Transdermal drug delivery device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device capable of administering a drug into the body of a subject. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a drug administration device capable of quickly and selectively handling drug spraying / injection such that a drug is sprayed and injected into the body of the subject without a needle according to the type of administered drug or the type of treatment, and absorption of the drug by means of electroporation.

Description

drug delivery device

[0001] The present invention relates to a drug administration device that administers a drug into the body of a subject to be treated, and more specifically, to a drug administration device that enables selective treatment of drug injection by spraying a drug into the body of a subject to be treated without a needle and absorption of the drug by electroporation.

[0002] A needleless syringe is a medical device that delivers medication without the use of a traditional hypodermic needle. A needleless syringe uses high-pressure technology to inject the medication as a liquid stream through the skin.

[0003] A typical needleless syringe uses a piston to push medication through a nozzle. These needleless syringes offer better dosing effectiveness compared to conventional needle syringes, allow those with a fear of needles to avoid fears when administering medications like vaccinations, and are gaining popularity due to their potential to reduce medical waste.

[0004] Recently, needleless syringes have been developed to spray small amounts of medication repeatedly at high speeds so that the medication is evenly distributed over a wide area, and methods to further enhance the administration effect are being studied.

[0005] [Prior Art Literature]

[0006] U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2016-0199579

[0007] Korean Patent Publication No. KR 2004-0074877

[0008] U.S. Patent No. US 6620135

[0009] Korean Patent No. KR10-2093951

[0010] U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2004-0158195

[0011] The present invention provides a drug administration device that can administer a drug into the body of a subject to be treated, and that can easily and quickly selectively administer a drug injection by spraying the drug into the body of a subject to be treated without a needle and absorbing the drug by electroporation, depending on the type of drug to be administered or the type of treatment.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a drug dispensing device comprises a handpiece having a driving cylinder surrounded by a solenoid coil, a plunger that moves by the magnetic force of the solenoid coil inside the driving cylinder, an operating cylinder provided at a tip of the driving cylinder, and a piston that operates by the plunger inside the operating cylinder; a drug cylinder that is detachably coupled to the tip of the handpiece and has a drug chamber that receives a drug supplied from a drug supply unit, and a chamber cover made of an elastic material that packs the drug chamber; and a nozzle tip that is detachably coupled to the tip of the drug cylinder and sprays the drug delivered from the drug chamber when the chamber cover is pressed by the operation of the piston, so as to spray the drug into a treatment subject, and further comprises an electrode tip that is detachably coupled to the tip of the nozzle tip and is electrically connected to the handpiece upon coupling to generate an electric field for electroporation, so that the drug sprayed through the nozzle tip is absorbed through the surface of the treatment subject by electroporation of the electrode tip.

[0013] Also preferably, the handpiece is characterized in that it further includes a plunger seat provided at the rear end of the driving cylinder to limit the backward movement of the plunger and configured to attract the plunger by a magnetic force, including a permanent magnet.

[0014] Also preferably, the handpiece further includes a plunger seat provided at the rear end of the driving cylinder to limit the backward movement of the plunger, the plunger seat including an electromagnet, and the plunger seat is configured to have a different polarity from an opposing portion of the plunger before current is applied to the solenoid coil to magnetically attract the plunger, and to repel the plunger by switching the polarity when current is applied to the solenoid coil, and to magnetically attract the plunger by switching the polarity again after movement of the plunger to move backward.

[0015] Also preferably, the drug cylinder includes a cylinder body forming the drug chamber, a drug supply head connected to the drug supply unit, and a cap body coupled to the rear end of the cylinder body and coupled to the front end of the handpiece, and the chamber cover includes a cover dome whose shape is elastically deformed and restored according to the pressure of the piston, and a cover rim forming the edge of the cover dome.

[0016] It is characterized in that the cover rim of the chamber cover is packed and provided between the cover mounting portion formed around the drug chamber of the cylinder body and the rim receiving portion formed in the cap body.

[0017] Also preferably, the electrode tip is characterized by including an electrode tip body, a nozzle cap provided at the rear end of the electrode tip body and detachably coupled to the tip of the nozzle tip, an electrode part for electroporation provided on the electrode tip body, and an electrical connection part that is connected to an electrical connection terminal provided on the handpiece when the nozzle cap is coupled to the tip of the nozzle tip so that power is connected to the electrode part.

[0018] Also preferably, the electrode part includes at least one pair of electroporation electrodes provided inside the electrode tip body and connected to power through the electrical connection, and an electrode cover provided at the tip of the electrode tip body and in contact with the skin of the treatment subject and electrically connected to the electrode, wherein the electrode cover has a drug penetration hole through which the nozzle of the nozzle tip is positioned when the nozzle cap is coupled to the tip of the nozzle tip and the drug sprayed by the nozzle passes, and is characterized in that it is configured to space the nozzle and the skin of the treatment subject.

[0019] Also preferably, the electrode tip body is formed at the center thereof, and the nozzle cap is coupled to the tip of the nozzle tip, so that the nozzle of the nozzle tip is positioned and a drug penetration hole through which the drug sprayed by the nozzle passes is included, and the electrode part includes a plurality of electrodes arranged at a predetermined interval along the periphery of the drug penetration hole at the tip of the electrode tip body, and is characterized in that adjacent electrodes are configured to have different polarities from each other.

[0020] Also preferably, the electrode portion is characterized in that it is configured to operate when current is applied to the solenoid coil to generate an electric field.

[0021] The drug administration device according to the present invention is a device capable of administering a drug into the body of a subject to be treated, and has the effect of easily and quickly selectively administering a drug by spraying and injecting the drug into the body of a subject to be treated without a needle, or by absorption of the drug by electroporation, depending on the type of drug to be administered or the type of treatment.

[0022] Fig. 1(a) shows the overall configuration of a drug administration device for spraying a drug according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 1(b) shows the main configuration of the drug administration device shown in Fig. 1(a) in an exploded manner.

[0023] Figure 2 is a drawing showing a cross-section II of the drug administration device illustrated in Figure 1(b).

[0024] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the main components of the handpiece of the drug administration device illustrated in Figure 2.

[0025] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the main components of the drug cylinder of the drug dispensing device illustrated in Figure 1(b).

[0026] Figure 5 is a drawing showing all the main components of the drug administration device illustrated in Figure 2 combined.

[0027] Fig. 6(a) shows the operation of the plunger and piston for spraying a drug in the drug dispensing device shown in Fig. 5, and Fig. 6(b) shows the return operation of the piston and plunger after the operation for spraying a drug in the drug dispensing device shown in Fig. 6(a).

[0028] Fig. 7(a) shows a state before an electrode tip is mounted on the tip of the nozzle tip of the drug administration device shown in Fig. 1(a), and Fig. 7(b) shows a state in which an electrode tip is mounted on the tip of the nozzle tip in the state shown in Fig. 7(a).

[0029] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing how an electrical connection between an electrode tip and a handpiece is made when an electrode tip is mounted on the tip of a nozzle tip of a drug administration device illustrated in FIG. 7.

[0030] Figure 9 is an exploded view showing the main components of the electrode tip illustrated in Figure 8.

[0031] FIG. 10 is a drawing showing a configuration in which an electrode tip of a different shape from the electrode tip illustrated in FIG. 9 is mounted on the tip of a nozzle tip of a drug administration device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 11 is a drawing showing an operation in which a drug is sprayed onto the surface of a treatment target through a drug penetration hole of an electrode tip in the drug delivery device illustrated in FIG. 7, and the drug is absorbed into the treatment target through electroporation of the electrode tip.

[0033] The advantages and features of the present invention, and the methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided only to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

[0034] Although terms like "first" and "second" are used to describe various components, these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one component from another, and unless otherwise specified, a "first" component may also be a "second" component.

[0035] Additionally, when it is described that a component is "connected," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the components may be directly connected or connected to one another, but that other components may also be "interposed" between the components, or that each component may be "connected," "coupled," or "connected" through another component.

[0036] As used herein, the singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "consisting of" or "comprising" should not be construed to necessarily include all of the various components or various steps described in the specification, and should be construed to mean that some of the components or some of the steps may not be included, or that additional components or steps may be included.

[0037] Hereinafter, specific details regarding a drug administration device according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to drawings.

[0038] First, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, a configuration for drug injection of a drug administration device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0039] FIG. 1(a) shows the overall configuration of a drug administration device for spraying a drug according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1(b) shows the main configuration of the drug administration device shown in FIG. 1(a) in an exploded manner. FIG. 2 shows a cross-section II of the drug administration device shown in FIG. 1(b). FIG. 3 shows the main configuration of the handpiece of the drug administration device shown in FIG. 2 in an exploded manner. FIG. 4 shows the main configuration of the drug cylinder of the drug administration device shown in FIG. 1(b) in an exploded manner. FIG. 5 shows a state in which all the main components of the drug administration device shown in FIG. 2 are combined.

[0040] A drug administration device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a device for administering a drug into the skin for skin treatment of a patient, etc., and is a device capable of spraying a drug into the skin without a needle.

[0041] For example, when injecting a filler into the skin of a subject, the filler can be injected into the skin by spraying it without a needle using a drug delivery device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] A drug administration device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured to include a handpiece (100) that can be held by a practitioner by hand, a drug cylinder (200) coupled to the tip of the handpiece (100), and a nozzle tip (300) coupled to the tip of the drug cylinder (200).

[0043] As shown in FIG. 1(b) and FIG. 2, the nozzle tip (300) can be detachably coupled to the tip of the drug cylinder (200), and the drug cylinder (200) can be detachably coupled to the tip of the handpiece (100).

[0044] The handpiece (100) is a part held by the practitioner. The drug cylinder (200) receives and holds a drug through a drug supply unit (10) coupled to a drug head (230), and the tip (151) of the piston (150) provided inside the handpiece (100) pressurizes the drug contained in the drug cylinder (200) and delivers it to the nozzle tip (300) through the outlet (216) of the drug chamber. The nozzle tip (300) sprays the drug delivered from the drug cylinder (200) through the nozzle (330) by the pressurizing force of the piston (150).

[0045] The piston (150) of the handpiece (100) can repeatedly pressurize the drug cylinder (130) at high speed, and accordingly, the drug can be repeatedly sprayed at high speed through the nozzle (300).

[0046] As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, a handpiece (100) of a drug administration device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a handpiece case (101) forming an exterior, a driving cylinder (140) mounted in a mounting space (102) inside the handpiece case (101), and an operating cylinder (120, 130) mounted at the tip of the driving cylinder (140) inside the handpiece case (101).

[0047] A cable (not shown) for transmitting electrical signals for power and control to the handpiece case (101) is connected to the rear end of the handpiece case (101). An electrical coupling terminal (180) for electrically coupling to an electrode tip, which will be described later, may be provided at the front end of the handpiece case (119).

[0048] The front end of the drive cylinder (140) may be provided with an operating cylinder (120, 130) to guide the piston (150) to move forward and backward.

[0049] The operating cylinder is provided by combining a first operating cylinder (120) and a second operating cylinder (130), and as shown in FIG. 2, a piston (150) is provided inside the first operating cylinder (120) and the second operating cylinder (130), and a piston protrusion (153) may be provided so as to be positioned between a piston stopper (122) provided in the first operating cylinder (120) and a piston seat (132) provided in the second operating cylinder (130).

[0050] Accordingly, when the piston (150) moves forward, the movement of the piston protrusion (153) is restricted by the piston stopper (122), and when the piston (150) moves backward, the movement of the piston protrusion (153) is restricted by the piston seat (132), so that the piston (150) can move forward or backward by the distance that the piston protrusion (153) moves between the piston stopper (122) and the piston seat (132).

[0051] A drive cylinder (140) may be provided at the rear of the above-mentioned operating cylinder (120, 130), and the rear end (152) of the piston (150) may be placed in the drive cylinder (140).

[0052] A plunger seat (142) is arranged at the rear end of the drive cylinder (140). A plunger (144) is provided between the rear end (152) of the piston and the plunger seat (142) inside the drive cylinder (140) so that it can move forward and backward a predetermined distance, and a solenoid coil (146) may be arranged on the outer surface of the drive cylinder (140).

[0053] Inside the drive cylinder (140), there is a predetermined distance between the plunger seat (142) and the rear end (152) of the piston (150), and the plunger (144) can move by that distance.

[0054] The plunger seat (142) may be a permanent magnet. The plunger seat (142) may be fixed to the inside of the rear end side of the drive cylinder (140), and the solenoid coil (146) may be wound and arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the front end side of the drive cylinder (140).

[0055] As current is applied to the solenoid coil (146) wound on the outer surface of the front end of the drive cylinder (140), a magnetic field is generated inside and around the coil (146), that is, inside and around the front end of the drive cylinder (140). The direction of the magnetic field changes depending on the direction of the current applied to the solenoid coil (146), and the plunger (144) provided inside the drive cylinder (140) can move forward or backward depending on the direction of the magnetic field generated by the solenoid coil (146).

[0056] The plunger (144) may be a permanent magnet provided inside the driving cylinder (140) and capable of moving according to the magnetic field of the solenoid coil (146). The plunger (144) is disposed between the rear end of the piston (150) and the plunger seat (142). The plunger (144) is moved forward by the solenoid coil (146) and applies an impact force to the rear end (152) of the piston (150), and the piston (150) can move by the force.

[0057] The plunger (144) is pushed backward by the piston (150) as the piston (150) moves backward. The plunger (144) moves backward by the piston (150) and contacts the plunger seat (142). At this time, the facing surfaces of the plunger seat (142), which is a permanent magnet, and the plunger (144), which is a permanent magnet, may have different polarities so that the plunger (144) is attached to the plunger seat (142) by magnetic force.

[0058] In this state, when a predetermined current is applied to the solenoid coil (146), the plunger (144) moves toward the piston (150) by the magnetic field generated in the driving cylinder (140), and applies an impact force to the rear end (152) of the piston, and the piston (150) moves forward by the impact force. After the piston moves forward, when the current application to the solenoid coil (146) is stopped or a current in the opposite direction is applied, the piston (150) moves backward, pushing the plunger (144) back toward the plunger seat (142), and the plunger (144) that moves accordingly can be reattached to the plunger seat (142) by the magnetic force. In this manner, the plunger (144) can repeatedly move forward and backward at high speed to repeatedly move the piston (150) forward.

[0059] The plunger (144) may be formed with a hollow interior, thereby reducing the amount of shock that may occur when the plunger (144) is attached to the plunger seat (142). The plunger seat (142) or the plunger (144) may be provided with a buffer member to further reduce the amount of shock that may occur when the plunger (144) is attached to the plunger seat (142).

[0060] The plunger (144) as described above may be implemented as an electromagnet so that the polarity of the plunger (144) changes when current is applied to the solenoid coil (146). The facing surfaces of the plunger (144) and the plunger seat (142) have different polarities and are attracted to each other, and when current is applied to the solenoid coil (146) and a magnetic field is generated, the plunger (144) also changes polarity so that the facing surfaces of the plunger (144) and the plunger seat (142) have the same polarity, so that the plunger (144) is pushed forward by the repulsive force between the plunger seat (142) and the plunger (144) and accelerates and moves forward by the magnetic force of the solenoid coil (146).

[0061] That is, when a repulsive force is generated between the plunger (144) and the plunger seat (142), the plunger (144) can be separated from the plunger seat (142) by the repulsive force with the plunger seat (142) and moved toward the front end of the drive cylinder (110) by the repulsive force with the plunger seat (142) and the magnetic force by the solenoid coil (146). At this time, the plunger (144) is moved toward the front end of the drive cylinder (140) by receiving a combination of the repulsive force with the plunger seat (142) and the magnetic force by the solenoid coil (146), so that the movement can be further accelerated.

[0062] When the plunger (144) applies an impact force to the piston (150) to move the piston (150), and the piston (150) moves backward due to elasticity and pushes the plunger (144), the plunger (144) changes polarity again so that the facing surfaces of the plunger (144) and the plunger seat (142) have the same polarity, so that the plunger (144) can be reattached to the plunger seat (142) by the pulling force of the plunger seat (142).

[0063] The above plunger (144) may be configured as a permanent magnet, and the plunger seat (142) may be configured as an electromagnet. The plunger seat (142) configured as an electromagnet may have a different polarity from the facing portion of the plunger (144) before current is applied to the solenoid coil (146), thereby magnetically attracting the plunger (144). However, when current is applied to the solenoid coil (146), the polarity may be changed to have the same polarity as the facing portion of the plunger (144). As the polarity of the plunger seat (142) changes in this way, a repulsive force is generated between the plunger (144) and the plunger seat (142), so that the plunger seat (142) pushes the plunger (144), and the plunger (144) may be accelerated and moved forward by the magnetic field generated by the solenoid coil (146).

[0064] When the plunger (144) retracts after the piston moves, the polarity of the plunger seat (142) changes again to magnetically attract the plunger (144) so ​​that the plunger (144) comes into contact with the plunger seat (142), thereby ensuring a sufficient movement distance of the plunger (144).

[0065] Meanwhile, the drug is supplied and delivered to the nozzle tip through a drug cylinder (200) that is detachably attached to the tip of the handpiece (100). The drug cylinder (200) is a consumable and can be separated from the handpiece (100) and replaced.

[0066] The drug cylinder (200) may be configured to include a cylinder body (210), a drug supply head (230) provided on one side of the cylinder body (210), and a cap body (211) coupled to the rear end of the cylinder body (210).

[0067] The cylinder body (210) is provided with a drug chamber (214) that receives a drug supplied from a drug supply head (230), and the drug supply head (230) may be provided with a drug supply connection part (232) to which an external drug supply part (10) is connected, and a drug injection part (212) that allows a drug to be injected from the drug supply part (10) into the drug chamber (214). The drug supply part (10) may be a syringe, an ampoule, a vial, or the like in which a drug is stored.

[0068] The drug injection unit (212) may be equipped with an injection unit valve (234), which is a one-way valve that opens when the drug is supplied from the drug supply unit (10) and closes when the drug is not supplied.

[0069] An outlet (216) of the drug chamber connected to a nozzle tip (300) is formed at the front end of the drug chamber (214) formed in the cylinder body (210), and a chamber cover (250) may be provided at the rear end of the drug chamber (214).

[0070] The chamber cover (250) serves to pack the drug chamber (214) and prevent the drug inside the drug chamber (214) from flowing toward the handpiece. It is preferable that the chamber cover (250) be formed of a material capable of elastic deformation and restoration.

[0071] A cylinder cap (220) may be provided on a cap body (211) coupled to the rear end of a cylinder body (210). When the drug cylinder (200) is coupled to the front end of the handpiece (100), the cylinder cap (220) is fitted to surround the first operating cylinder (120) of the handpiece (100) so that the front end (151) of the piston (150) faces the chamber cover (250).

[0072] Accordingly, the front end (151) of the piston (150) driven and moved from the handpiece (100) presses the chamber cover (250), and as the chamber cover (250) is deformed by elasticity, the drug in the drug chamber (214) is pressurized and can be delivered to the nozzle tip (300) through the outlet (216) of the drug chamber. Then, the chamber cover (250) is restored by elasticity and pushes the piston (150) toward the handpiece, and the rear end (152) of the piston (150) pushes the plunger (144), so that the plunger (144) can move to the plunger seat (142).

[0073] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the chamber cover (250) may be configured to include a cover dome (252) having a convex dome shape toward the front (toward the nozzle tip (150)) and a cover rim (254) forming the border of the cover dome (252).

[0074] The cylinder body (210) is formed with a cover mounting portion (215) on which a chamber cover (250) is mounted around the periphery of the drug chamber (214). The cap body (211) is coupled to the rear of the cylinder body (210). The front end (151) of the piston (150) is inserted into the cylinder cap (220) of the cap body (211).

[0075] The cylinder cap (220) is detachably connected to the tip of the handpiece (100). The cap body (211) may be formed with a ring-shaped recessed rim receiving portion (225) into which a protruding rim protrusion (255) of a cover rim (254) forming the rim of a chamber cover (250) is inserted.

[0076] Accordingly, the cover rim (254) of the chamber cover (250) can be accommodated and fixed between the cover mounting portion (215) formed around the drug chamber (214) of the cylinder body (210) and the rim receiving portion (225) of the cap body (211).

[0077] The chamber cover (250) is made of an elastic material and is pressurized by the piston (150) of the handpiece (100). The cover dome (252) of the chamber cover (250) is pressed by the tip (151) of the piston (150) when the piston (150) moves forward, and is elastically deformed to compress the inside of the drug chamber (214). As the cover dome (252) is pressurized, the volume inside the drug chamber (214) is rapidly reduced, and the resulting pressure allows the drug inside the drug chamber (214) to be transferred toward the nozzle tip (300).

[0078] The drug chamber (214), as illustrated in FIG. 2, is communicated with the drug injection port (212) of the drug supply head (230) and also with the outlet (216) of the drug chamber leading to the nozzle tip (300). As described above, when the piston (150) presses the chamber cover (250), the volume of the drug chamber (214) rapidly decreases and the internal pressure increases, so that the drug inside the drug chamber (214) can move toward the outlet (216) of the drug chamber and the drug injection port (212), respectively. However, since the drug injection port (212) of the drug supply head (230) is provided with an injection port valve (234), which is a one-way valve, the drug inside the drug chamber (214) cannot go toward the drug injection port (212), but can be delivered to the nozzle tip (300) through the outlet (216) of the drug chamber.

[0079] After the chamber cover (250) is pressurized by the piston (150), the volume inside the drug chamber (214) rapidly increases again as the chamber cover (250) elastically pushes the piston (150), thereby lowering the internal pressure. Accordingly, the injection valve (234) of the drug injection port (212) of the drug supply head (230) opens, allowing the drug to be supplied and filled from the drug supply port (10) into the drug chamber (214).

[0080] The nozzle tip (300) coupled to the front end of the drug cylinder (200) has a nozzle tip body (310) and a nozzle (330) provided at the front end of the nozzle tip body (310) to spray the drug.

[0081] The nozzle tip body (310) is detachably connected to the tip of the drug cylinder (200). A valve receiving groove (312) is formed in the nozzle tip body (310) to communicate with the drug chamber (214) of the drug cylinder (200) and the outlet (216) of the drug chamber, and a nozzle tip valve (320) is provided in the valve receiving groove (312).

[0082] The nozzle tip valve (320) is a one-way valve that opens when the drug is sprayed and closes after spraying. The valve receiving groove (312) is connected to the nozzle (330).

[0083] When the piston (150) pushes the chamber cover (250) to apply pressure to the drug chamber (214), the pressure causes the nozzle tip valve (320) to open, allowing the drug to be sprayed through the nozzle (330). After the drug chamber (214) is pressurized, the chamber cover (250) elastically pushes the piston (150), causing the pressure inside the drug chamber (214) to decrease, opening the injection port valve (234) of the drug injection port (212) of the drug supply head (230), allowing the drug to be supplied and filled from the drug supply port (10) into the drug chamber (214), and at the same time, the nozzle tip valve (320) is closed, allowing the drug inside the drug chamber (214) to be sealed and contained.

[0084] In Fig. 2, a form of a duckbill check valve is illustrated as a nozzle tip valve (320) as described above, but it is not limited thereto and may also be implemented as a valve using a ball and spring that are typically used in check valves.

[0085] The nozzle (330) of the nozzle tip (300) is the end through which the drug is sprayed and can be formed in various shapes to control the spray distance, intensity, and thickness of the drug. Since the viscosity and density vary depending on the type of drug, various nozzle tips having nozzles of various shapes are provided so that the spray distance, intensity, and thickness of the drug can be controlled by replacing the necessary nozzle tips.

[0086] An operation of spraying a drug and injecting it into the body of a subject to be treated using a drug administration device according to one embodiment of the present invention having the configuration described above is described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0087] FIG. 5 shows a side cross-sectional view of a drug administration device according to an embodiment of the present invention as described above, FIG. 6(a) shows the operation of a plunger and a piston for spraying a drug in the drug administration device according to an embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 5, and FIG. 6(b) shows the return operation of the piston and plunger after the operation for spraying a drug in the drug administration device illustrated in FIG. 6(a).

[0088] As shown in Fig. 5, in the pre-operation state, the plunger (144) and plunger seat (142) inside the handpiece (100) are attached to each other by magnetic force.

[0089] As shown in Fig. 6(a), when the end of the nozzle (330) is pressed against the skin (SF) of the treatment target (human or animal), when current is applied to the solenoid coil (146) of the drive cylinder (140), a magnetic field is generated, and the plunger (144) moves forward by the magnetic field to strike the rear end (152) of the piston (150).

[0090] By the impact of the plunger (144), the piston (150) moves forward, and the tip (151) of the piston (150) presses the chamber cover (250) covering the drug chamber (214) of the drug cylinder (200).

[0091] Since the chamber cover (250) is made of a material that can be deformed and restored by elasticity, the chamber cover (250) pushes the drug in the drug chamber (214) and transfers it to the nozzle tip (300) according to the pressure of the piston (150).

[0092] The nozzle tip valve (320) provided in the valve receiving groove of the nozzle tip (300) is opened by the pressure of the pressurized drug delivered, and the drug is strongly sprayed through the nozzle (330) so that it can be injected into the body through the skin (SF) of the subject of treatment.

[0093] And, as shown in Fig. 6(b), the piston (150) is pushed back by the elastic restoring force of the chamber cover (250), pushing the plunger (144) back, and the plunger (144) moves toward the plunger seat (142). At this time, the plunger (144) and the plunger seat (142) are attached by magnetic force. In this case, the application of current to the solenoid coil (146) may be stopped, or the plunger (144) may be moved backward by applying a current in the opposite direction to that used to advance the plunger (144).

[0094] Meanwhile, the drug administration device according to one embodiment of the present invention as described above is configured to strongly spray the drug and inject the drug into the body of the subject of treatment. The drug administration device can enable drug absorption through electroporation by simply mounting an electrode tip on the tip of the nozzle tip (300).

[0095] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, by simply combining an electrode tip (400) to the tip of a nozzle tip (300), a drug administration device according to one embodiment of the present invention can be used as a device for drug absorption treatment by electroporation.

[0096] The configuration related to the electrode tip (400) as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. Components having the same drawing numbers as those in the preceding drawings are the same components as those described in the preceding drawings, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0097] Fig. 7(a) shows a state before an electrode tip is mounted on the tip of the nozzle tip of the drug delivery device illustrated in Fig. 1(a), and Fig. 7(b) shows a state in which the electrode tip is mounted on the tip of the nozzle tip in the state illustrated in Fig. 7(a). Fig. 8 shows how an electrical connection between the electrode tip and the handpiece is made when the electrode tip is mounted on the tip of the nozzle tip of the drug delivery device illustrated in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 shows the main components of the electrode tip illustrated in Fig. 8 in an exploded manner.

[0098] The electrode tip (400) is detachably connected to the tip of the nozzle tip (300), and the handpiece (100) and the electrode tip (400) can be electrically connected according to the connection of the electrode tip (400).

[0099] As illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 9, the electrode tip (400) may be configured to include an electrode tip body (410), an electroporation electrode (401, 402) provided inside the electrode tip body (410), an electrode cover (420) provided at the tip of the electrode tip body (410) and in contact with the skin of the subject of treatment, a nozzle cap (440) provided at the rear end of the electrode tip body (410) and coupled to the tip of the nozzle tip (300), and an electrical connection part (450) that is connected to an electrical connection terminal (180) provided in the handpiece (100) when the nozzle cap (440) is coupled to the tip of the nozzle tip (300) so that the electrode is electrically connected to the handpiece.

[0100] The electrode tip (400) forms a drug penetration hole that penetrates the nozzle cap (440) in the electrode cover (420). The drug penetration hole is formed by connecting the body-side drug penetration hole (413) formed in the electrode tip body (410) and the cover-side drug penetration hole (430) formed in the electrode cover (420).

[0101] When the nozzle cap (440) of the electrode tip (400) is connected to the tip of the nozzle tip (300), the nozzle (330) of the nozzle tip (300) is positioned inside the drug penetration hole (413, 430) as described above.

[0102] The nozzle cap (440) is arranged around the front of the nozzle tip (300) to prevent the drug sprayed from the nozzle (330) from splashing sideways and to suppress noise generated when the handpiece (100) repeatedly pressurizes the drug cylinder (130) at high speed. It is preferable that the nozzle cap (440) be formed of a transparent (or translucent) material so that the practitioner can confirm that the drug is sprayed through the nozzle (330).

[0103] The nozzle cap (440) allows the nozzle (330) of the nozzle tip (300) to be spaced at an appropriate distance from the skin together with the electrode tip body (410). Depending on the type of drug, the nozzle cap (440) may be provided with various lengths in the front-back direction or its length in the front-back direction may be adjusted to ensure optimal drug injection.

[0104] The electrode cover (420) is placed at the front end of the electrode tip body (410) and comes into contact with the skin of the subject of treatment. The electrode cover (420) comes into contact with the skin so that the nozzle (330) can be spaced apart from the skin. The drug sprayed from the nozzle (330) can be ejected through the drug penetration hole (430) formed at the center of the electrode cover (420), and the ejected drug is applied between the skin and the electrode cover (420). At this time, an electric field is generated from the electrodes (401, 402) inside the electrode tip body (410), and the electric field causes electroporation on the skin epidermis, allowing the applied drug to be absorbed into the skin.

[0105] The electrodes (401, 402) provided inside the electrode cover (420) can be operated by the power of the handpiece (100) connected through the electrical connection part (450) and the electrical connection terminal (180).

[0106] The electrical connection part (450) provided on the electrode tip (400) can be implemented in various forms. FIGS. 7 to 9 illustrate an example in which the electrical connection pin (452) and pin fixing part (454) are implemented at the end of the connection member (415) provided on one side of the electrode tip body (410).

[0107] The electrical connection pin (452) may be implemented as a spring-loaded metal pin, such as a pogo pin, and configured to make an electrical connection by contacting the electrical connection terminal (180). Since an electrical connection can be made simply by inserting the electrode tip (400) into the tip of the nozzle tip (300) due to the easy electrical connection configuration between the electrical connection pin (452) and the electrical connection terminal (180), the separation and replacement of the electrode tip (400) is easy.

[0108] As the nozzle cap (440) of the electrode tip (400) is coupled to the tip of the nozzle tip (300), the connecting member (415) as described above is seated in the connecting member seating grooves (308, 208, see FIGS. 2 and 4) formed on one side of the nozzle tip (300) and the drug cylinder (200), respectively, and the electrical connection terminal (180) provided at the tip of the handpiece (100) can be electrically contacted or electrically coupled with the electrical connection portion (450) provided at the end of the connecting member (415).

[0109] The electrical connection part (450) is connected to the electrodes (401, 402) provided inside the electrode tip body (410), and the electrical connection terminal (180) is connected to a power source. Therefore, when the electrode tip (400) is coupled to the tip of the nozzle tip (300) and the electrical connection part (450) and the electrical connection terminal (180) are connected, the electrodes (401, 402) of the electrode tip (400) and the power source can be electrically connected.

[0110] The electrode includes a first electrode (401) and a second electrode (402), and the electrode cover (420) may be provided separately, with a first electrode cover (421) corresponding to the first electrode (401) and a second electrode cover (422) corresponding to the second electrode (402).

[0111] The first electrode cover (421) is in contact with the first electrode (401) as a conductor, and the second electrode cover (422) is also in contact with the second electrode (402) as a conductor.

[0112] The first electrode (401) and the second electrode (402) are configured to have different polarities, so that when power is supplied, an electric field can be generated between the first electrode (401) and the second electrode (402). Accordingly, an electric field can also be generated between the first electrode cover (421) and the second electrode cover (422).

[0113] The electric field generated between the first electrode cover (421) and the second electrode cover (422) when the electrode cover (420) is in contact with the skin can increase the permeability of the skin cell membrane, thereby allowing the drug applied to the skin to be quickly absorbed into the skin.

[0114] In the previous FIGS. 7 and 8, the electrodes (401, 402) of the electrode tip (400) and the electrode covers (421, 422) have been illustrated as having a pair of electrodes. However, the electrode tip of the drug administration device according to the present invention may also have two or more pairs of electrodes, and an example of this is illustrated in FIG. 10.

[0115] In FIG. 10, the configuration of the handpiece (100), the drug cylinder (200), and the nozzle tip (300) is substantially the same as the configuration described in the previous drawings, and the configuration of the electrode tip is different from the previous embodiment, so the description of the overlapping portion will be omitted and the description will be focused on the portion related to the electrode tip (500).

[0116] FIG. 10 illustrates a configuration in which an electrode tip of a different shape from the electrode tip illustrated in FIG. 9 is mounted on the tip of a nozzle tip of a drug administration device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0117] As illustrated in FIG. 10, the electrode tip (500) may be configured to include an electrode tip body (510), an electrode portion (520) for electroporation provided at the tip of the electrode tip body (510), a nozzle cap (540) provided at the rear end of the electrode tip body (510) and coupled to the tip of the nozzle tip (300), and an electrical connection portion (550) that is connected to an electrical connection terminal (280) provided on the handpiece side when the nozzle cap (540) is coupled to the tip of the nozzle tip (300) so that the electrode portion (520) is electrically connected to the power supply of the handpiece.

[0118] A drug penetration hole (530) is formed in the center of the electrode tip body (510) that penetrates the entire electrode tip (500). When the nozzle cap (540) of the electrode tip (500) is coupled to the tip of the nozzle tip (300), the nozzle (330) of the nozzle tip (300) is positioned inside the drug penetration hole (530).

[0119] The nozzle cap (540) is arranged around the front of the nozzle tip (300) to prevent the drug sprayed from the nozzle (330) from splashing sideways and to suppress noise generated when the handpiece (100) repeatedly pressurizes the drug cylinder (130) at high speed. The nozzle cap (540) may be formed of a transparent (or translucent) material so that the practitioner can confirm that the drug is sprayed through the nozzle (330).

[0120] The electrode tip body (510) allows the nozzle (330) of the nozzle tip (300) to be spaced at an appropriate distance from the skin. Depending on the type of drug, the electrode tip body (510) may be provided with various lengths in the front-back direction or its length in the front-back direction may be adjusted to ensure optimal drug injection.

[0121] The electrode unit (520) is placed at the front end of the electrode tip body (510) and comes into contact with the skin of the subject of treatment. The electrode unit (520) comes into contact with the skin so that the nozzle (330) can be spaced apart from the skin. The drug sprayed from the nozzle (330) can be ejected through the drug penetration hole (530) formed at the center of the electrode unit (520), and the ejected drug is applied between the skin and the electrode unit (520). At this time, an electric field is generated in the electrode unit (520), and the electric field causes electroporation on the skin epidermis, so that the applied drug can be absorbed into the skin.

[0122] The electrode unit (520) includes a first electrode (521), a second electrode (522), a third electrode (523), and a fourth electrode (524), which are arranged at predetermined intervals along the periphery of the drug penetration hole (530) and are exposed so as to be in contact with the skin.

[0123] It is preferable that the electrode unit (520) be configured so that adjacent electrodes have different polarities. For example, the first electrode (521), the second electrode (522), the third electrode (523), and the fourth electrode (524) may be configured in the order of + pole, - pole, + pole, and - pole. By configuring the electrodes in this manner, an electric field can be generated between adjacent electrodes, thereby enabling electroporation to occur effectively over a wide area. The electric field generated in this manner can increase the permeability of the skin cell membrane, thereby allowing a drug applied to the skin to be rapidly absorbed into the skin.

[0124] Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 11, an operation of allowing a drug to be absorbed into the body of a subject to be treated by electroporation using a drug administration device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0125] Figure 11 shows an operation in which a drug is sprayed onto the surface of a treatment target through a drug penetration hole of an electrode tip in the drug delivery device illustrated in Figure 7, and the drug is absorbed into the treatment target through electroporation of the electrode tip.

[0126] In the pre-operation state, the plunger (144) and plunger seat (142) inside the handpiece (100) are attached to each other by magnetic force.

[0127] As shown in Fig. 11(a), when the electrode cover (420) of the electrode tip (400) is pressed against the skin (SF) of the treatment target (human or animal), when current is applied to the solenoid coil (146) of the drive cylinder (140), a magnetic field is generated, and the plunger (144) moves forward by the magnetic field to strike the rear end (152) of the piston (150).

[0128] By the impact of the plunger (144), the piston (150) moves forward, and the tip (151) of the piston (150) presses the chamber cover (250) covering the drug chamber (214) of the drug cylinder (200).

[0129] Since the chamber cover (250) is made of a material that can be deformed and restored by elasticity, the chamber cover (250) pushes the drug in the drug chamber (214) and transfers it to the nozzle tip (300) according to the pressure of the piston (150).

[0130] The nozzle tip valve (320) provided in the valve receiving groove of the nozzle tip (300) is opened by the pressure of the drug that has been pressurized and delivered, and the drug is sprayed through the nozzle (330), and the sprayed drug can be applied to the skin (SF) of the treatment target through the drug penetration hole (430) of the electrode tip (400). At this time, power is applied to the electrode of the electrode tip (400) to generate an electric field (EF).

[0131] And, as shown in Fig. 6(b), electroporation occurs due to the electric field (EF) generated by the electrode of the electrode tip (400), so that the applied drug can be absorbed (DA) into the skin (SF).

[0132] And, as the piston (150) is pushed back by the elastic restoring force of the chamber cover (250), the plunger (144) is pushed back, and the plunger (144) moves toward the plunger seat (142). At this time, the plunger (144) and the plunger seat (142) are attached by magnetic force. In this case, the application of current to the solenoid coil (146) may be stopped, or the plunger (144) may be moved backward by applying current in the opposite direction to that used to advance the plunger (144).

[0133] In this manner, when current is periodically applied to the solenoid coil (146) or the direction of the current is periodically changed, the plunger (144) moves back and forth at high speed to periodically push the piston (150), and accordingly, the piston (150) periodically pressurizes the drug chamber (214), and the drug is periodically injected, and the injected drug is applied to the skin, and the applied drug can be continuously absorbed into the skin by the electric field generated by the electrode of the electrode tip (400).

[0134] As described above, the drug administration device according to the present invention is a device capable of administering a drug into the body of a subject to be treated, and has the special advantage of being able to easily and quickly selectively administer drug injection by spraying the drug into the body of a subject to be treated without a needle and drug absorption by electroporation, depending on the type of drug to be administered or the type of treatment.

[0135] The drug administration device according to the present invention can be used in the medical device field for administering drugs into the body of a subject or in the skin beauty field.

Claims

1. A handpiece comprising a driving cylinder surrounded by a solenoid coil, a plunger that moves by the magnetic force of the solenoid coil inside the driving cylinder, an operating cylinder provided at the tip of the driving cylinder, and a piston that operates by the plunger inside the operating cylinder; A drug cylinder having a drug chamber that is detachably connected to the tip of the handpiece and receives a drug injected from a drug supply unit, and a chamber cover made of an elastic material that packs the drug chamber; and It is configured to spray the drug to the treatment target, including a nozzle tip that is detachably connected to the tip of the drug cylinder and sprays the drug delivered from the drug chamber when the chamber cover is pressurized by the operation of the piston. A drug delivery device configured to absorb a drug sprayed through the nozzle tip through electroporation of the subject of treatment by further including an electrode tip that is detachably connected to the tip of the nozzle tip and electrically connected to the handpiece upon connection to generate an electric field for electroporation.

2. In the first paragraph, the handpiece, A drug dispensing device characterized in that it further includes a plunger seat provided at the rear end of the driving cylinder to limit the backward movement of the plunger and configured to attract the plunger by magnetic force, including a permanent magnet.

3. In the first paragraph, the handpiece, A plunger seat is further provided at the rear end of the above driving cylinder to limit the rearward movement of the plunger, and is configured to include an electromagnet. The above plunger seat, Before current is applied to the solenoid coil, the plunger is attracted by a magnetic force by having a different polarity from the facing portion of the plunger, and when current is applied to the solenoid coil, the polarity is switched to repel the plunger by a repulsive force. A drug dispensing device characterized in that the plunger is configured to be attracted magnetically by reversing the polarity after the plunger moves.

4. In the first paragraph, the drug cylinder, It includes a cylinder body forming the drug chamber, a drug supply head connected to the drug supply unit, and a cap body coupled to the rear end of the cylinder body and coupled to the front end of the handpiece. The chamber cover includes a cover dome that undergoes elastic deformation and restoration in shape according to the pressure of the piston, and a cover rim that forms the border of the cover dome. A drug administration device characterized in that the cover rim of the chamber cover is packed between a cover mounting portion formed around the drug chamber of the cylinder body and a rim receiving portion formed in the cap body.

5. In the first paragraph, the electrode tip, Electrode tip body and, A nozzle cap provided at the rear end of the electrode tip body and detachably connected to the tip of the nozzle tip; An electrode part for electroporation provided in the above electrode tip body, A drug dispensing device characterized in that it includes an electrical connection part that is connected to an electrical connection terminal provided in the handpiece so that power is connected to the electrode part as the nozzle cap is coupled to the tip of the nozzle tip.

6. In the fifth paragraph, the electrode part, At least one pair of electroporation electrodes provided inside the above electrode tip body and connected to power through the above electrical connection part, An electrode cover is provided at the tip of the electrode tip body and comes into contact with the skin of the subject of treatment and is electrically connected to the electrode. The above electrode cover, A drug administration device characterized in that the nozzle of the nozzle tip is positioned so that the nozzle cap is coupled to the tip of the nozzle tip, and the nozzle is provided with a drug penetration hole through which the drug sprayed by the nozzle passes, and is configured to space the nozzle and the skin of the treatment subject.

7. In paragraph 5, It is formed at the center of the electrode tip body, and includes a drug penetration hole through which the drug sprayed by the nozzle passes, where the nozzle of the nozzle tip is positioned as the nozzle cap is coupled to the tip of the nozzle tip. The above electrode part, A drug administration device comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged at predetermined intervals along the periphery of the drug penetration hole at the tip of the electrode tip body, and characterized in that adjacent electrodes are configured to have different polarities from each other.

8. In the fifth paragraph, the electrode part, A drug dispensing device characterized in that it is configured to operate when current is applied to the solenoid coil to generate an electric field.