Title:
ULTRASOUND DRIVEN DEVICE FOR ACCELERATED TRANSFER OF SUBSTANCES ACROSS POROUS BOUNDARIES
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO2003022349
Kind Code:
A3
Abstract:
Apparatus is described which utilises megahertz ultrasound from a concave piezoelectric transducer to produce liquid jets which penetrate into or through porous media such as human or animal skin and egg shells. The invention permits high power ultrasound to be decoupled from the skin or shell avoiding undesirable temperature rise or other bioeffects of ultrasound. The liquid can be water or a drug or anaesthetic. By pulsing the electrical drive signal the apparatus can be utilised to produce liquid droplets with a predetermined size distribution suited to drug delivery by inhalation. A device in the form of a gun has been devised into which cartons of drug, vaccine or other liquid material can be plugged so that repeated use of the device is made possible. The droplet formation can also be performed in a cylindrical form of apparatus and the cloud of drops can be driven towards or into the nose or mouth of a patient using a suitable fan and pipework. The requirement of both types of device is that an ultrasonic focus coincides within a few millimetres above or below the liquid level from which drug delivery is required. The same condition applies where controlled droplet formation is the objective.
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Inventors:
WATMOUGH DAVID JOHN (GB)
MOFFAT RONALD JAMES (GB)
MOFFAT RONALD JAMES (GB)
Application Number:
PCT/GB2002/004064
Publication Date:
May 30, 2003
Filing Date:
September 05, 2002
Export Citation:
Assignee:
WATMOUGH DAVID JOHN (GB)
MOFFAT RONALD JAMES (GB)
MOFFAT RONALD JAMES (GB)
International Classes:
A61M37/00; A61B17/32; (IPC1-7): A61M5/30; A61M37/00
Domestic Patent References:
| WO2000021605A1 | 2000-04-20 |
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