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Publication Number
US-8827979-B2
Publication Date
2014-09-09
Expiration Date
Abstract
The present disclosure presents systems, devices and methods for injection of drugs, substances and/or chemicals to a patient and for improving their effectiveness once they are injected are disclosed. Additional treatment can be applied to a tissue region on the patient into which a drug (e.g., insulin) is injected, to expose the tissue region to various forms of energy or a substance to improve the drug's pharmacokinetic and/or pharmacodynamic profile.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to an apparatus and method for delivering a therapeutic fluid to a patient at an injection site using a fluid injection device. The device includes an injector for injecting the therapeutic fluid into bodily tissue and a reservoir for containing the therapeutic fluid, and a treatment element comprising a heater coupled to the fluid injection device to modify the temperature of the bodily tissue in a vicinity of the injection site.
The treatment element is configured to improve pharmacokinetic and/or pharmacodynamic property of the injected therapeutic fluid in the bodily tissue by applying treatment at least one of a short time before, during and/or following injection. The treatment element does not heat the therapeutic fluid above a predetermined limiting temperature, thereby modifying tissue temperature near the injection site without overheating the therapeutic fluid itself.
The document also provides treatment activation and control concepts in which a sensor detects injection and configures the treatment element to apply treatment after detection. Control is described using a processing unit that controls the treatment element to adjust at least one of amplitude, duration, phase, intensity, and frequency, and the treatment element can be structured to apply treatment to the injection site and/or adjacent the injection site.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims cover two primary inventive features: coupled tissue temperature modification with an overheating constraint, and treatment application timed or defined relative to injection while improving pharmacokinetic and/or pharmacodynamic properties.
Heater-coupled injection device for tissue temperature modification
A fluid injection device includes an injector for injecting therapeutic fluid to bodily tissue at an injection site and a reservoir for containing the therapeutic fluid, and a treatment element comprising a heater coupled to the fluid injection device modifies the temperature of bodily tissue in a vicinity of the injection site to improve pharmacokinetic and/or pharmacodynamic property of the injected therapeutic fluid.
Predetermined limiting temperature without heating the therapeutic fluid above the limit
The treatment element does not heat the therapeutic fluid above a predetermined limiting temperature while modifying temperature of bodily tissue in the vicinity of the injection site for improving pharmacokinetic and/or pharmacodynamic properties.
Injection while applying treatment to the injection site or adjacent injection site to improve pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics
A method injects the therapeutic fluid at the injection site using the fluid injection device, applies treatment using the treatment element to at least one of the injection site and adjacent the injection site, wherein applying the treatment causes modification of the temperature of bodily tissue in a vicinity of the injection site, and improving, based on the applying of the treatment, a pharmacokinetic and/or pharmacodynamic property of the therapeutic fluid upon application.
The independent claim set centers on coupling a heater-based treatment element to a therapeutic fluid injection device to modify local tissue temperature in a vicinity of the injection site, applying treatment in relation to the injection, and improving pharmacokinetic and/or pharmacodynamic properties while not heating the therapeutic fluid above a predetermined limiting temperature.
Stated Advantages
Improves pharmacokinetic property of the injected therapeutic fluid.
Improves pharmacodynamic property of the injected therapeutic fluid.
Does not heat the therapeutic fluid above a predetermined limiting temperature while modifying tissue temperature near the injection site.
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
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