Device and method for delivering a dose of medicament comprising activated carbon particles

Abstract

A device for delivering a dose of medicament comprising activated carbon particles to a patient's rectal cavity has a rectally-insertable cannula. The cannula has a proximal opening, a distal opening and a cavity defined between the proximal and distal openings for containing the medicament. An openable closure spans the proximal opening of the cannula. An actuation means is arranged to drive a volume of fluid, for example water or air, through the cannula cavity to flush the dose of medicament through the distal opening of the cannula.

Description

[0001]The invention relates to a device, a kit, and a method for delivering a dose of a medicament comprising activated carbon particles for the treatment of rectal and anal fistulae.BACKGROUND[0002]A fistula is an abnormal conduit or connection between bodily organs or vessels that do not usually connect. Fistulas or fistulae can form in many parts of the body. Anal fistula and rectal fistula are conditions in which tubes form between a sufferer's rectum and intestines, or other internal organs, or between a sufferer's rectum and the external skin adjacent to the sufferer's anus. For example, fistulas situated high in the anus (high anal fistula) may connect with the urinary tract, and fistulas situated low in the anus (low anal fistula) may, in women, pass into the vagina. In addition to significant pain, rectal and anal fistulas commonly become infected and accumulate pus. Furthermore, such fistulas can allow the leakage of fecal matter from the rectum.[0003]Anal and rectal fistu...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention describes a device for treating rectal fistulas that includes a disposable cannula and an activation means for driving a liquid through the cannula to flush out the medicament. The device can be used with different types of liquids and can have a gas as the driving fluid. The activation means can be filled with a liquid and preloaded with activated carbon particles for treatment. The technical effect of this device is to provide a more effective and comfortable treatment for rectal fistulas.

Problems solved by technology

In addition to significant pain, rectal and anal fistulas commonly become infected and accumulate pus.

Such procedures are undesirable, however.

One potential side-effect of the surgical procedure to treat fistula is an increased probability that a patient will develop anal incontinence in the years following the surgery.

However, there are a number of problems associated with the use of activated carbon for this purpose.

There are, however, problems associated with handling such a powder as the fine scale of the powder particles means that the particles easily become airborne and the activated carbon tends to contaminate its immediate surroundings with a fine dust of activated carbon.

Such a fine powder is, therefore, inherently dirty and difficult to handle.

A fine powder also does not flow easily, and it is difficult to administer a dry dose of activated carbon.

Handling problems and poor flowability of fine activated carbon powders also present difficulties in production.

For example, it may be difficult to fill a device with a metered dose of fine carbon powder.

However, orally administered activated carbon must pass through a patient's entire digestive system before it reaches the rectal region and in doing so a large, and unpredictable, proportion of the carbon will have absorbed various chemicals and lost its activity.

However, activated carbon absorbs many essential chemicals and nutrients on passing through the patient's digestive system and it is undesirable to take large oral doses of activated carbon over a prolonged period of time for this reason.

The problem with such suspensions is that the carbon loses its activity very quickly.

Suspensions, therefore, need to be used shortly after preparation and have little practical shelf-life.

It may be difficult to prepare a coating that accurately dissolves to release the activated carbon only once it has passed into a patient's rectum.

Furthermore, such coating may reduce the activity of the carbon in the same manner as described above for activated carbon suspensions and thereby may reduce the effectiveness of such coated particles for the treatment of rectal and anal fistulas.

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