US20040106894A1 - Needleless drug injection device - Google Patents

Abstract

A drug injector includes a chamber for holding a drug to be injected into a biological body, and an nozzle through which the drug is injected. A piston is positioned in the chamber, and an actuator is coupled to the piston. The actuator includes a member that contracts when heated. In some embodiments, heating of the member is induced by applying a potential to the member. The actuator moves the piston towards the nozzle when the member is heated to expel the drug out of the chamber through the nozzle. The drug injector can include a sensor for measuring properties, such as stiffness, of the outer layer of the body. Further, the drug injector can adjust the piston movement based on the sensed properties. Alternatively, the sensor can be used with other medical devices, such as microneedle transport devices.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS
• This application is a Continuation of Attorney Docket No. 0050.2048-002 entitled “Needleless Drug Injection Device” filed on Sep. 5, 2003 which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 60/409,090, filed Sep. 6, 2002 and 60/424,114, filed Nov. 5, 2002. The entire teachings of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference.[0001]
BACKGROUND
• Injection of a liquid such as a drug into a human patient or an agriculture animal is performed in a number of ways. One of the easiest methods for drug delivery is through the skin which is the outermost protective layer of the body. It is composed of the epidermis, including the stratum corneum, the stratum granulosum, the stratum spinosum, and the stratum basale, and the dermis, containing, among other things, the capillary layer. The stratum corneum is a tough, scaly layer made of dead cell tissue. It extends around 10-20 microns from the skin surface and has no blood supply. Because of the density of this layer of cells, moving compounds across the skin, either into or out of the body, can be difficult.[0002]
• The current technology for delivering local pharmaceuticals through the skin includes methods that use needles or other skin piercing devices. Invasive procedures, such as use of needles or lances, effectively overcome the barrier function of the stratum corneum. However, these methods suffer from several major disadvantages: local skin damage, bleeding, and risk of infection at the injection site, and creation of contaminated needles or lances that must be disposed. Further, when these devices are used to inject drugs in agriculture animals, the needles break off from time to time and remain embedded in the animal.[0003]
• Needleless injection devices have been proposed to overcome the problems associated with needles, but the proposed devices present different problems. For example, some needleless injection devices rely on spring actuators that offer limited control. Others use solenoids, compressed air or hydraulic actuators also offer limited control.[0004]
SUMMARY
• Needleless drug injection apparatus and methods described herein use specially-configured shaped memory materials in combination with one or more nozzles to effectively inject a drug through an animal's skin to a selected depth without first piercing the skin with a lance or needle.[0005]
• A drug injector includes a housing having a chamber for holding a drug to be injected into a biological body, and a nozzle through which the drug is injected. A piston is positioned in the housing, and an actuator is coupled to the piston. The actuator includes a member that contracts when a potential is applied to the member. The actuator moves the piston towards the nozzle when the potential is applied to the member to expel the drug out of the chamber through the nozzle.[0006]
• A resilient member, such as a coiled spring, may be used to force the piston away from the nozzle after the potential diminishes. The member may be one or more wires of shape memory alloy, for example, Ni—Ti.[0007]
• In certain embodiments, the chamber is coupled to a reservoir holding a sufficient amount of drug for multiple injections. A sterile interface can be positioned between the orifice and the body to prevent cross contamination between bodies when the injector is used as a multiuse device. The sterile interface can be a flexible ribbon supplied from a roller, with a new sterile portion of the ribbon being positioned over the nozzle after an injection. In some embodiments, the chamber is within a vial positioned in the housing. A plurality of vials can be sequentially supplied to the injector so that a new vial is positioned in the injector after an injection.[0008]
• In particular embodiments, the injector includes a skin sensor that measures skin properties of the body, and a servo-controller coupled to the actuator and the skin sensor. The servo-controller adjusts the injection pressure of the drug injector based on the skin properties. A tailored stochastic sequence can be used to determine the skin properties. The skin properties can be determined with system identification techniques. In certain embodiments, the skin is modeled as a second order mechanical system.[0009]
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.[0010]
• FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a drug delivery device in accordance with the invention.[0011]
• FIG. 1B is a side view of the drug delivery device of FIG. 1A.[0012]
• FIG. 1C is an end view of the drug delivery device taken along the[0013]line1C-1C of FIG. 1B.
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the drug delivery device of FIG. 1A with a controller and energy source.[0014]
• FIG. 3A is a graph of the time response of a shape memory alloy fiber of the drug delivery device of FIG. 1A for a high strain.[0015]
• FIG. 3B is a graph of the time response of the shape memory alloy fiber of the drug delivery device of FIG. 1A when the fiber is subjected to a potential as a quick pulse.[0016]
• FIGS.[0017]4A-4C are respectively side, front, and top views of a hand-held drug delivery device.
• FIG. 4D is a perspective view of the drug delivery device shown in FIGS.[0018]4A-4C.
• FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the drug delivery device taken along the line[0019]5A-5A of FIG. 1C prior to delivery of a drug.
• FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the drug delivery device of FIG. 1A during drug delivery.[0020]
• FIG. 6A is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the drug delivery device in accordance with the invention.[0021]
• FIG. 6B is a side view of the drug delivery device of FIG. 6A.[0022]
• FIG. 6C is top view of the drug delivery device taken along the[0023]line6C-6C of FIG. 6B.
• FIG. 6D is front view of the drug delivery device taken along the line[0024]5D-5D of FIG. 6B.
• FIG. 7A is a perspective view of a drug vile for the drug delivery device of FIG. 6A.[0025]
• FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the drug vile of FIG. 7A.[0026]
• FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the drug delivery device of FIG. 6A with a controller and energy source.[0027]
• FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view of the drug delivery device taken along the[0028]line9A-9A of FIG. 6D prior to delivery of a drug.
• FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of the drug delivery device during drug delivery.[0029]
• FIG. 10 is cross-sectional view of another alternative embodiment of the drug delivery device in accordance with the invention.[0030]
• FIG. 11 illustrates the drug delivery device of FIG. 10 with a protective sterile ribbon in accordance with the invention.[0031]
• FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate yet another alternative embodiment of the drug delivery device in accordance with the invention.[0032]
• FIG. 13 illustrates the drug delivery device with a sensor used to detect properties of the skin in accordance with the invention.[0033]
• FIG. 14 is a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of the sensor used to detect properties of the skin in accordance with the invention.[0034]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
• A description of preferred embodiments of the invention follows.[0035]
• Referring to FIGS.[0036]1A-1C, there are shown various views of a drug delivery device used to inject a liquid formulation of an active principle, for example, a drug, into biological body such as an agriculture animal or human being. The delivery device is generally identified as10 in the illustrated embodiment as well as in other embodiments described later. The drug is initially contained in a chamber12 (FIG. 5A) and is injected out through an orifice oroutput port14 into the body.
• A nozzle is typically used to convey the drug to the skin at the required speed and diameter to penetrate the skin as required. The nozzle generally contains a flat surface, such as the[0037]head17 that can be placed against the skin and anorifice14. It is the inner diameter of theorifice14 that controls the diameter of the drug stream. Additionally, the length of an aperture, or tube, defining theorifice14 also controls the injection pressure. In some embodiments, a standard hypodermic needle is cut to a predetermined length and coupled to the head. One end of the needle is flush, or slightly recessed, with respect to the surface of thehead17 that contacts the skin to avoid puncturing the skin during use. The internal diameter of the needle (e.g., 100 μm) defines the diameter of the aperture, and the length of the needle (e.g., 5 mm) together with the aperture dimension controls the resulting injection pressure, for a given applicator pressure. In other embodiments, a hole can be drilled directly into thehead17 to reduce assembly steps. In general, the length of the orifice is selectable, for example ranging from 500 μm to 5 mm, while its diameter can range from 80 μm to 200 μm.
• The[0038]device10 includes aguide tube16 in which apiston18 is positioned. Aninterchangeable head17 is attached at anenlarged end19 of thetube16 with a set ofscrews21. One end of thepiston18, along with the inside of theenlarged end19 andhead17 define thechamber12, and apush block22 is attached at the other end of thepiston18. Although thepiston18 forms a clearance seal with thetube16, a seal ring can be placed about thepiston18 to prevent drug from escaping from thechamber12 between thepiston18 and thetube16. Attached on the outside of thepush block22 is anelectrical contact plate24. Anothercontact plate26 is positioned between theinterchangeable head17 and theenlarged end19.
• In some embodiments, the[0039]guide tube16 includes linear bearings to reduce the friction of thepiston18. Preferably, thepiston18 is rigid to avoid buckling under the force exerted by the actuator. Further, thepiston18 is light weight to reduce its inertia ensuring a rapid acceleration upon activation. In one embodiment, thepiston18 is formed from a hollow aluminum rod. Other parts can also be advantageously constructed of light weight materials. For example, thepush block22 can be formed from a machinable poly acetal.
• In addition to the[0040]contact plates24 and26, anactuator28 includes one to six ormore wires30 positioned about thetube16 and parallel to one another. Oneend32 of eachwire30 is attached to thecontact plate24 through thepush block22, and anotherend34 of thewire30 is attached to arespective capstan36. Thecapstan36, and thecontact plates24 and26 are electrically conductive. Hence, the ends32 and34 of thewires30 are electrically connected to each other through thecontact plates24 and26, respectively. An insulatingcollar38 positioned about theguide tube20 helps guide thewires30 through theholes39 between theenlarged region19 and thepush block22.
• To apply the appropriate tension to the[0041]wires30 and to define the volume of thechamber12, acoiled spring37 is positioned about thepiston18 between the end of thetube16 and thepush block22, and thecapstans36 are turned accordingly, much like adjusting the tension in guitar strings. Thewires30 are wrapped around therespective capstans36 one or more times. As such, the strain near the terminal ends34 of thewires30 attached to thecapstans36 are significantly less than the strain along the remainder of the length of thewires30. For example, the strain near theterminal end34 may be about 1% while that of the remainder of the wire may be about 15%.
• The[0042]wires30 can be secured to thecontact plate24 with capstans, as well. Alternatively, thewires30 can be attached to one or bothcontact plates24 and26 by other techniques, for example, by electrodeposition as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,391, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
• Alternatively, each[0043]wire30 can be twisted with a respective electrically conductive wire made of, for example, copper or iron. The twisted segment is then bent back, and partially twisted forming a loop, with the partially twisted segment formed of two strands of thewire30 and two strands of the copper wire. The formed loop can be placed on a pin, for example, or it can be fully twisted and then bent back and partially twisted forming another loop, with the partially twisted segment formed of four strands of thewire30 and four strands of the copper wire. Again, the formed loop can be placed on a pin to secure thewire30 to thecontact plate24 and/or26.
• More generally, the[0044]wires30 can be formed from a shape memory material that changes from a first stable state to a second stable state upon excitation. For example, the shape memory material can be a shape memory polymer. Alternatively, or in addition, the shape memory material can be an alloy. In some embodiments, a phase change of the shape memory material occurs when the material is heated. For example, a shape metal alloy can exist with one of two different lattice structures, such that a phase change from one lattice structure to another occurs responsive to the application and/or removal of thermal energy.
• The[0045]wires30 are made of a suitable material that contracts when heated and can be used as an actuation method. Heating can be accomplished by passing a current through thewire30, known as Joule heating. Thus, the current is conducted within thewires30 after a potential is applied across them. A class of materials that contract when a potential is applied to them includes piezoelectric materials and shape memory alloys. While piezoelectric crystals contract about 1%, shape memory alloys are able to contract approximately 15% or more. The larger contraction of shape memory alloys makes them desirable for the illustrated embodiment. Accordingly, thewires30 are made of shape memory alloy such as, for example, Ni—Ti (also known as Nitinol), available from Shaped Memory Applications Inc., of San Jose, Calif., and from Dynalloy Inc. of Costa Mesa, Calif., under the Trade Mark FLEXINOL. When a potential is applied across thewires30 via thecontact plates24 and26 thewires30 heat up. As thewires30 heat up, a phase transformation of the wire material occurs, namely, the wire changes phase from martensite to austenite. This phase transformation causes thewires30 to contract such that thepiston18 is pushed towards theorifice14, thereby forcing the drug from thechamber12 out theorifice14. Preferably, the shape memory alloy is fast acting to provide a sudden force suitable for injecting a drug into a patient's skin without using a needle. A more detailed description of shape memory alloys and their use is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,901, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
• To use the[0046]device10, the device is connected to acontroller50 with a pair ofleads52, and the controller in turn in connected to acapacitor bank54 with another pair ofleads56, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Thecontroller50 can be a simple microprocessor, or alternatively a personal computer with multifunction capabilities. The capacitors of thebank54 are energized through a power source in thecontroller50 or by an external power source. Once energized, the capacitors, under the direction of thecontroller50, discharge to apply a potential across thewires30 via theplates24 and26 through the leads52. In this manner, thewires30 are connected together in a parallel configuration, the supply potential being applied equally across the ends of each of themultiple wires30. In another embodiment, thewires30 are connected together in a series configuration. Still other arrangements can be used to apply the potential across thewires30, for example, as describe in U.S. application Ser. No. 10/200,574 filed Jul. 19, 2002, by Angel and Hunter, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
• Although any capacitor can be used in the[0047]bank54, a super capacitor has the advantageous feature of providing a large energy density in a small physical size. Hence the capacitors of thebank54 can besuper capacitors53 that have a volume from 1.5 ml to 30 ml, preferably 3 ml, and an energy output of 10 J to 1 KJ, preferably 100 J. The current applied to thewires30 is approximately 100 mAmps to 5 Amps, and the voltage applied to thewires30 is between about 1 volt to 10 volts. In one embodiment, the applied current is 1 Amp, and the applied voltage is 5 volts. To heat thewires30 quickly, larger currents of 25 to 100 Amps can be applied. As fast action is required, the power source must also be able to switch large currents with millisecond timing.
• The amount of force per area generated by the[0048]wires30 is about 235 MN/m². In the illustrated embodiment, the volume of drug initially contained in thechamber12 is about 200 μL to 250 μL, and theorifice14 has a diameter of between about 50 μm to 500 μm. In some embodiments, the drug volume is up to 500 μL. The drug injection velocity is about 150 m/s with a 150μm orifice14. Generally, an injection velocity of 100 m/s or greater is required for successful skin penetration (e.g., penetrating skin to a depth of 2 mm) in a stream having a diameter of 100 μm. Advantageously, the stream diameter of the needleless injector can be substantially smaller than a typical 24 gauge needle having a diameter of 450 μm.
• The[0049]device10 has a length, L₁, of approximately 150 mm, and thewires30 contract about 7 mm when a potential is applied across them. Thewires30 can have circular cross section, in which case eachwire30 has a diameter of approximately 0.025 mm to 2 mm, preferably 380 μm. Alternatively, each fiber can have a flat ribbon shape with a thickness approximately in the range 0.025 mm to 0.5 mm and a width of approximately 0.75 mm to 10 mm. Other suitable shape memory alloys include Ag—Cd, Au—Cd, Au—Cu—Zn, Cu—Al, Cu—Al—N, Cu—Zn, Cu—Zn—Al, Cu—Zn—Ga, Cu—Zn—Si, Cu—Zn—Sn, Fe—Pt, Fe—Ni, In—Cd, In—Ti, and Ti—Nb.
• Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, there are shown graphs of the time response of[0050]wires30 made from Ni—Ti. Shown in FIG. 3A is the response of a wire subjected to a strain of nearly 5%. As can be seen, the contraction time for this wire is about 10 ms. By way of contrast, FIG. 3B illustrates a wire subjected to faster pulse than that applied to the wire of FIG. 3A. With the faster pulse, the fiber experiences a strain of about 1%, with a contraction time of about 1 ms.
• In use, the[0051]device10 is typically mounted within an applicator that is held by an operator. The applicator can be shaped as a pistol, cylinder or any other suitable geometry. An exemplary applicator is shown in FIGS. 4A through 4D. In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 4A, a pistol shapedapplicator400 includes abarrel405 configured to house thedevice10. Thebarrel405 can be a hollow tube or rectangle having a cavity sized to accept thedevice10. Referring to FIG. 4B, thebarrel405 includes anaperture420 at one end sized to accept thehead17 of thedevice10. Thehead17 protrudes through theaperture420 to facilitate contact with an animal's skin. Further, theapplicator400 includes ahandle410 configured to be grasped by an operator. Thehandle410 is coupled at one end to thebarrel405. Additionally, theapplicator400 can include a base415 coupled to another end of thehandle410. The base415 can be configured to house other parts of the needleless injector, such as the power source and/or control unit. Thehandle410 can be similarly configured (e.g., hollowed out) to also house parts of the needleless injector. Further, theapplicator400 can include aswitch420. Theswitch420 can be controlled by an operator to operate thedevice10 to initiate an injection and/or a filling of the device with a drug.
• Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, as well as to FIG. 1A, the operator positions the applicator to place a[0052]surface60 of thehead17 against the skin, S, of the biological body. Prior to the placement of thehead17 against the skin, or while thehead17 is positioned against the skin, thecapacitor bank54 is energized as described above. The operator then triggers thedevice10 through thecontroller50 to discharge thecapacitor bank54, thereby applying a potential across thewires30 which causes them to contract. As thewires30 contract, they pull thepush block22, which pushes thepiston18 towards thehead17 to force the drug, D, from thechamber12 through theorifice14 into the body. The injection pressure can be as low as 1 MPa or lower or as high as 300 MPa. For comparison, a minimum local pressure of approximately 1.91 MPa is required for piercing skin to a depth of 2 mm using a 100 μm diameter needle After the energy in the capacitor bank is depleted, the potential across thewires30 is removed which causes thewires30 to extend to their original length as thecoiled spring37 pushes thepush block22 away from thehead17. Thechamber12 can then be refilled if desired with additional drug to be injected into another body or the same body.
• Turning now to FIGS.[0053]6A-6D, there are shown various views of an alternative embodiment of thedrug delivery device10, where like features are identified by like numerals. Here, thedevice10 includes twobase portions70 and72. Thepiston18 extends through thebase portion72 and through part of thebase portion70, as shown, for example, in FIG. 9A. As before, thepiston18 is attached at one end to thepush block22, which slides back and forth over asurface76 of thebase portion72, such that the piston slides back and forth in the base portions.
• Referring also to FIGS. 7A and 7B, a removable and/or[0054]disposable vial80 is mounted in thebase portion70. For example, thevial80 can be screw mounted to thebase portion70. Thevial80 is provided with a nozzle, as described above, at one end defining theorifice14. Thevial80 also includes aplunger82 that moves back and forth in thechamber12 defined within thevial80. Theplunger82 abuts theterminal end84 of thepiston18. As such, as thepiston18 moves towards theorifice14, drug, D, contained in thechamber12 is expelled through theorifice14. In some implementations, the orifice of the drug vial, or the chamber of the embodiment of FIG. 1A, is sealed with a suitable material prior to use. The seal may be manually removed, or it may be removed by the injection pressure of the drug as it ejects from the vial or chamber.
• A[0055]single length wire30 is positioned on each side of thebase portions70 and72 and attached at one end to alead capstan90a,wrapped sequentially aroundintermediate capstans90b,90c,90d,and attached at the other end to aterminal capstan90e.To apply the appropriate tension to thewires30, thecoiled spring37 is positioned about thepiston18 between thebase portion72 and thepush block22, and arachet mechanism92 is employed to adjust the tension in thewires30. Thecapstans90a,90c,and90eare electrically conductive, and are coupled to respectiveconductive bars94 and96. Thecapstans90band90dare also electrically conductive, and are electrically coupled to respectiveconductive plates98 and100. Theplates98 and100 in turn are electrically connected to each other through thepush block22, but electrically insulated from thepiston18 andbase portion72. The twobars94 and96 are electrically insulated from thebase portion70. As such, when a potential is applied across theconductive bars94 and96, the potential is also applied across the four segments of eachwire30.
• In one implementation, the[0056]device10 of FIG. 6A is connected to thecontroller50 with the pair ofleads52, and the controller in turn in connected to thecapacitor bank54 with another pair ofleads56, as illustrated in FIG. 8. As mentioned above, the capacitors of thebank54 are energized through a power source in thecontroller50 or by an external power source. Once energized, the capacitors, under the direction of thecontroller50, discharge to apply a potential across thewires30 via theconductive bars94 and96 through the leads52. Thewires30 heat up and contract such that thepiston18 is pushed towards theorifice14, thereby forcing the drug D from thechamber12 of thevial80 out theorifice14.
• Although shown as blocks, the[0057]base portions70 and72 can have any suitable geometry which facilitates the use of thedevice10 of FIG. 6A in a particular application. As mentioned before, the device can be mounted within an applicator that is held by an operator.
• Referring to FIGS. 9A and 9B, as well as to FIG. 6A, to use the[0058]device10, the operator positions the applicator such that asurface101 of thevial80 is placed against the skin, S, of the body. Prior to the placement of thesurface101 against the skin, or while thesurface101 is positioned against the skin, thecapacitor bank54 is energized, as described earlier. The operator then triggers thedevice10 through thecontroller50 to discharge thecapacitor bank54, thereby applying a potential across thewires30 which causes them to contract. As thewires30 contract, they pull thepush block22 which pushes thepiston18, which in turn pushes theplunger82 towards theorifice14 to force the drug, D, from thechamber12 through theorifice14 into the body. After the energy in the capacitor bank is depleted, the potential across thewires30 is removed which causes thewires30 to extend to their original length as thecoiled spring37 pushes thepush block22 away from thevial80. Thechamber12 can then be refilled if desired with additional drug to be injected into another body.
• The[0059]device10 of FIGS. 1A or5A can be used as a single-use device or for multiple uses. When used as a multiuse device, the cycle time between uses can be 0.5 seconds or less.
• For example, there is shown in FIG. 10 the[0060]device10 of FIG. 1A coupled to areservoir100 that supplies thechamber12 with a sufficient amount of drug, D, for each injection, and holds enough drug for approximately 20 to 200 or more injections. Alternatively, individual doses may be provided in a plurality of reservoirs sequentially coupled to thedelivery device10. Avalve102 is associated with atube103 connecting thereservoir100 with aninlet port104 of thechamber12. Thevalve102 is opened and closed under the direction of thecontroller50, or an additional controller, to allow the desired amount of drug into thechamber12 for each injection. Thedevice10 of FIG. 6A can also be coupled to a similar reservoir that is operated in the manner just described.
• When the[0061]device10 of FIG. 10 is in use, thecontroller50 instructs thevalve102 to open to allow the drug to flow from thereservoir100 through theinlet port104 into thechamber12, and, after a prescribed period of time, thecontroller50 directs thevalve102 to close so that a desired amount of the drug is held in thechamber12 for a single injection.
• Next, or while the[0062]chamber12 is being filled with drug, the operator positions the applicator to place thesurface60 of thehead17 against the skin, S, of the body. Meanwhile, thecapacitor bank54 is energized as described above. The operator then triggers thedevice10 through thecontroller50 to discharge thecapacitor bank54, thereby applying a potential across thewires30 which causes them to contract. As thewires30 contract, they pull thepush block22 which pushes thepiston18 towards thehead17 to force the drug, D, from thechamber12 through theorifice14 into the body. After the energy in the capacitor bank is depleted, the potential across thewires30 is removed which causes thewires30 to extend to their original length as thecoiled spring37 pushes thepush block22 away from thehead17. Thecontroller50 then instructs thevalve102 to open to refill thechamber12 with additional drug from thereservoir100 to be injected into another body.
• When the[0063]device10 is intended for multiple uses, it may be desirable to provide some type of protective sterile barrier between thehead17 and the skin of the body to eliminate or at least minimize exposing a subsequent body with contaminants from a previous body.
• For example, there is shown in FIG. 11 the[0064]device10 provided with a supply of ribbon from asupply roller110 mounted to thedevice10 with asupport112. A sheet ofribbon111 passes between the face60 (see, e.g., FIG. 1A) and the skin, S, of the body. After use, theribbon111 is spooled onto a take-uproller114 that is mounted to thedevice10 with asupport116. Theribbon111 is wide enough to cover theface60 such that none of theface60 makes contact with the skin, S. Theribbon111 is made of any suitable material that prevents cross-contamination between biological bodies, such as a non-porous flexible material.
• The operation of the take-up[0065]roller114, and, optionally, thesupply roller110, can be controlled by thecontroller50, or an additional controller. Thus, when in use, thedevice10 ejects drug from theorifice14 through theribbon111 into the body. After the drug has been injected into the body, additional drug can be supplied from thereservoir100 according to the techniques described above, while thecontroller50 instructs theroller114 to take up a sufficient amount ofribbon111 in the direction A, so that the next body is exposed only to a new sterile portion of theribbon111 during the injection procedure.
• In other implementations, a new[0066]sterile head17 is positioned on thedevice10 after an injection, while theprevious head17 is disposed in a suitable manner.
• Referring now to FIGS. 12A and 12B, there is shown another embodiment of the[0067]device10 suitable for multiuse operations. Thedevice10 is provided with a series ofvials80 connected together, for example, with aflexible web120.Enlarged regions122 and124 (see, e.g., FIG. 7A) of thevials80 engage with aslot126 of thebase portion70. Thus, after each injection, adriver200, separate from or integral with thedevice10, pulls theweb120, and hence thevials80, in the direction B until a vial filled with drug and fed from the top of thebase70 is suitably coupled with thepiston18 for the next injection. The injection procedure proceeds as described earlier, for example, for the embodiment of FIG. 6A. As such, thedevice10 can be used in a “machine-gun” like manner, with new vials being fed through the top of thebase70, while depleted vials are pulled out from the bottom of thebase70. Thedriver200 can be under the control of thecontroller50 or another controller. Thevials80 could be fed and removed from the side of thebase portion70. Moreover, such an automated arrangement could be implemented with thedevice10 of FIGS.1-4.
• In some implementations, the[0068]controller50 is coupled with a sensor that detects skin properties. This information can be used to servo-control theactuator28 to tailor the injection pressure, and, therefore, the depth of penetration of drug into the skin for a particular application. For instance, when thedevice10 is used on a baby, the sensor detects the softness of the baby's skin, and thecontroller50 uses the properties of the baby's skin and consequently reduces the injection pressure. The injection pressure can be adjusted, for example, by controlling the current amplitude applied to thewires30 and/or the current pulse rise time and/or duration. When used on an adult or someone with sun damaged skin, the controller may increase the injection pressure. The injection pressure may be adjusted depending on location of the skin on the body, for example, the face versus the arm of the patient. The injection pressure can also be tailored to deliver the drug just underneath the skin or deep into muscle tissue. Moreover, the injection pressure may be varied over time. For instance, in some implementations, a large injection pressure is initially used to pierce the skin with the drug, and then a lower injection pressure is used to deliver the drug. A larger injection may also be used to break a seal that seals the chamber or vial.
• Skin is a non-linear, viscoelastic material. Microscopic changes in cellular mechanical properties or adhesion between tissue can be observed as macroscopic changes in static or dynamic mechanical tissue properties. These factors combine to determine the behavior of skin in response to outside stimulants. For small force perturbations about an applied static force, the skin mechanical dynamics can be approximated as a linear mechanical system relating the applied force F(t) to skin deformation x(t) as:[0069]$\begin{array}{cc}F\left(t\right)=I\frac{{}^2x\left(t\right)}{{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; label="t"\; filenames="US20040106894A1-20040603-D00003.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">t</figure-callout>}}^2}+B\frac{x\left(t\right)}{t}+Kx\left(t\right),& \left(1\right)\end{array}$

  
• where I is the inertia in kg, B is the viscosity in kg/s, and K is the stiffness in N/m of skin. After taking the Laplace transform of equation (1), the equivalent transfer function representing the mechanical compliance of the skin as a function of frequency, ω, is:[0070]$\begin{array}{cc}\frac{x\left(\omega \right)}{F\left(\omega \right)}=\frac{G{\omega }_n^2}{{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; label="\omega "\; filenames="US20040106894A1-20040603-D00003.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">\omega </figure-callout>}}^2+2{\mathrm{\omega }}_n\omega +{\omega }_n^2},& \left(2\right)\\ \mathrm{where}& \\ G=\frac{1}{K},& \left(3\right)\\ {\omega }_n=\sqrt{\frac{K}{I}},& \left(4\right)\\ \mathrm{and}& \\ =\frac{1}{2}\frac{B}{\sqrt{IK}}.& \left(5\right)\end{array}$

  
• A Bode plot (gain vs. freq.) can be obtained for the above mechanical system, illustrating a decrease in compliance with increase skin stiffness. A tailored stochastic sequence can also be performed by tuning F(t) to pull out the relevant parameters. As such, skin properties can be determined with system identification techniques. Such techniques are described in the article “The Identification of Nonlinear Biological Systems: Volterra Kernel Approaches,” by Michael J. Korenberg and Ian W. Hunter, Annals of Biomedical Engineering, Vol. 24, pp. 250-269, 1996, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.[0071]
• Referring now to FIG. 13, there is shown a[0072]skin property sensor200 associated with thedrug delivery device10. Thesensor200 includes an electromagnetically drivenvoice coil202 coupled to aforce transducer206 with aflexure204. Theforce transducer206 in turn is coupled to a linear variable differential transducer (LVDT)208 with asensor tip201. In the implementation shown, thevoice coil202, theforce transducer206, and theLVDT208 are connected to a controller such as thecontroller50, which drives thesensor200 as well as receives signals from thesensor200. Thesensor200 can be integrated with thedevice10, or it can be a separate unit. As shown, the sensor is positioned within thedevice10, with thesensor tip201 located near the orifice14 (see also FIGS. 1A, 5A, and6A).
• Accordingly, when the[0073]device10 is used with thesensor200, thedevice10 is initially placed against the skin, S, of the body such that thesensor tip201 also rests against the skin. Thecontroller50 then drives thevoice coil202, for example, up to 20 kHz, to perturb the skin, while theforce transducer202 detects the force thetip201 applies to the skin, and theLVDT208 detects the displacement of the skin. This data is fed back to thecontroller50 which then evaluates the skin properties with the system identification techniques described earlier. Based on the detected skin properties, thecontroller50 directs theactuator28 to eject the drug, D, contained in thechamber12, through theorifice14 with the desired injection pressure. Alternatively, abody portion210 in which thechamber12 is defined can function as thesensor tip201. In such implementations, thebody portion210 would be coupled to theLVDT208 andforce sensor206 so that thechamber12,body portion210, andsensor200 would be positioned in line.
• Other skin property sensor arrangements can also be used with the[0074]device10, such as thesensor configuration300 shown as a block diagram in FIG. 14. Thesensor300 includes a linear electromagnetic actuator302 (e.g., model no. 4910, available from Bruel and Kjaer) vertically mounted to a rigid frame. A strain gauge type load cell304 (e.g., model no. ELF-TC13-15, available from Entran, of Fairfield, N.J.) is mounted to the actuator platform for the purpose of measuring the DC offset of the system corresponding to the static loading, as measured with a multimeter303 (e.g., model no.HP 972A, available from Hewlett Packard, or Palo Alto, Calif.) via asignal conditioning amplifier305. Below theload cell304 is an impedance head306 (Bruel and Kjaer model no. 8001) consisting of apiezoelectric accelerometer306aand apiezoelectric force transducer306b.The two outputs from the accelerometer record the force applied to the skin and its resulting acceleration. Twocharge amplifiers308′,308″ (generally308) (Bruel and Kjaer model no. 2635) transform the force to a proportional voltage and doubly integrate the acceleration to give the skin displacement. Theactuator302 is driven by an algorithm, such as a Visual BASIC program, that simulates a Dynamic Signal Analyzer through apower amplifier310. The algorithm outputs a swept sinusoidal signal within a range of pre-determined frequencies. This modulation is a small perturbation on top of an initial static load, which is determined from the output voltage of theload cell304. The measured force and displacement of the actuator are then input to two separate channels of adata acquisition board312 and used to calculate the compliance transfer function gain and phase with a computer or thecontroller50. In one implementation, there is a 50 kHz per channel of the data acquisition board, which can be increased to 100 kHz per channel when multiplexed. The A/D is 18 bits with ±4.5 V, while the D/A is 18 bits with ±3.0 V. Like that shown in FIG. 13 for thesensor200, thesensor300 is preferably associated with thedevice10 through thecontroller50. Accordingly, properties of the skin are analyzed by thecontroller50 based on the data from thesensor300. Thecontroller50 then directs thedevice10 to eject drug into the body with the appropriate injection pressure.
• Although the[0075]sensors200 and300 are shown in combination with thedevice10, the sensors can be combined with other types of medical devices. For example, the sensor can be combined with other types of needleless injectors such as those using magnetic, chemical, hydraulic, and spring actuators, and those described in U.S. application Ser. No. 10/200,574 filed Jul. 19, 2002, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/409,090 filed Sep. 6, 2002, incorporated by reference in their entireties. Additionally, the sensor can be combined with injectors that use needles, such as microneedle injectors, and those described in U.S. application Ser. Nos. 10/238,844 filed Sep. 9, 2002 and 10/278,049 filed Oct. 21, 2002, also incorporated by reference in their entireties. Advantageously, the sensed properties can be used to control the depth and/or insertion force of the needles.
• Furthermore, the[0076]sensors200,300 can be used to measure skin properties of a subject, as described above, or they can be used, to measure properties of other body surfaces. For example, the sensor can be used to measure properties of the internal anatomy of subject, such as the surface of an internal cavity or organ during a surgical procedure.
• In some embodiments, the[0077]sensors200 and300 can be configured as stand alone units. Thus, the system components discussed in relation to FIGS. 13 and 14 can be packaged within a single housing. The housing can be tethered to an external power source, or can include an internal power source, such as a battery. Additionally, a stand alone unit can be configured as a wearable device that can attach to a patient's body using a bandage, or an adhesive. For example, a small force transducer and an accelerometer can be packaged in an adhesive bandage that is placed on the skin. The transducer first resonates at a resonant frequency (e.g., 50 Hz) for a period of time (e.g., several seconds). The transducer stimulates the local skin and the accelerometer detects the displacement of the skin. A controller can then record the resulting skin displacement in a memory and calculate the compliance gain of the skin. The controller can further determine the mechanical behavior of the skin (e.g., stiffness) using the calculated compliance gain. Still further, the controller can further identify the type of skin using its calculated mechanical behavior and/or compliance gain (e.g., that of a baby or of an adult). The sensor can ultimately generate a signal or command used as an indicator to an operator and/or a control signal to a medical device.
• While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims. For example, contractile polymers, or any other suitable contracting material, can be used instead of the shape memory alloy. The[0078]device10 may include multiple chambers or may accommodate multiple drug vials. Thus, thedevice10 is able to deliver drug sequentially or simultaneously. For example, thedevice10 is able to deliver two or more drugs at once to the body.

Claims (35)

What is claimed is:

1. A drug injector configured to inject a drug to a depth beneath an animal's skin comprising:

a chamber for holding a drug to be injected into a biological body;

a nozzle in fluid communication with the chamber, the drug being injected though the nozzle;

a piston positioned within the chamber; and

an actuator coupled to the piston, the actuator including a member that contracts when a potential is applied to the member, the actuator moving the piston towards the nozzle when the potential is applied to the member to expel the drug out of the chamber through the nozzle, thereby delivering the drug to a depth beneath an animal's skin.

2. The drug injector ofclaim 1 further comprising an inlet port for filling the chamber with the drug.

3. The drug injector ofclaim 1 further comprising a resilient member that applies a force to the piston away from the nozzle.

4. The drug injector ofclaim 3 wherein the resilient member is a coiled spring.

5. The drug injector ofclaim 1 wherein the member is one or more wires of shape memory material.

6. The drug injector ofclaim 5 wherein the shape memory material is a shape memory polymer.

7. The drug injector ofclaim 5 wherein the shape memory material is a shape memory alloy.

8. The drug injector ofclaim 7 wherein the shape memory alloy is selected from the group including: Ag—Cd, Au—Cd, Au—Cu—Zn, Cu—Al, Cu—Al—N, Cu—Zn, Cu—Zn—Al, Cu—Zn—Ga, Cu—Zn—Si, Cu—Zn—Sn, Fe—Pt, Fe—Ni, In—Cd, In—Ti, Ti—Nb, and combinations thereof.

9. The drug injector ofclaim 7 wherein the shape memory alloy is Ni—Ti.

10. The drug injector ofclaim 7 wherein the shape memory alloy structure changes phase from martensite to austenite when the potential is applied to the member.

11. The drug injector ofclaim 1 wherein the chamber is coupled to a reservoir, the reservoir containing enough drug for multiple injections.

12. The drug injector ofclaim 1 further comprising a sterile interface positioned between the nozzle and the body.

13. The drug injector ofclaim 12 wherein the sterile interface is a flexible ribbon supplied from a roller, a new sterile portion of the ribbon being positioned over the nozzle after an injection.

14. The drug injector ofclaim 1 wherein the chamber receives a vial, the chamber being located within the vial, and the nozzle being associated with the vial.

15. The drug injector ofclaim 14 wherein a plurality of vials are sequentially supplied to the injector, a new vial being positioned in the injector after an injection.

16. The drug injector ofclaim 1 further comprising:

a skin sensor that measures skin properties of the body; and

a servo-controller coupled to the drug injector and the skin sensor, the servo-controller adjusting the injection pressure of the drug injector to selectively deliver the drug to the body based on the skin properties.

17. A drug injector configured to inject a drug to a depth beneath an animal's skin comprising:

a housing;

a vial positioned within the housing, the vial holding a drug to be injected into a biological body;

a nozzle associated with the housing through which the drug is injected;

a piston positioned within the housing; and

an actuator coupled to the piston, the actuator including a member of shape memory alloy, the actuator moving the piston towards the nozzle of the vial when a potential is applied to the member to expel the drug out of the vial through the nozzle, thereby delivering the drug to a depth beneath an animal's skin.

18. The apparatus ofclaim 17 wherein the drug is expelled through the nozzle with an injection velocity of at least about 100 meters per second.

19. A drug injector configured to inject a drug to a depth beneath an animal's skin comprising:

a housing;

a vial positioned within the housing, the vial holding a drug to be injected into a biological body;

a nozzle associated with the vial through which the drug is injected;

a piston positioned within the housing;

an actuator coupled to the piston, the actuator including a member of shape memory alloy, the actuator moving the piston towards the nozzle of the vial when a potential is applied to the member to expel the drug out of the vial through the nozzle;

a skin sensor that measures skin properties of the body; and

a servo-controller coupled to the actuator and the skin sensor, the servo-controller adjusting the injection pressure of the drug injector based on the skin properties.

20. A method of injecting a drug into a biological body comprising:

holding a drug in a chamber, the chamber being in fluid communication with an nozzle through which the drug is injected;

applying a potential to a member of an actuator, the member contracting upon the application of the potential, the actuator being coupled to a piston, the actuator moving the piston towards the nozzle when the potential is applied to the member; and

expelling the drug from the chamber through the nozzle as the piston moves towards the chamber.

21. The method ofclaim 20 wherein the drug is expelled through the nozzle at an injection velocity of at least about 100 meters per second.

22. The method ofclaim 20 further comprising moving the piston away from the nozzle with a spring when the potential is removed from the actuator.

23. The method ofclaim 20 further comprising supplying drug from a reservoir coupled to the chamber.

24. The method ofclaim 20 further comprising positioning a sterile interface positioned between the nozzle and the body.

25. The method ofclaim 24 further comprising supplying the sterile interface as a ribbon from a roller, a new sterile portion of the ribbon being positioned over the nozzle after an injection.

26. The method ofclaim 20 further comprising receiving a vial in the chamber, the chamber being contained within the vial, and the nozzle being associated with the vial.

27. The method ofclaim 26 further comprising supplying a plurality of vials to the injector in a sequential manner, a new vial being positioned in the injector after an injection.

28. The method ofclaim 20 wherein the member includes a shaped memory material.

29. The method ofclaim 28 wherein the shape memory material is a shape memory polymer.

30. The method ofclaim 28 wherein the shape memory material is a shape memory alloy.

31. The method ofclaim 30 wherein the shape memory alloy is selected from the group including: Ag—Cd, Au—Cd, Au—Cu—Zn, Cu—Al, Cu—Al—N, Cu—Zn, Cu—Zn—Al, Cu—Zn—Ga, Cu—Zn—Si, Cu—Zn—Sn, Fe—Pt, Fe—Ni, In—Cd, In—Ti, Ti—Nb, and combinations thereof.

32. The method ofclaim 20 wherein the member is one or more wires of shape memory alloy.

33. The method ofclaim 32 wherein the shape memory alloy is Ni—Ti.

34. A method of injecting a drug into a biological body comprising:

positioning a drug vial in a housing, the vial containing a drug to be injected into the body, and having an nozzle through which the drug is injected;

applying a potential to a member of shape memory alloy, the member forming part of an actuator coupled to a piston positioned in the housing, the actuator moving the piston towards the nozzle when the potential is applied to the member; and

expelling the drug from the vial through the nozzle as the piston moves towards the nozzle.

35. The method ofclaim 34 wherein the drug is expelled through the nozzle at an injection velocity of at least about 100 meters per second.

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