Intraoral medical solution supply system

Abstract

To address such a problem that since a surface of an oral mucous membrane such as gums has more pain points than the skin, insertion of a needle and injection of an anesthetic agent involve pains and the reality is that most patients are afraid of injections; and to provide a dental anesthetic tool capable of relieving the pain and fear of the patient.SOLUTION: A circular base 15 and a great number of microneedles 16 arranged in the circle are integrally molded and fine through-holes 17 are molded between the microneedles 16 of the base 15 so as to pass through to a reverse face, where a foam layer 31 containing a dental anesthetic agent 32 is attached to the reverse face of the base 15. The microneedles 16 are protected by a protective transparent cover 2. The foam layer 31 is protected by a protective transparent cover 25.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an intraoral medicinal liquid supply system comprising a means for supplying medicinal liquid such as dental anesthetic to the gums, or gastritis medicine, asthma medicine, or hay fever medicine to the oral cavity, and a microneedle patch that perforates the skin. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in dental treatment, an anesthetic is used at the required site prior to treatment. Naturally, an injection needle is inserted into the oral mucosa, such as the gums. Lidocaine, mepivacaine, propitocaine, etc., are used as anesthetics. For example, in gastritis, asthma, hay fever, etc., these drugs are injected into the body through the oral mucosa using a syringe. In the following, we will explain the case of dental anesthetics to avoid complication. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] The surface of the oral mucosa, such as the gums, has more pain points than the skin, so it is painful to insert a needle or inject an anesthetic. For this reason, many patients fear injections, but it is the dentist's responsibility to ease the patient's pain and fear.

[0004] Therefore, the inventors thought that it would be better to inject the anesthetic with a microneedle, rather than with a general injection needle. That is, the dental anesthetic is mixed in advance into a microneedle base material that is dissolved inside the body through a hole in the gums, and the mixture is solidified into a microneedle to form a patch. Alternatively, the microneedle base material is solidified into a microneedle to form a patch, and a solution containing the dental anesthetic is applied to the surface and dried.

[0005] Conventional microneedles are made of a large number of extremely small needles with a length and diameter of approximately less than 1 mm, and are made of biodegradable biopolymers. In this case, in order to inject dental anesthetics into the body to a certain extent, it is preferable to use biodegradable biopolymers that are as difficult to dissolve as possible. Examples of biodegradable biopolymers include dextran, sodium hyaluronate, sodium chondroitin sulfate, xanthan gum, chitin chitosan, pectin, glycogen, and carboxyvinyl polymers.

[0006] Microneedles are suitable for areas with thin skin such as the gums, and allow the anesthetic to be administered subcutaneously rather than through the skin. They also do not cause pain or fear as occurs when a needle is inserted into the oral mucosa. Furthermore, when made into a patch, they are the ideal form for use in the oral cavity.

[0007] However, as a result of intensive research and development, the following problems have become clear. In other words, when a solution containing a dental anesthetic is applied around the microneedle, the anesthetic effect is weak and a so-called follow-up anesthesia using a syringe may be required. In this case, the role of anesthesia by the microneedle patch is limited to preparatory anesthesia. In addition, while anesthesia in dental treatment is often required to be immediate, in microneedles in which a dental anesthetic is mixed into a microneedle base material that perforates the oral mucosa, enters the body and dissolves, the anesthetic takes effect slowly due to its sustained release.

[0008] However, the dentist must inject the anesthetic into the patient while sitting on the chair unit. However, with a patch, it may be possible to apply the patch to the patient in the waiting room, so it is possible to create a situation where the anesthesia is already working by the time the dentist is called. Therefore, the inventor felt the need to make further improvements to ensure the possibility of anesthesia using a microneedle patch. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The above object can be achieved by providing an intraoral medicinal liquid supply system comprising a microneedle patch having microneedles that pierce the oral mucosa but do not dissolve in the body, or a microneedle patch having through holes between the microneedles that lead to the back part, and a means for supplying an anesthetic to the microneedle patch.

[0010] The microneedles of this invention do not dissolve when they enter the body, so they can continue to supply anesthetics as long as they penetrate subcutaneously. Therefore, the effectiveness of the anesthetic is improved compared to conventional microneedles that are mixed with anesthetics and are molded to dissolve in the body.

[0011] Examples of the microneedle base material include dextran, sodium hyaluronate, sodium chondroitin sulfate, xanthan gum, chitin chitosan, pectin, glycogen, and carboxyvinyl polymer, but any other material may be used. Such a base material is solidified to form a sheet-like body and a large number of needles on its surface (so-called microneedles) to form a patch. Examples of the height and density of the needles at this time are 100 μm to 1000 μm in height and 50 to 200 needles per square centimeter. The shape of the needles is a cone shape or a cone shape. The overall shape of the microneedle patch is a circle, an oval, a square with rounded corners, etc. Furthermore, it is preferable to have at least a protective cover that covers the microneedles. When using the microneedle patch, the protective cover is removed to expose the microneedles.

[0012] Examples of dental anesthetics include propidium iodine, mepivacaine, and lidocaine. The means for supplying such dental anesthetics can be one or more sheet-shaped carriers containing a drug solution.

[0013] The sheet-like carrier may be a sheet of gel containing a medicinal solution, a sheet of open-cell sponge containing a medicinal solution, or a sheet of absorbent cotton containing a medicinal solution.

[0014] The shape of the microneedle substrate and the shape of the sheet-like carrier may be designed arbitrarily, and if they are made into concrete objects such as animals or fruit, they can contribute to the diversion of patients, especially children.

[0015] Now, when using the microneedle patch by placing the fingertip against the gums and pressing it against the sheet-like body, the adhesiveness around the gums will naturally cause the microneedle patch to stay at the gums where it is pressed. Alternatively, if it is on the lip side, it is possible to sandwich the sheet-like body between the gums and the lip. However, if the dental anesthesia microneedle patch itself has an adhesive, it can be temporarily fixed to the oral mucosa such as the gums so that it does not move.

[0016] Conversely, the back surface opposite the microneedle side can have an adhesive for attaching to the fingertip. In other words, after fixing a dental anesthesia microneedle patch to the fingertip with this adhesive, it is possible to press the microneedle containing anesthesia into the targeted area with the finger.

[0017] Alternatively, to utilize the advantages of these two methods, an adhesive for adhesion to oral mucosa may be provided on the microneedle side and an adhesive for adhesion to fingertips may be provided on the back side opposite the microneedle side, with the adhesive for adhesion to fingertips having a weaker adhesive strength than the adhesive for adhesion to oral mucosa. In this case, the adhesive on the finger side can be removed by gently pulling the finger after the microneedle patch has been applied. It is sufficient that the microneedle patch is only slightly attached to the finger side.

[0018] The microneedle patch may have a handle for removing it from the oral mucosa. The most important feature of the microneedle patch of the present invention is that it is used in the oral cavity as a dental anesthetic. Therefore, whether or not it has the above-mentioned adhesive, it can be said that it is easy to pick up the microneedle patch when removing it from the oral cavity after use if there is a handle. Therefore, there are more situations where it is not necessary to use tweezers to pick up the microneedle patch. If the shape of the microneedle base material or the shape of the sheet-like carrier is a concrete object such as an animal or fruit, the handle may be formed as a part of them.

[0019] The merit of this invention is that the microneedle penetrates the subcutaneous tissue through the skin of the gums, and the anesthetic is supplied subcutaneously through the microneedle, but this does not cause pain to the patient. In addition, it is hygienic because it is disposable for the patient, and does not require the disinfection work of the syringe with a sterilization device as in the past, so it is hassle-free. It is better to hold such a microneedle patch with a finger, but even if it is not held down, it tends to be held by the mucus of the oral mucosa. The same can be said between the gums and the lips.

[0020] More importantly, the dentist must administer the anesthetic to the patient while he or she is at the chair unit, whereas with the patch, the patient can be given the patch in the waiting room, for example, so that the patient is already under anesthesia by the time the dentist is called.

[0021] In addition, a sheet-like carrier is attached to the microneedle as a means for supplying an anesthetic. The sheet-like carrier contains a dental anesthetic and can be provided as a gel sheet, a sheet of open-cell sponge containing a drug solution, or a sheet of absorbent cotton or nonwoven fabric containing a drug solution, and can be designed as desired. The form of the dental anesthetic absorbed in this layer may be like a smooth water or a viscous gel. In any case, the sheet-like carrier can contain more dental anesthetic. If the dental anesthetic is in the form of a gel, the dental anesthetic is less likely to flow and is more likely to remain in place. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to this invention, when administering anesthesia to a patient, it is no longer necessary to insert a needle or inject an anesthetic, and the invention has succeeded in eliminating the pain and fear associated with needles. At the same time, it is no longer necessary to disinfect a syringe using a sterilization device when using a syringe. It is worth noting that since the microneedle does not dissolve when it enters the body, it can continue to supply anesthetic as long as the anesthetic remains subcutaneously. Therefore, the effectiveness of the anesthetic is improved compared to conventional microneedles that are mixed with anesthetics and are molded to dissolve in the body.

[0023] Furthermore, it was an unexpected effect even for the inventor that it became possible to administer anesthesia to the patient in the waiting room, so that the anesthesia was already working by the time the dentist was called. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic diagram of Example 2. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic diagram of Example 3. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic diagram of Example 4. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic diagram of Example 5. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic diagram of Example 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS EXAMPLES

[0025] The microneedle patch 1 for dental anesthesia in Fig. 1 is molded such that a circular base 15 and a large number of microneedles 16 arranged within the circle are integrally formed, and fine through holes 17 pass between the microneedles 16 of the base 15 to the back surface. A foam layer 31 containing a dental anesthetic 32 is attached to the back surface of the base 15. A doughnut-shaped adhesive layer 18 is provided around the microneedles 16, and a flange 20 portion of a transparent cover 2 covering the microneedles 16 is adhered to this. A doughnut-shaped adhesive layer 19 is provided around the foam layer 31, and a flange 26 portion of a transparent cover 25 covering the foam layer 31 is adhered to this.

[0026] The method of use will be described. First, the cover 2 is peeled off from the adhesive layer 18, and the microneedle 16 side is pressed against the gums to be anesthetized. When the cover 25 is pressed with a fingertip or the like, the dental anesthetic 32 is pushed out from the foam layer 31 and seeps out between the microneedles 16 from the through holes 17 opened in the base 15. At this time, the microneedles 16 penetrate subcutaneously through the skin of the gums, so the dental anesthetic 32 can be supplied subcutaneously through the break in the skin. The feature of this embodiment 3 is that the foam layer 31 can contain a relatively large amount of dental anesthetic 32.

[0027] When discarding this dental anesthesia microneedle patch, the back cover 25 may be peeled off from the flange 26 by the adhesive layer 19, and the foam layer 31 may be removed and disposed of separately. EXAMPLES

[0028] The microneedle patch 10 for dental anesthesia in Figure 2 is similar in most respects to the above-mentioned Example 1 in terms of configuration, but is characterized in that, rather than dispersing the through holes 17 over the base 15 as in Example 1, they are concentrated in the center of the base 13 to form a single central hole 14, resembling the holes of a donut.

[0029] Therefore, the cover 2 is peeled off from the adhesive layer 18 and pressed against the gums to be anesthetized from the microneedle 16 side. When the cover 25 is pressed with a fingertip or the like, the dental anesthetic 32 is pushed out from the foam layer 31 and seeps out between the microneedles 16 through the central hole 14 opened in the base 13. EXAMPLES

[0030] The microneedle patch 6 for dental anesthesia in Fig. 3 is formed by integrally molding a circular base 62 and a number of microneedles 63 arranged within the circle. A foam layer 7 containing a dental anesthetic 70 is pressed onto the microneedles 63 (the microneedles 63 are inserted into the foam layer 7). A doughnut-shaped adhesive layer 4 is provided around the microneedles 63, and a flange 20 portion of a transparent cover 2 that covers and protects the microneedles 63 and the foam layer 7 containing the dental anesthetic 70 is adhered to this. A knob 21 is integrally provided on a portion of the flange 20 of the cover 2.

[0031] To use this, first pinch the tab 21 of the cover 2 with your fingers, peel off the cover 2 from the adhesive layer 4, and press the microneedle 63 side against the gums to be anesthetized. This causes the microneedle 63 to penetrate subcutaneously through the skin of the gums, and the adhesive layer 4 adheres to the gums and fixes them. At this time, pressure is applied to the foam layer 7, pushing out the dental anesthetic 70. At this time, the microneedle 63 penetrates subcutaneously through the skin of the gums, so the dental anesthetic 70 can be supplied subcutaneously through the break in the skin. Since the microneedle 63 is fixed to the gums by the adhesive layer 4, it is not necessary to keep pressing the base 62 against the gums with your fingertips. EXAMPLES

[0032] The microneedle patch 60 for dental anesthesia in Figure 4 is similar in most respects to the above-mentioned Example 3, but is further characterized in that an adhesive layer 41 is provided on the back surface of the base 62, and the surface of the adhesive layer 41 is covered with a release paper 42.

[0033] To use this, peel off the release paper 42 on the back surface to expose the adhesive layer 41, and lightly press this with a fingertip to make it adhere to the fingertip. Next, pinch the knob 21 of the cover 2 with the fingers of another hand, peel off the cover 2 from the adhesive layer 4, and press the microneedle 63 side against the gum to be anesthetized. Since the microneedle 63 adheres to the fingertip with the adhesive layer 41, it is possible to accurately insert the microneedle 63 into the area to be anesthetized. After this, the fingertip is removed from the adhesive layer 41 by pressing the periphery of the base 62 with the fingers of another hand. The adhesive layer 41 may be replaced with one having a smaller diameter to obtain the same effect as above. EXAMPLES

[0034] The microneedle patch 61 for dental anesthesia in Figures 5 and 6 is similar in structure to the above-mentioned Example 4, but the difference is that a doughnut-shaped adhesive layer 43 is provided around the microneedle 63, and the flange 20 of the transparent cover 2 that covers and protects the microneedle 63 and the foam layer 7 containing the dental anesthetic 70 is attached to it, but the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 43 to adhere to the gums and fix it is set stronger and weaker than the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 41 to adhere to the fingertip and fix it. In addition, the multiple bases 62 are aligned and adhered to the mount 5 as a single release paper by the adhesive layer 41.

[0035] Therefore, the base 62 is peeled off from the mount 5 to expose the adhesive layer 41, which is then lightly pressed with a fingertip to adhere to the fingertip, and the microneedle 63 is pressed against the area to be anesthetized. This causes the adhesive layer 43 to adhere to the gums, fixing the microneedle 63 to that area. Then, when the finger that is stuck to the adhesive layer 41 is gently pulled, the finger can be peeled off without affecting the adhesion of the adhesive layer 43 to the gums, since the adhesive force of the adhesive layer 41 is smaller.

[0036] Another feature is that knobs 22, 22 are integrally provided at two locations on a portion of the flange 20 of the cover 2. These look just like the head of a bear. Since the microneedle patch is in the narrow space inside the oral cavity or between the gums and lips after use, it can be difficult to pick it up and remove it without a handle. For this reason, the knobs 22 are provided on the base 62. This has greatly improved workability. [Industrial Applicability]

[0037] According to this invention, when administering dental anesthesia to a patient, it is no longer necessary to insert a needle or inject an anesthetic, which makes it possible to alleviate the patient's pain and fear. This invention has the effect and functionality that can only be achieved within the narrow space of the oral cavity, and it represents an extremely significant contribution to the industry. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1. Microneedle patch 10. Microneedle patch 13. Foundation 14‥Center hole 15. Foundation 16. Microneedle 17‥Through hole 18‥Adhesive layer 19‥Adhesive layer 2. Cover 20. Flange 21. Picking 22. Cover 23. Flange 24. Picking 25. Back cover 26. Flange 31. Foam layer 32. Dental anesthetics 4. Adhesive layer 41. Adhesive layer 42. Release paper 43. Adhesive layer 5. Mount 6. Micropatch 60. Micropatch 61. Micropatch 62. Foundation 63. Microneedle 7. Foam layer 70. Dental anesthetics

Claims

1. An intraoral medicinal liquid supply system comprising: a microneedle patch having microneedles that pierce the oral mucosa but do not dissolve in the body, or a microneedle patch having through holes between the microneedles leading to the back part; and a means for supplying an anesthetic to the microneedle patch.

2. 2. The intraoral medicinal liquid supply system according to claim 1, wherein the supplying means is one or more sheet-like carriers containing the medicinal liquid.

3. 3. The intraoral medicinal liquid supply system according to claim 2, wherein the sheet-like carrier is a sheet of gel containing the medicinal liquid, a sheet of open-cell sponge containing the medicinal liquid, or a sheet of absorbent cotton containing the medicinal liquid.

4. The oral medicinal liquid supply system according to claim 3 , wherein the microneedle patch or sheet-like carrier has a shape of a concrete object such as an animal or fruit.

5. A microneedle patch for dental anesthesia as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, having an adhesive for adhesion to oral mucosa on the surface of the microneedle.

6. A microneedle patch for dental anesthesia as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, having an adhesive for attaching to fingertips on the back side opposite the microneedle side.

7. A microneedle patch for dental anesthesia as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, having an adhesive for adhesion to oral mucosa on the microneedle side and an adhesive for adhesion to fingertips on the back side opposite the microneedle side, the adhesive for adhesion to fingertips having a weaker adhesive strength than the adhesive for adhesion to oral mucosa.

8. A microneedle patch for dental anesthesia as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, having a knob for removing the microneedle patch from the oral mucosa.

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