, unattended continuous and controlled rate through the wall in a therapeutically effective amount to a vagina over a prolonged period of time for performing the therapeutic program.
A vaginal device for delivering drugs, said device consisting essentially of:
- a. a closed, curved body sized and shaped as a platform adapted for easy insertion and comfortable retention in a vagina, said body consisting essentially of:
- b. a wall formed of a tubular shaped, non-toxic, thermoplastic, moldable polymeric material united at its ends by a coupling inserted in the tubular wall and having a diameter approximately equivalent to the inside diameter of the tubular wall, to form an essentially liquid impervious union, with the wall surrounding and forming;
- c. an internal reservoir;
- d. a drug housed in the reservoir;
- e. a carrier for the drug in the reservoir;
- and,
- f. wherein, said platform at its maximum dimensions measures from a loci on its curved wall to a loci on its distant curved wall of from 0.4 cm to 16 cm, and when placed in a vagina will provide a preprogrammed, unattended continuous delivery of drug at a controlled rate and in a therapeutically effective amount to a vagina over a prolonged period of time.
A device for delivering a drug to a vagina, said device consisting essentially of:
- a. an annular ring sized and adapted for easy insertion and comfortable retention in a vagina, said ring consisting of:
- b. a tubular shaped wall having a pair of ends and made of a vaginally acceptable thermoplastic, moldable polymer;
- c. a coupling within the tubular wall at its ends and in mated relation therewith to form an end-to-end liquidtight connection;
- d. an internal reservoir within the tubular wall;
- e. a drug housed in the reservoir;
- f. a carrier for the drug in the reservoir;
- and,
- g. wherein, said device when in operation in a vagina will deliver drug at a preselected, unattended, continuous and controlled rate, and in a vaginally acceptable amount to the vagina over a prolonged period of time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.