# US 8,784,368 B2 · Device, system, and method for targeted delivery of anti-inflammatory medicaments to a mammalian subject

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- Number: US 8,784,368 B2
- Document ID: US8784368B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/590,856
- Filed: 2009-11-13
- Published: 2011-05-19
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2009-11-13
- Assignees: The Invention Science Fund I, LLC
- Applicants: Philip A. Eckhoff; Roderick A. Hyde; Muriel Y. Ishikawa; Jordin T. Kare; Eric C. Leuthardt; Dennis J. Rivet; Elizabeth A. Sweeney; Lowell L. Wood, Jr.; Victoria Y. H. Wood
- Inventors: Philip A. Eckhoff; Roderick A. Hyde; Muriel Y. Ishikawa; Jordin T. Kare; Eric C. Leuthardt; Dennis J. Rivet; Elizabeth A. Sweeney; Lowell L. Wood, Jr.; Victoria Y. H. Wood
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8784368B2

## CPC

- A61M 37/0015: {by using microneedles}
- A61B 5/1116: {Determining posture transitions}
- A61B 5/112: {Gait analysis}
- A61B 5/1126: {using a particular sensing technique}
- A61B 5/4528: {Joints (A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence)}
- A61K 31/195: having an amino group
- A61P 29/00: Non-central analgesic, antipyretic or antiinflammatory agents, e.g. antirheumatic agents; Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs [NSAID]
- A61M 2005/3022: {Worn on the body, e.g. as patches (pressure infusion of the skin patch type A61M5/14248)}
- A61M 2037/0007: {having means for enhancing the permeation of substances through the epidermis, e.g. using suction or depression, electric or magnetic fields, sound waves or chemical agents}
- A61M 2037/0023: {Drug applicators using microneedles}
- A61M 2037/0061: {Methods for using microneedles}
- 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)}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- 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)
- A61P: SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS

## Abstract

A device, a system, or a method is described for treating a disease or a condition of one or more joints of articulating bone in a mammalian subject. The device provides one or more medicaments to one or more joints of the mammalian subject. A device is described that includes one or more sheaths configured to contact one or more body contours in proximity to one or more joints of articulating bone of a mammalian subject; one or more sensors configured to detect one or more physiological conditions of the one or more joints; and one or more applicators supported by the one or more sheaths and configured to respond to the one or more sensors by injecting one or more medicaments to the one or more joint tissues of the mammalian subject.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device comprising:
one or more sheaths configured to contact one or more body contours covering one or more joints of articulating bone of a mammalian subject;
one or more sensors configured to detect one or more physiological conditions of the one or more joints;
one or more applicators supported by the one or more sheaths and configured to respond to the one or more sensors by injecting one or more medicaments to one or more joint tissues of the mammalian subject; and
a controller configured to respond to the one or more sensors by positioning the one or more applicators near the one or more joints.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more applicators includes one or more high speed microjets, one or more microneedles, one or more microfine lances, one or more microfine cannulas, one or more microprojections, or one or more electrodes.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein the one or more applicators includes one or more high speed microjets.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The device of claim 3, wherein the one or more applicators further includes one or more microneedles, one or more microfine lances, or one or more microfine cannulas.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein the one or more applicators includes electrodes on microprojections configured to apply electrical energy to skin of the mammalian subject.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The device of claim 5, wherein the electrodes on microprojections provide ablation of stratum corneum in an area beneath the electrodes thereby generating a plurality of hydrophilic microchannels in the skin of the mammalian subject.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein the high speed microjets are nanoliter-volume pulsed microjets.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein the one or more microneedles, the one or more microfine lances, the one or more microfine cannulas, or the one or more microprojections contact the one or more joint tissues of the mammalian subject.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more applicators includes a fluid displacement actuator configured as one or more piezoelectric actuators, one or more springs, one or more solenoids, one or more magnets, one or more motors, or one or more compressed gas actuators.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, further including a component for transient mechanical/electrical acceleration of the one or more medicaments from the high speed microjets.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The device of claim 10, wherein the component for transient mechanical/electrical acceleration includes a fluid displacement actuator configured as one or more piezoelectric actuators, one or more springs, one or more solenoids, one or more magnets, one or more motors, or one or more compressed gas actuators.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The device of claim 10, wherein the component for mechanical/electrical acceleration applies concentration gradients of the one or more medicaments in a time-dependent manner.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sheaths includes a sleeve-shaped article of clothing or a sleeve-shaped body covering.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The device of claim 13, wherein the one or more sheaths includes a shirt sleeve, a pant, a leg covering, a stocking, a bandage-like covering, a brace, a knee brace, an elbow brace, an ankle brace, a foot brace, a hand brace, or a spinal brace.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more joint tissues includes one or more of a fibrous capsule, subsynovium, synovial membrane, synovium, joint cavity, synovial fluid, articular cartilage, subchondral bone, or ligament.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more joints includes a synovial joint, cartilaginous joint, or fibrous joint.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more applicators supported by the one or more sheaths are configured to respond to the one or more sensors, wherein the one or more applicators are configured to inject the one or more medicaments to the one or more joint tissues of the mammalian subject.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect movement of the one or more body contours.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to monitor joint movement, body movement, or gait of the mammalian subject.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to monitor posture of the mammalian subject.

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to monitor frequency of joint use or level of effort used by the one or more joints.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The device of claim 21, wherein level of effort used by the one or more joints includes measured effort or inferred effort.

### Claim 23 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to monitor a preselected set of activity profiles.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect tissue swelling, tissue pressure, tissue color, tissue temperature, environmental temperature, electrical property of tissue, optical property of tissue, perspiration, or presence of an analyte.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The device of claim 24, wherein the analyte includes an inflammatory marker, antibody, or cytokine.

### Claim 26 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to determine quality of location or quality of contact placement of the one or more sheaths on the one or more body contours.

### Claim 27 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control release of the one or more medicaments from the one or more applicators.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The device of claim 27, wherein the controller is configured to control a timed-release dosage of the one or more medicaments.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The device of claim 27, wherein the controller is configured to report quantity and frequency of dosage of the one or more medicaments.

### Claim 30 (depends on 27)

The device of claim 27, wherein the controller is configured to control a maximum dosage of the one or more medicaments for a time period.

### Claim 31 (depends on 27)

The device of claim 27, wherein the controller is configured to activate the one or more applicators based at least in part on an activity history of the mammalian subject.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The device of claim 31, wherein the activity history includes joint movement or gait of the mammalian subject.

### Claim 33 (depends on 31)

The device of claim 31, wherein the activity history includes frequency of use of the one or more joints, measured effort level of the one or more joints, inferred effort level of the one or more joints, or a preselected activity profile.

### Claim 34 (depends on 27)

The device of claim 27, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect one or more conditions at one or more of the one or more joints and the controller is configured to control release of the one or more medicaments at others of the one or more joints of the mammalian subject.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The device of claim 34, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect movement of the one or more body contours.

### Claim 36 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, further including a power source.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

The device of claim 36, wherein the power source includes a motion-activated generator, solar cell, fuel cell, wireless source, battery or microbattery.

### Claim 38 (depends on 36)

The device of claim 36, wherein the power source is powered by motion of the body of the mammalian subject.

### Claim 39 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more applicators further includes tissue permeabilization components including one or more of electronics, ultrasonics, chemical permeation enhancer, iontophoresis, microdialysis, ultrafiltration, electromagnetic, electroosmosis, sonophoresis, microdialysis, suction, electroporation, thermal poration, microporation, heating component, or laser.

### Claim 40 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sheaths includes a tourniquet configured to apply intermittent pressure in the region of the jointed area.

### Claim 41 (depends on 40)

The device of claim 40, wherein the tourniquet is configured to apply a constricting force thereby causing the one or more applicators to penetrate the stratum corneum of the skin of the mammalian subject.

### Claim 42 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more medicaments includes steroids, corticosteroids, analgesics, COX-2 inhibitors, or NSAID.

### Claim 43 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, further including a pharmaceutical composition including the one or more medicaments in a thixotropic medium.

### Claim 44 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more applicators is configured to apply the one or more medicaments in a time-dependent manner.

### Claim 45 (depends on 44)

The device of claim 44, wherein the one or more applicators is configured to apply the one or more medicaments in concentration gradients in the time-dependent manner.

### Claim 46

A system comprising:
at least one apparatus including,
one or more sheaths configured to contact one or more body contours covering one or more joints of articulating bone of a mammalian subject;
one or more sensors configured to detect one or more physiological conditions of the one or more joints;
one or more applicators supported by the one or more sheaths and configured to respond to the one or more sensors by injecting one or more medicaments to one or more joint tissues of the mammalian subject; and
a controller configured to respond to the one or more sensors by locating the one or more applicators near the one or more joints detected with the one or more physiological conditions by the one or more sensors.

### Claim 47 (depends on 46)

The system of claim 46, wherein the controller is further configured to control release of the one or more medicaments from the one or more applicators.

### Claim 48 (depends on 46)

The system of claim 46, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect movement of the one or more body contours.